.gif)
David Stevenson (admiral)
Encyclopedia
Vice Admiral
Sir Hugh David Stevenson AC
, KBE
, RAN
(24 August 1918 – 26 October 1998) was an officer of the Royal Australian Navy
, eventually serving as its Chief
.
Bishop
of Grafton, New South Wales
. His paternal grandfather was master of a sailing vessel plying to Pacific Ocean ports; his maternal grandfather was William Saumarez Smith
, the first Anglican Archbishop
of Sydney, New South Wales.
Stevenson was educated at The Southport School
and was active in most sports, athletics, football, cricket and represented his school in rowing
.
in swimming, tennis, cricket and Rugby.
After initial training in HMAS Canberra
, he was posted to HMS Queen Elizabeth
, flagship of the Royal Navy
's Mediterranean Fleet, which was observing the Spanish Civil War
.
. The ship saw war service in the Red Sea
. He joined HMAS Napier
in late 1941 in time for the Tobruk Ferry Service
and the convoys to Malta
, staying on for its service with the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean
, and its support the Allied invasion of Madagascar
during which he landed with the British Commandos
.
In March 1943 he joined HMAS Nepal
as First Lieutenant
, still with the rank of Lieutenant, which he held until after the end of the war. With Nepal he served again in the Indian Ocean. In early 1944 he returned to Australia en route to the United Kingdom for his Long Navigation
Course.
He returned to HMAS Napier as Flotilla Navigating Officer, and remained in her until the end of the war, including a period of temporary command when Captain
H.J. Buchanan, in charge of the first British landing force in Japan, went ashore at Yokosuka and Lieutenant Stevenson took the ship into Tokyo Bay. Stevenson was Mentioned in Despatches in 1946 for his war service.
for two years, as Flotilla Navigating Officer of the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla. After his Advanced Navigation Course in England, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
in 1948.
He next served in HMAS Australia
, as Fleet Navigation Officer but also First Lieutenant
. While serving in Australia a collision occurred in Sydney Harbour
; a court case went to the Supreme Court of New South Wales
sitting in Admiralty
and the appeal in the High Court of Australia
, which the Navy won.
In 1952, promoted to Commander
, Stevenson served again under Captain Buchanan as Navigating Officer of the aircraft carrier
HMAS Sydney. He then served ashore as Director of Administrative Plans and Director of Plans.
He joined HMAS Vengeance
in 1954, the aircraft carrier then the Fleet Training Ship, which was sent to Japan to ferry No. 77 Squadron
, Royal Australian Air Force
, back to Australia after service in the Korean War
. Stevemson then sailed in Vengeance to the UK where she was decommissioned
at Devonport Dockyard
late in 1955; he then commissioned
HMAS Melbourne at this yard.
Ashore in the UK, Stevenson completed the Royal Navy Staff Course
at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, then served two years in the Tactics and Staff Division of the British Admiralty on the staff of Lord Louis Mountbatten, First Sea Lord
.
In 1958, promoted to Captain
, Stevenson commanded HMAS Tobruk
and was Captain (D) (commanding all RAN destroyers) in 1959-60. He then commanded HMNZS Royalist
, New Zealand
's only cruiser.
The family moved to Canberra in 1962 when he joined Navy Office as Director of Plans.
He returned to sea in 1964 to command HMAS Sydney, and later that year assumed command of HMAS Melbourne after the Melbourne-Voyager collision
.
, returning in 1967 and promotion to Commodore
, appointed as Naval Officer in Charge (NOIC) Western Australia
and Captain of HMAS Leeuwin
, the Junior Recruit Training Establishment.
1968 brought promotion to Rear Admiral
and appointment as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. In 1970 he became Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet (FOCAF). On completion, he returned to Navy Office as Chief of Naval Personnel and 2nd Naval Member, and was honoured in the New Year's Honours List of 1970 with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Stevenson was appointed Chief of Naval Staff
, serving from 23 November 1973 to 22 November 1976 with the rank of Vice Admiral
. He replaced Vice Admiral Sir Richard Peek
KBE, CB, DSC, and was succeeded by Vice Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot
KBE, AO. He served under Admiral
Sir Victor Smith
, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Further honours flowed from this appointment:
in Canberra.
In 1980 he was invited to be a consultant for the Australian Bicentenary
Authority, and attended the Sail Training Association's Tall Ships Regatta in Amsterdam
for the purpose of inviting the STA to have their fleet attend Australia's Bi-Centenary in 1988.
