Hattendorf Prize Awardee & Evening Lecture w/ Retired Royal Australian Navy Rear Adm. James Goldrick
Channel: U.S. Naval War College
Date: 10/03/2022

Retired Royal Australian Navy Rear Adm. James Goldrick visited the U.S. Naval War College to receive the Hattendorf Prize for Distinguished Original Research in Maritime History as well as present an evening lecture to students, staff and faculty, March 2, 2022. 

James Goldrick joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1974 as a 15-year-old Cadet Midshipman. A graduate from the RAN College, he holds a B.A. degree from the University of NSW and a Master of Letters from the University of New England. He is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of Harvard Business School (AMP 168). He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Letters honoris causa by the University of NSW in 2006 for 'eminent service to the community.'

A Principal Warfare Officer and anti-submarine warfare specialist, he has seen sea service around the world with the RAN and on exchange with the British Royal Navy, including the patrol vessel HMS Alderney, the frigates HMS Sirius, HMA Ships Swan, and Darwin, and the destroyer HMS Liverpool. He has served as an Executive Officer of HMA Ships Tarakan and Perth and as Commanding Officer of HMAS Cessnock. He twice commanded the frigate HMAS Sydney and later served as the inaugural Commander Australian Surface Task Group. During this posting, he commanded the Australian task group deployed to the Persian Gulf in early 2002 and also served as Commander of the multinational naval forces conducting maritime interception operations to enforce UN sanctions on Iraq, including units from the RAN, the United States Navy, the Royal Navy and the Polish Armed Forces. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia for this service.

Shore postings have included serving as Aide to the Governor-General of Australia, as an instructor on the RAN's Principal Warfare Officer course, as Officer-in-Charge of the RAN's tactical development and training faculty, as Research Officer and later as Chief of Staff Officer to the Chief of Navy Australia, as Director of the RAN Sea Power Centre, for which he was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross, and as Director-General Military Strategy in the Department of Defence. He commanded the Australian Defence Force Academy from 2003 to 2006. He was promoted to Rear Admiral (two star) in May 2006 and served as Commander Boarder Protection Command for two years, leading the joint agency organisation responsible for Australia's civil maritime security surveillance and response. In May 2008 he assumed duty as Commander Joint Education, Training and Warfare. In 2011 he returned to the Australian Defence Force Academy as Acting Commandant.

James Goldrick has lectured naval history and naval affairs at many institutions. He spent 1992 as a Research Scholar at the U.S. Naval War College and is a Professorial Fellow of the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security. He was President of the Australian Naval Institute from 2005 to 2008 and is an Overseas Corresponding Member of the Society for Nautical Research. Published books include 'The King's Ships Were at Sea: The War in the North Sea August 1914-February 1915', 'With the Battle Cruisers' (edited), 'Reflections on the Royal Australian Navy' (co-edited), 'Mahan is Not Enough' (co-edited) and 'No Easy Answers: The Development of the Navies of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka'. He has contributed to many other works, including 'The Royal Australian Navy' and 'The Oxford Illustrated History of the Royal Australian Navy' and to professional journals, including 'The United States Naval Institute Proceedings'. As a junior officer he twice won the Guinness Prize of the British Naval Review.

Rear Admiral James Goldrick transferred to the Royal Australian Navy Reserve in June 2012 after 38 years of service. He was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia at the 2013 Australia Day Honors for distinguished service as Commander, Border Protection Command, Commander, Joint Education and Training, and Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy and for outstanding scholarship in the study of Australian naval history.

The views presented by the faculty (or a guest lecturer) do not reflect official positions of the Naval War College, DON or DOD.