Allegiance Australia Role Author Name Ken Doolan Rank Rear admiral | Years of service 1953–1993 | |
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Commands held Maritime Commander AustraliaDeputy Chief of Naval StaffHMAS BrisbaneHMAS Tobruk Other work President of the Returned and Services League of AustraliaChairman of the Australian War Memorial Council Books HMAS Tobruk: Warship for Every Crisis | ||
Battles/wars Vietnam WarGulf War |
Rear Admiral Kenneth Allan "Ken" Doolan (born 15 January 1939) is an Australian naval officer, author, and is the former national president of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL). He is a retired rear admiral in the Royal Australian Navy, his most senior commands being Maritime Commander Australia and operational commander of all Australian combatant forces deployed to the Gulf War.
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Early life
Doolan was born in Sydney, New South Wales, and received his primary education in Brisbane, Queensland.
Naval career
Doolan joined the Royal Australian Navy as a 13-year-old cadet midshipman in January 1953, attending the Royal Australian Naval College. He graduated in 1956, undertook sea training in the frigate HMAS Swan in 1957 and in December 1958 graduated from the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Devon.
Significant postings held during his 41-year naval career included:
Second career
After leaving the Australian Defence Force, Doolan has been:
He first came to public notice as president of the RSL in late September 2009 when he made statements in support of Breeanna Till, the pregnant widow of an Australian serviceman Sergeant Brett Till who was killed in the War in Afghanistan (ADF Operation Slipper) in early 2009.
In 2017 he became caught up in an inquiry into the financial affairs of the RSL during his period as president. Among other things, in September 2017 the RSL national board launched an investigation into whether former president Doolan was, in June 2016, given a car worth nearly $40,000 as a retirement gift paid for out of RSL funds.
Family
Doolan is married to Elaine. They live in rural New South Wales near the national capital, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.