After a number of stroke
s in the 10 years before his death, he became progressively more physically handicapped while remaining mentally alert. He died on 26 October 1998.
His funeral was held with Full Naval Honours on 6 November 1998, at the ANZAC Memorial Chapel of St Paul, Royal Military College Duntroon, with his body conveyed on a gun carriage drawn by 34 naval personnel. A Memorial Service was held in his honour at St Peter's Anglican Church, Southport, Queensland.
during World War II
. His older sister Dorothy, was a prima-ballerina with the Royal Ballet and the Borovansky Ballet Company
. His younger brother was William.
On 18 April 1944, Stevenson married Myra Clarke (died 1978) of Melbourne
, at St. Peters Church, Eastern Hill in Melbourne. He sailed soon after for the Long Navigation Course in England. Their daughter, Jacqueline, was born in 1948 and their son, David, was born in 1952.
He married Margaret Wheeler Wright in 1979. In 1985 he and his wife retired to the Gold Coast, Queensland
, near where he had attended school, where he continued his interests in golf, fishing, sailing, lawn bowls, travelling, reading and playing bridge. He was Patron of Queensland's N Class Destroyers Association for some years.
Vice Admiral (Australia)
Vice admiral is the second-highest active rank of the Royal Australian Navy and was created as a direct equivalent of the British rank of vice admiral. It is a three-star rank...
Sir Hugh David Stevenson AC
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
, KBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, RAN
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
(24 August 1918 – 26 October 1998) was an officer of the Royal Australian Navy
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy is the naval branch of the Australian Defence Force. Following the Federation of Australia in 1901, the ships and resources of the separate colonial navies were integrated into a national force: the Commonwealth Naval Forces...
, eventually serving as its Chief
Chief of Navy (Australia)
The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence...
.
Early life
Stevenson was born in The Valley, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland to the Reverend William Henry Webster Stevenson and Katherine Stevenson, the third of four children. His father was the Rector of Holy Trinity Church and later became AnglicanAnglican Church of Australia
The Anglican Church of Australia is a member church of the Anglican Communion. It was previously officially known as the Church of England in Australia and Tasmania...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of Grafton, New South Wales
Grafton, New South Wales
The city of Grafton is the commercial hub of the Clarence River Valley. Established in 1851, Grafton features many historic buildings and tree-lined streets. Located approximately 630 kilometres north of Sydney and 340 km south of Brisbane, Grafton and the Clarence Valley can be reached...
. His paternal grandfather was master of a sailing vessel plying to Pacific Ocean ports; his maternal grandfather was William Saumarez Smith
William Saumarez Smith
William Saumarez Smith was an Anglican Archbishop of Sydney, Australia.Smith was born in Saint Helier, Jersey the eldest twin son of the Lieutenant Richard Snowden Smith and his wife Anne, née Robin. Smith was educated at Marlborough College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he graduated B.A...
, the first Anglican Archbishop
Archbishop
An archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Sydney, New South Wales.
Stevenson was educated at The Southport School
The Southport School
The Southport School , is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Southport, a suburb on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia....
and was active in most sports, athletics, football, cricket and represented his school in rowing
Rowing (sport)
Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
.
Naval career
He chose a naval career for himself, and joined the Royal Australian Naval College on 13 September 1932, aged 14, to complete his schooling. He was the smallest and shortest of his entry, measuring 4 foot. He graduated Dux in 1935 and received sporting coloursSporting Colours
Sporting colours, more often known merely as colours or house-colours, are awarded to members of a university or school who have excelled in a sport. Colours are traditionally worn in or on scarves, ties, blazers, gowns, cuff-links, and other items of apparel...
in swimming, tennis, cricket and Rugby.
After initial training in HMAS Canberra
HMAS Canberra (1927)
HMAS Canberra , named after the Australian capital city of Canberra, was a Royal Australian Navy heavy cruiser of the Kent subclass of County class cruisers...
, he was posted to HMS Queen Elizabeth
HMS Queen Elizabeth (1913)
HMS Queen Elizabeth was the lead ship of the Queen Elizabeth-class of dreadnought battleships, named in honour of Elizabeth I of England. She saw service in both World Wars...
