Simon Cullen

NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Simon retired from the Royal Australian Navy in late 2014, following a 38 year career.  His career highlights included command at sea and ashore, extensive operational service and appointments to key senior military positions in the United States.

Simon is now pursuing a portfolio of new challenges, ranging from consulting to working in the not-for-profit and charity sectors.  He resides in Canberra.

National Vice President

From commencing as a 15 year old RANC entrant in 1960 to a final posting as Fleet CSO(Operations) in 1986-87. Rick followed a passage well-trodden by his seaman and navigation specialist predecessors. Billet postings included, PARRAMATTA, HMS DANAE, WATSON, VAMPIRE (X2), DUCHESS, SUPPLY, MELBOURNE and DARWIN. Highlights included two years exchange with RN following N long course on DANAE with a year home-ported in Hong Kong, navigating MELBOURNE to UK for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and commissioning CO of DARWIN in USA. Major success was avoiding postings to Canberra other than for Joint Service Staff College.

Leaving the RAN as a Captain, Rick turned his attention to the corporate world, in which he applied many of the leadership lessons hard won in his naval career. After a fascinating four year “conversion course” with Chase Manhattan Bank he was party to the start-up of Optus Communications, Optus Vision and, finally, NBN Co to round out a second career in telecommunications. 

Hon. Secretary

Peter joined the RAN on 13 January 1963 at HMAS NIRIMBA. Postings to HMAS DUCHESS, VAMPIRE and HOBART followed graduation. In 1969 Peter and served on exchange with the USN and on completion in 1974, was posted to FHQ. In 1976 Peter joined the Work Study Branch and was posted to Naval Support Command. Promoted to Warrant Officer in 1977 and commissioned in 1980 Peter resigned in July 1984 and joined the Finance and Banking industry.

In 1996 Peter re-joined the RAN Active Reserve and served at Fleet Headquarters in Sydney. He was promoted to LCDR in 1999 and in 2000 served as Project Director of the Defence Service Centre in Canberra. Peter then served as the Integrated Logistic Support Director and later Deputy Director of RANTEA.

Peter was promoted to Commander in 2007 and was appointed Director Defence Support Group NSW. In 2010 joined the newly formed Training Command at FHQ where he served until October 2013 when he finally retired.

Hon. Treasurer

Membership Secretary

Peter joined the RAN is Jan 1970 as an Naval Artificer Apprentice. He was promoted POMTP in 1975 and qualified for Engineering Officer of the Watch in  1976. In Vendetta he was awarded the Machinery Charge Qualification in 1978. Postings to Stirling, Torrens, Waterhen, Cerberus, Cairns and Torrens followed. 

Promoted SBLT SDEN in 1988 he undertook Officer training at Creswell and Cerberus  After promotion to LEUT SDEN in 1989 he completed a BEng with Honours at Australian Maritime College in 1991. Postings included Fleet Maintenance, Sydney with deployment to the Red Sea and  OIC Fleet Condition Assessment Unit. Promoted to LCDR in 1996.

Leaving the RAN in 1997 he had a successful career working at TNT, AGL and SydneyFerries.  He returned to the RAN as a Contractor and continues providing engineering and maintenance advice to various projects.  Peter has a keen interest in history and has had a pivotal role in the Friends of Gladesville Hospital, Australia’s first Mental Asylum.  

 

Richard joined the Navy in 1976 and specialised as a Direction (Combat Systems and Air Warfare) Officer. His career included two years as a warfare officer at sea in the Royal Navy (HMS Cardiff); numerous other sea going and operational roles, two commands of major surface combatants (HMA Ships Warramunga and Anzac); deployments to the Middle East with operations at sea during the 1990-91 Gulf War (HMAS Brisbane); Director of the Navy’s major think-tank, the Sea Power Centre; Director General Military Strategy in Australian Defence Headquarters, Chief of Staff to VCDF and Commander Combined Task Force 150. He led the Navy’s nascent New Generation Navy Project from its commencement, including drafting the Navy’s Signature Behaviours and totally revised cultural & leadership training continuum. He has been Commandant of the Australian Command & Staff College and concluded his active service with three years within the US Central Command (CENTCOM) Headquarters in Tampa, Florida. He left the permanent Navy in 2016 as a Commodore and is dabbling in a number of new roles and hobbies while still trying to master Golf. He barracks for numerous sporting teams, including the mighty Manly Warringah Sea Eagles, ACT Brumbies and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Jim Warren was born in Fiji, in 1941, and educated in New Zealand. In 1960 he joined the international accounting firm Price Waterhouse, and in the same year enlisted with the Auckland Division of the RNZNVR. He was commissioned in 1964 and in 1965 took a break from his chosen career as an accountant and signed on for a short term commission with the RNZN. He soon found himself appointed gunnery officer on HMNZS Hickleton, a Minesweeper deployed in Malaysian waters during Konfrontasi, or Confrontation as it became more widely known.

