.gif)
James Rowland (Australia)
Encyclopedia
Air Marshal
Sir James Anthony (Jim) Rowland, AC, KBE, DFC
, AFC
(1 November 1922 – 27 May 1999) was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force
, serving as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1975 to 1979. He later held office as Governor of New South Wales from 1981 to 1989, and was Chancellor of the University of Sydney from 1990 to 1991. Born in rural New South Wales
, Rowland cut short his aeronautical engineering
studies at the University of Sydney
to join the RAAF in 1942. He was posted to Britain and served as a bomber pilot with the Pathfinders in the air war over Europe, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross
in 1944. The following year he was forced to bail out over Germany following a collision with another Allied aircraft, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner.
After repatriation and demobilisation, Rowland gained his engineering degree and rejoined the RAAF. He became a test pilot
, serving with and later commanding the Aircraft Research and Development Unit
in the 1950s, and also a senior engineering officer, being closely involved in preparations for delivery to Australia of the Dassault Mirage III
supersonic fighter in the 1960s. In 1972 he was promoted to air vice marshal and became Air Member for Technical Services, holding this post until his elevation to air marshal and appointment as CAS in March 1975. He was the first engineering officer to lead the RAAF, and the first man to personally command it in a legal sense, following abolition of the Australian Air Board in 1976. Knighted in 1977, Rowland retired from the Air Force in 1979 and became Governor of New South Wales in January 1981. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1987. Retiring from the Governorship in 1989, he held a place on several boards as well as the Chancellorship of the University of Sydney. He died in 1999.
, New South Wales, on 1 November 1922. He was the son of Louis Rowland, a commander
in the Royal Australian Navy
, and his wife Elsie. Jim evinced a fascination with aviation from an early age, carving model aeroplanes out of wood. Growing up on his family's rural property, he was schooled via correspondence before completing his secondary education at Cranbrook, Sydney. At 17, he entered the University of Sydney
to study aeronautical engineering
but left in May 1942 to enlist in the Royal Australian Air Force
as a pilot under the Empire Air Training Scheme
. He was commissioned as a pilot officer
in July 1943 and posted to Britain, where he converted to Handley Page Halifax
and Avro Lancaster
heavy bombers.
Rowland joined the Pathfinder Force that marked targets for other aircraft on strategic bombing missions over Europe. Considered an exceptional pilot, he became a master bomber with No. 635 Squadron RAF in 1944. The master bomber’s role was to arrive ahead of the main Allied force, check that flares marking the target were in place, and warn his fellows if they were bombing inaccurately. Having been promoted to acting flight lieutenant
, Rowland was on a sortie
to attack Düsseldorf
in December 1944 when he lost one of his engines. He nevertheless continued on to the target where, due to his lower-than-normal altitude, his Lancaster was seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire before and after he dropped his bombs. Nursing his plane back to base, Rowland was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross
(DFC) in recognition of his "great determination and devotion to duty"; the award was promulgated in the London Gazette
on 16 February 1945. In January 1945, Rowland's Lancaster collided with a Canadian bomber over Frankfurt
, and he had to bail out with his surviving crew. Captured and held by the Gestapo
in solitary confinement
, he was scheduled to be executed but was saved by two Luftwaffe
officers who had learned of his situation. They took him to a prisoner-of-war camp, where he remained until being repatriated at the end of hostilities.
. In 1952 he was appointed chief test pilot
with the Aircraft Research and Development Unit
(ARDU) at RAAF Base Laverton
, Victoria. Rowland led trials on many of the Air Force's early jets such as the Gloster Meteor
, De Havilland Vampire
, English Electric Canberra
, and CAC Sabre
. Promoted to squadron leader
, he earned the Air Force Cross
(AFC) for his test flying achievements; the award was gazetted on 1 January 1955. He married Faye Doughton on 20 April 1955; the couple had a daughter, Anni.
Having earlier attended RAAF Staff College, Point Cook
, and been promoted to wing commander
, Rowland took charge of ARDU from June 1956 until August 1959. In 1957, he raised concerns that the supersonic Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, touted as a multi-role replacement for the Sabre, was ill-suited for any purpose except interception
. Defence Minister
Sir Philip McBride
had reached the same conclusion, and kept the Sabre in frontline service until a more suitable aircraft could be chosen, namely the Dassault Mirage III delta-wing fighter. From 1961 to 1964 Rowland was based in Paris, as Technical Staff Officer on the RAAF team preparing for the Mirage's acceptance into Australian service. After returning to Australia he was posted to the Directorate of Aircraft Engineering at the Department of Air, Canberra, responsible for ongoing technical oversight of the Mirage.