, flagship of the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Mediterranean Fleet, which was observing the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
World War II
After courses in Britain from May 1938 to January 1939, he returned to Australia and was promoted to Lieutenant in 1940 while in HMAS HobartHMAS Hobart (1939)
HMAS Hobart was a Modified Leander class light cruiser which served in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. Originally constructed for the Royal Navy as HMS Apollo, the ship entered service in 1936, and was sold to Australia two years later...
. The ship saw war service in the Red Sea
Red Sea
The Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. The connection to the ocean is in the south through the Bab el Mandeb strait and the Gulf of Aden. In the north, there is the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and the Gulf of Suez...
. He joined HMAS Napier
HMAS Napier (G97)
HMAS Napier was an N class destroyer serving in the Royal Australian Navy during World War II. Built During 1939 and 1940, the destroyer was commissioned into the RAN, although she was ordered and owned by the British government...
in late 1941 in time for the Tobruk Ferry Service
Tobruk Ferry Service
The Tobruk Ferry Service was the name given to the force of Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy ships involved in the supply of Allied forces involved in the Siege of Tobruk...
and the convoys to Malta
Malta Convoys
The Malta Convoys were a series of Allied supply convoys that sustained the besieged island of Malta during the Mediterranean Theatre of the Second World War...
, staying on for its service with the Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, and its support the Allied invasion of Madagascar
Madagascar
The Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
during which he landed with the British Commandos
British Commandos
The British Commandos were formed during the Second World War in June 1940, following a request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, for a force that could carry out raids against German-occupied Europe...
.
In March 1943 he joined HMAS Nepal
HMAS Nepal (G25)
HMAS Nepal was an N class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Launched in 1941 as Noreseman, the ship suffered significant damage during an air raid on the John I. Thornycroft and Company shipyard, and during repairs was renamed to recognise Nepal's contribution to the British war effort...
as First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
, still with the rank of Lieutenant, which he held until after the end of the war. With Nepal he served again in the Indian Ocean. In early 1944 he returned to Australia en route to the United Kingdom for his Long Navigation
Navigation
Navigation is the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another. It is also the term of art used for the specialized knowledge used by navigators to perform navigation tasks...
Course.
He returned to HMAS Napier as Flotilla Navigating Officer, and remained in her until the end of the war, including a period of temporary command when Captain
Captain (Royal Navy)
Captain is a senior officer rank of the Royal Navy. It ranks above Commander and below Commodore and has a NATO ranking code of OF-5. The rank is equivalent to a Colonel in the British Army or Royal Marines and to a Group Captain in the Royal Air Force. The rank of Group Captain is based on the...
H.J. Buchanan, in charge of the first British landing force in Japan, went ashore at Yokosuka and Lieutenant Stevenson took the ship into Tokyo Bay. Stevenson was Mentioned in Despatches in 1946 for his war service.
Post War
Stevenson joined HMAS SwanHMAS Swan (U74)
HMAS Swan , named for the Swan River, was a Grimsby class sloop of the Royal Australian Navy that served during World War II.-Design and construction:...
for two years, as Flotilla Navigating Officer of the 20th Minesweeping Flotilla. After his Advanced Navigation Course in England, he was promoted to Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant Commander is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander...
in 1948.
He next served in HMAS Australia
HMAS Australia (1927)
HMAS Australia was a County-class heavy cruiser of the Royal Australian Navy . One of two Kent-subclass ships ordered for the RAN in 1924, Australia was laid down in Scotland in 1925, and entered service in 1928...
, as Fleet Navigation Officer but also First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
. While serving in Australia a collision occurred in Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
; a court case went to the Supreme Court of New South Wales
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
sitting in Admiralty
Admiralty law
Admiralty law is a distinct body of law which governs maritime questions and offenses. It is a body of both domestic law governing maritime activities, and private international law governing the relationships between private entities which operate vessels on the oceans...
and the appeal in the High Court of Australia
High Court of Australia
The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the States, and...
, which the Navy won.
In 1952, promoted to Commander
Commander
Commander is a naval rank which is also sometimes used as a military title depending on the individual customs of a given military service. Commander is also used as a rank or title in some organizations outside of the armed forces, particularly in police and law enforcement.-Commander as a naval...
, Stevenson served again under Captain Buchanan as Navigating Officer of the aircraft carrier
Aircraft carrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship designed with a primary mission of deploying and recovering aircraft, acting as a seagoing airbase. Aircraft carriers thus allow a naval force to project air power worldwide without having to depend on local bases for staging aircraft operations...