At the end of his regular service commission, Jim returned, in 1966, to his civilian employment with Price Waterhouse, finishing up living and working in four countries (New Zealand, Australia, Papua New Guinea and China) and undertaking assignments in more than twenty others. During his time in Papua New Guinea he was the honorary naval liaison officer for the port of Lae for a couple of years in the early 1970’s.

He retired (out of China) from Price Waterhouse, or PricewaterhouseCoopers as it had become, in 2002, following a career spanning 42 years, 25 of which were as a partner, and returned to live in Sydney after an absence of 25 years. At the time of his retirement he was the longest serving person in the world. He currently serves on a number of boards and maintains an interest in matters naval through his membership of the Naval Officers Club. In 2008 he authored the book “Konfrontasi – reminiscences of a Rocky” detailing his experiences during Confrontation.

Tom has combined careers as an author and military historian, high school teacher, and military officer. He served in the ADF for nearly 20 years, primarily as an intelligence analyst, seeing service in Baghdad, and East Timor, retiring as a Navy lieutenant-commander in 2013. He holds both Masters and Doctoral degrees.

Tom has authored 18 books. His Order of Australia Medal was awarded for services to naval history. He works as a historical advisor to projects such as The Territory Remembers, the 75th anniversary commemoration of the first attack on the Top End. He has just completed filming the documentary The Tiwi Warrior and the Samurai from the Skies, about the first Japanese Zero pilot shot down over Australia.

Many of his books are connected with northern Australian military history, including Carrier Attack, Darwin’s Submarine I-124, and The Empire Strikes South. He was recently awarded the Australian Naval Institute’s Commodore Sam Bateman Book Prize for his work ‘Teddy Sheean VC’.

John joined the RANC from Newcastle, NSW in January 1968. After his obligatory time in the Surface fleet he joined the RAN Submarine Squadron in October 1973. He subsequently served in ONSLOW, as Navigation Officer of OTWAY, Sonar Officer of OXLEY and ORION and as Executive Officer of ORION and OTWAY. He was awarded the Australian Service Medal with Special Operations clasp during his service in ORION. John successfully completed Perisher in 1982 and commanded OTWAY and OVENS. Whilst CO of OVENS, the submarine successfully fired the first Sub-Harpoon anti-ship missile from a non-nuclear powered submarine at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Hawaii.

John resigned as a Commander in January 1989 and after several operational management positions in the private sector was appointed as the RSL’s National Veterans’ Affairs Advisor in September 2006. John retired in March 2017.

Rob entered the Navy at the RANC as a Cadet Midshipman in 1968.  After training in the fleet as a midshipman, he graduated as a Supply Officer (now Maritime Logistics Officer) in 1972.  He served at sea in HMAS VAMPIRE, HMAS PERTH and HMAS SWAN.  Shore postings included HMAS PENGUIN (twice), HMAS STIRLING (three times) and Fleet (Maritime) Headquarters.  He was lucky enough to score an overseas exchange posting at the naval Supply Centre, Oakland in California.  He left the permanent Navy as a Captain in 1995 and pursued a career as a consultant, but remained in the Reserve.  He has completed periods of full time service since leaving the PN and finally retired in 2022.

Rob owned and ran a small guesthouse in the Blue Mountains after leaving the PN.  His other main interest is in wine and viticulture.  He owned and operated a vineyard for seven years and still maintains a small cellar.  He now intends to get involved in community work and maintain a level of fitness, to manage the effects of ageing.  He currently lives in Melbourne.