In December 1966 Rowland became commanding officer of No. 3 Aircraft Depot (No. 3 AD) at RAAF Base Amberley
, Queensland, with the acting rank of group captain
; his promotion was made substantive in November 1967. After completing his tenure at No. 3 AD in January 1969, Rowland was appointed Senior Engineering Staff Officer at Headquarters Operational Command
in Glenbrook
, New South Wales. In 1971 he was posted to Britain to attend the Royal College of Defence Studies
, London. Returning to Australia, he was Director-General of Aircraft Engineering before being promoted to air vice marshal to serve as Air Member for Technical Services (AMTS), the RAAF’s senior engineering position, in November 1972. The AMTS occupied a seat on the Australian Air Board, the service's controlling body that was chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). In March 1975 Rowland was raised to air marshal
and took over from Air Marshal Charles Read
as CAS, becoming the first appointee to the position who had joined the RAAF after the commencement of World War II. He was also the first engineering officer to lead the RAAF. However the CAS was required to be a member of the Air Force's aircrew stream so, although already a qualified pilot, he had to transfer from the Technical Branch to the General Duties Branch. Soon afterwards, the stipulation for the CAS to be a member of the General Duties Branch was removed.
In 1976, Rowland became the first CAS to personally command the RAAF in a legal sense, following dissolution of the Air Board, a consequence of defence reorganisation in the wake of the "Tange report
" in 1973. A new Chief of the Air Staff Advisory Committee (CASAC) was set up, but there was no requirement for the CAS to accept its advice. According to Air Force historian Alan Stephens, Rowland considered that the "collective wisdom" engendered by the Air Board had been generally beneficial to the RAAF, and believed the new arrangements led to "'paralysis and arrogation of decision
making', and empire building in the Public Service component". Though known as a strong committee member who enjoyed a good argument, he "found that the sheer time involved in attending meetings made it very difficult for him to run the Air Force 'the way [he]
wanted to'". To help facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas on air power between senior officers, he inaugurated an annual CAS Symposium. On 11 June 1977, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the military division (KBE). In July the same year, he was awarded the National Medal
with First Clasp, given "for diligent long service to the community". Rowland retired from the RAAF in March 1979, and was succeeded as CAS by Air Marshal Neville McNamara
, who later became the first Air Force member to command all three Australian services as Chief of the Defence Force Staff (later Chief of the Defence Force
).
to serve as the next Governor of New South Wales, replacing Sir Roden Cutler. Rowland admitted that he did not have "the faintest idea" why he was chosen, and thought that "there must be a lot of people who could do it a lot better than I could". However he saw the role as the monarch's representative in New South Wales as helping to provide "a valuable link with an older part of the world". He was duly appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 January 1981. Upon taking office, Rowland declared that he wished to be seen as a "man of the people". To this end he opened Government House
to the public on a more frequent basis, and also extended invitations for official functions to a broader range of society than was previously the case. As Governor of New South Wales, he held a dormant commission
to serve as Administrator of the Commonwealth and Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force
during absences by the Governor General
, and did so a number of times while in office. On one such occasion he was required to dismiss Air Vice Marshal James Flemming from his position as director of the Australian War Memorial
, Canberra, after Flemming made comments alleging that "leftists" were trying to transform the War Memorial into a "peace memorial".
Rowland was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Engineering by the University of Sydney in 1983, and also appointed a Knight of the Order of St John. On 26 January 1987, he was invested as a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for "service to the Crown and to the people of New South Wales". At Sydney Town Hall
on 3 October that year, he took the salute of Vietnam veteran
s during their official "Welcome Home March". Rowland's original four-year term as Governor was extended twice, each time for two years, by the Wran and Unsworth
administrations. He was succeeded on 20 January 1989 by Rear Admiral Sir David Martin
. After retiring from the Governorship, Rowland served as President of the Royal Humane Society
, Chancellor of the University of Sydney
from 1990 to 1991, and as a member of the Police Board from 1989 to 1992. He was also a member of the boards of several private companies, including Angus & Coote and Thomson-CSF Pacific Holdings
, and Chairman of the Aerospace Foundation of Australia from 1992 until his death in Sydney on 27 May 1999. Sir James Rowland was survived by his wife and daughter, and accorded a state funeral.
Air Marshal (Australia)
Air marshal is the second highest active rank of the Royal Australian Air Force and was created as a direct equivalent of the British Royal Air Force rank of air marshal, it is also considered a three-star rank...
Sir James Anthony (Jim) Rowland, AC, KBE, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
(1 November 1922 – 27 May 1999) was a senior commander in the 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...
, serving as Chief of the Air Staff (CAS) from 1975 to 1979. He later held office as Governor of New South Wales from 1981 to 1989, and was Chancellor of the University of Sydney from 1990 to 1991. Born in rural New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Rowland cut short his aeronautical engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
studies at the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
to join the RAAF in 1942. He was posted to Britain and served as a bomber pilot with the Pathfinders in the air war over Europe, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
in 1944. The following year he was forced to bail out over Germany following a collision with another Allied aircraft, and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner.
After repatriation and demobilisation, Rowland gained his engineering degree and rejoined the RAAF. He became a test pilot
Test 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....