HMAS Sydney. He then served ashore as Director of Administrative Plans and Director of Plans.
He joined HMAS Vengeance
HMS Vengeance (R71)
HMS Vengeance was a Colossus class light aircraft carrier built for the Royal Navy during World War II. The carrier served in three navies during her career: the Royal Navy, the Royal Australian Navy , and the Brazilian Navy .Constructed during World War II, Vengeance was...
in 1954, the aircraft carrier then the Fleet Training Ship, which was sent to Japan to ferry No. 77 Squadron
No. 77 Squadron RAAF
No. 77 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. The Squadron was formed in 1942 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown.-History:...
, Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
, back to Australia after service in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. Stevemson then sailed in Vengeance to the UK where she was decommissioned
Ship decommissioning
To decommission a ship is to terminate her career in service in the armed forces of her nation. A somber occasion, it has little of the elaborate ceremony of ship commissioning, but carries significant tradition....
at Devonport Dockyard
HMNB Devonport
Her Majesty's Naval Base Devonport , is one of three operating bases in the United Kingdom for the Royal Navy . HMNB Devonport is located in Devonport, in the west of the city of Plymouth in Devon, England...
late in 1955; he then commissioned
Ship commissioning
Ship commissioning is the act or ceremony of placing a ship in active service, and may be regarded as a particular application of the general concepts and practices of project commissioning. The term is most commonly applied to the placing of a warship in active duty with its country's military...
HMAS Melbourne at this yard.
Ashore in the UK, Stevenson completed the Royal Navy Staff Course
Staff college
Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career...
at the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, then served two years in the Tactics and Staff Division of the British Admiralty on the staff of Lord Louis Mountbatten, First Sea Lord
First Sea Lord
The First Sea Lord is the professional head of the Royal Navy and the whole Naval Service; it was formerly known as First Naval Lord. He also holds the title of Chief of Naval Staff, and is known by the abbreviations 1SL/CNS...
.
In 1958, promoted to Captain
Captain (naval)
Captain is the name most often given in English-speaking navies to the rank corresponding to command of the largest ships. The NATO rank code is OF-5, equivalent to an army full colonel....
, Stevenson commanded HMAS Tobruk
HMAS Tobruk (D37)
HMAS Tobruk was a Battle class destroyer of the Royal Australian Navy . Built at Cockatoo Island, the destroyer was completed in 1950. Tobruk was deployed to the Korean War twice, and served with the Far East Strategic Reserve on three occasions during the late 1950s...
and was Captain (D) (commanding all RAN destroyers) in 1959-60. He then commanded HMNZS Royalist
HMS Royalist (89)
HMS Royalist was a Dido-class light cruiser of the Bellona subgroup of the Royal Navy. She was a modified Dido design with only four turrets but improved AA armament - aka Dido Group 2. She was built by Scotts Shipbuilding and Engineering Company with the keel being laid down on 21 March 1940...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
's only cruiser.
The family moved to Canberra in 1962 when he joined Navy Office as Director of Plans.
He returned to sea in 1964 to command HMAS Sydney, and later that year assumed command of HMAS Melbourne after the Melbourne-Voyager collision
Melbourne-Voyager collision
The Melbourne-Voyager collision, also referred to as the "Melbourne-Voyager incident" or simply the "Voyager incident", was a collision between two warships of the Royal Australian Navy ; the aircraft carrier and the destroyer...
.
Senior Officer positions
In 1966 Stevenson studied at the Imperial Defence College in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, returning in 1967 and promotion to Commodore
Commodore (rank)
Commodore is a military rank used in many navies that is superior to a navy captain, but below a rear admiral. Non-English-speaking nations often use the rank of flotilla admiral or counter admiral as an equivalent .It is often regarded as a one-star rank with a NATO code of OF-6, but is not always...
, appointed as Naval Officer in Charge (NOIC) Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
and Captain of HMAS Leeuwin
HMAS Leeuwin (naval base)
HMAS Leeuwin was a shore establishment of the Royal Australian Navy , located in Fremantle, Western Australia. Commissioned in August 1940 as the naval depot for Fremantle, the base was adopted for use as a training facility after World War II: initially for reservists and national servicemen, then...
, the Junior Recruit Training Establishment.
1968 brought promotion to Rear Admiral
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral is a naval commissioned officer rank above that of a commodore and captain, and below that of a vice admiral. It is generally regarded as the lowest of the "admiral" ranks, which are also sometimes referred to as "flag officers" or "flag ranks"...
and appointment as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. In 1970 he became Flag Officer Commanding Australian Fleet (FOCAF). On completion, he returned to Navy Office as Chief of Naval Personnel and 2nd Naval Member, and was honoured in the New Year's Honours List of 1970 with the Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
Stevenson was appointed Chief of Naval Staff
Chief of Navy (Australia)
The Chief of Navy is the most senior appointment in the Royal Australian Navy, responsible to the Chief of the Defence Force and the Secretary of Defence...
, serving from 23 November 1973 to 22 November 1976 with the rank of Vice Admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral is a senior naval rank of a three-star flag officer, which is equivalent to lieutenant general in the other uniformed services. A vice admiral is typically senior to a rear admiral and junior to an admiral...
. He replaced Vice Admiral Sir Richard Peek
Richard Peek
Richard Peek was a tea merchant in London from modest beginnings in Loddiswell in Devon. He rose to be one of the Sheriffs of the City of London. He was a known abolitionist and philanthropist in his home area...
KBE, CB, DSC, and was succeeded by Vice Admiral Sir Anthony Synnot
Anthony Synnot
Admiral Sir Anthony Monckton Synnot KBE, AO was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy, who between 1979 and 1982 served as Chief of the Defence Force Staff.-Early life:...
KBE, AO. He served under Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
Sir Victor Smith
Victor Smith
Admiral Sir Victor Alfred Trumper Smith AC, KBE, CB, DSC, RAN was a senior officer within the Royal Australian Navy, eventually becoming the first Australian to achieve the rank of admiral and serving as Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee; the professional head of the Australian Military.-Early...
, Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
Further honours flowed from this appointment:
- Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1976, and
- Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1976.
After the Navy
In retirement, Sir David Stevenson became Chairman for the ACT for the Queen Elizabeth Fund for Young Australians. He also served for many years and also served on the Board of the YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
in Canberra.
In 1980 he was invited to be a consultant for the Australian Bicentenary
Australian Bicentenary
The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1970 on the 200th anniversary of Captain James Cook landing and claiming the land, and again in 1988 to celebrate 200 years of permanent European settlement.-1970:...
Authority, and attended the Sail Training Association's Tall Ships Regatta in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
for the purpose of inviting the STA to have their fleet attend Australia's Bi-Centenary in 1988.
After a number of stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
s in the 10 years before his death, he became progressively more physically handicapped while remaining mentally alert. He died on 26 October 1998.
His funeral was held with Full Naval Honours on 6 November 1998, at the ANZAC Memorial Chapel of St Paul, Royal Military College Duntroon, with his body conveyed on a gun carriage drawn by 34 naval personnel. A Memorial Service was held in his honour at St Peter's Anglican Church, Southport, Queensland.
Family
Stevenson's older brother, James, died as a test pilotTest pilot
A test pilot is an aviator who flies new and modified aircraft in specific maneuvers, known as flight test techniques or FTTs, allowing the results to be measured and the design to be evaluated....
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His older sister Dorothy, was a prima-ballerina with the Royal Ballet and the Borovansky Ballet Company
Edouard Borovansky
Edouard Borovansky was a Czech- born Australian ballet dancer, choreographer and director. After touring with Anna Pavlova's company, he and his wife settled in Australia where they established the Borovansky Ballet company...
. His younger brother was William.
On 18 April 1944, Stevenson married Myra Clarke (died 1978) of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, at St. Peters Church, Eastern Hill in Melbourne. He sailed soon after for the Long Navigation Course in England. Their daughter, Jacqueline, was born in 1948 and their son, David, was born in 1952.
He married Margaret Wheeler Wright in 1979. In 1985 he and his wife retired to the Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, near where he had attended school, where he continued his interests in golf, fishing, sailing, lawn bowls, travelling, reading and playing bridge. He was Patron of Queensland's N Class Destroyers Association for some years.
External links
- The Life and Naval Career of Vice Admiral Sir Hugh David Stevenson, AC, KBE, Albert Birch; first published: Naval Historical Review - June 1977 edition
- Full Naval Honours Funeral for One of Navy’s Most Distinguished Admirals, Australian Defence ForceAustralian Defence ForceThe Australian Defence Force is the military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia. It consists of the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army, Royal Australian Air Force and a number of 'tri-service' units...
media release and biography, 5 November 1998