, serving with and later commanding the Aircraft Research and Development Unit
Aircraft Research and Development Unit RAAF
The Royal Australian Air Force's Aircraft Research and Development Unit was responsible for the test and evaluation of aircraft and weapons used by the RAAF. The ARDU was first established as the Special Duties and Performance Flight in 1941. ARDU also operated the Woomera Test Facility located...
in the 1950s, and also a senior engineering officer, being closely involved in preparations for delivery to Australia of the Dassault Mirage III
Dassault Mirage III
The Mirage III is a supersonic fighter aircraft designed by Dassault Aviation during the late 1950s, and manufactured both in France and a number of other countries. It was a successful fighter aircraft, being sold to many air forces around the world and remaining in production for over a decade...
supersonic fighter in the 1960s. In 1972 he was promoted to air vice marshal and became Air Member for Technical Services, holding this post until his elevation to air marshal and appointment as CAS in March 1975. He was the first engineering officer to lead the RAAF, and the first man to personally command it in a legal sense, following abolition of the Australian Air Board in 1976. Knighted in 1977, Rowland retired from the Air Force in 1979 and became Governor of New South Wales in January 1981. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1987. Retiring from the Governorship in 1989, he held a place on several boards as well as the Chancellorship of the University of Sydney. He died in 1999.
Early life and World War II
Jim Rowland was born in ArmidaleArmidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
, New South Wales, on 1 November 1922. He was the son of Louis Rowland, a 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...
in 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...
, and his wife Elsie. Jim evinced a fascination with aviation from an early age, carving model aeroplanes out of wood. Growing up on his family's rural property, he was schooled via correspondence before completing his secondary education at Cranbrook, Sydney. At 17, he entered the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
to study aeronautical engineering
Aerospace engineering
Aerospace engineering is the primary branch of engineering concerned with the design, construction and science of aircraft and spacecraft. It is divided into two major and overlapping branches: aeronautical engineering and astronautical engineering...
but left in May 1942 to enlist in the 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...
as a pilot under the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
. He was commissioned as a pilot officer
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer...
in July 1943 and posted to Britain, where he converted to Handley Page Halifax
Handley Page Halifax
The Handley Page Halifax was one of the British front-line, four-engined heavy bombers of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. A contemporary of the famous Avro Lancaster, the Halifax remained in service until the end of the war, performing a variety of duties in addition to bombing...
and Avro Lancaster
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
heavy bombers.
Rowland joined the Pathfinder Force that marked targets for other aircraft on strategic bombing missions over Europe. Considered an exceptional pilot, he became a master bomber with No. 635 Squadron RAF in 1944. The master bomber’s role was to arrive ahead of the main Allied force, check that flares marking the target were in place, and warn his fellows if they were bombing inaccurately. Having been promoted to acting flight lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
, Rowland was on a sortie
Sortie
Sortie is a term for deployment or dispatch of one military unit, be it an aircraft, ship, or troops from a strongpoint. The sortie, whether by one or more aircraft or vessels, usually has a specific mission....
to attack Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
in December 1944 when he lost one of his engines. He nevertheless continued on to the target where, due to his lower-than-normal altitude, his Lancaster was seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire before and after he dropped his bombs. Nursing his plane back to base, Rowland was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(DFC) in recognition of his "great determination and devotion to duty"; the award was promulgated in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 16 February 1945. In January 1945, Rowland's Lancaster collided with a Canadian bomber over Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, and he had to bail out with his surviving crew. Captured and held by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
in solitary confinement
Solitary confinement
Solitary confinement is a special form of imprisonment in which a prisoner is isolated from any human contact, though often with the exception of members of prison staff. It is sometimes employed as a form of punishment beyond incarceration for a prisoner, and has been cited as an additional...
, he was scheduled to be executed but was saved by two Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
officers who had learned of his situation. They took him to a prisoner-of-war camp, where he remained until being repatriated at the end of hostilities.
Post-war RAAF career
Rowland’s commission was terminated in November 1945. Returning to Australia, he resumed his studies at the University of Sydney and completed his degree, before rejoining the RAAF as a member of its newly formed Technical Branch in 1947. He was posted to Britain in 1949 to attend the Empire Test Pilots' SchoolEmpire Test Pilots' School
The Empire Test Pilots' School is a British training school for test pilots and flight test engineers of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft at MoD Boscombe Down in Wiltshire, England. It was established in 1943, the first of its type...
. In 1952 he was appointed chief test pilot
Test 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....
with the Aircraft Research and Development Unit
Aircraft Research and Development Unit RAAF
The Royal Australian Air Force's Aircraft Research and Development Unit was responsible for the test and evaluation of aircraft and weapons used by the RAAF. The ARDU was first established as the Special Duties and Performance Flight in 1941. ARDU also operated the Woomera Test Facility located...
(ARDU) at RAAF Base Laverton
RAAF Williams
RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. Both establishments previously existed as separate RAAF Bases until 1999 when they were amalgamated to form RAAF Williams...
, Victoria. Rowland led trials on many of the Air Force's early jets such as the Gloster Meteor
Gloster Meteor
The Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. It first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
, De Havilland Vampire
De Havilland Vampire
The de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engine fighter commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War. Following the Gloster Meteor, it was the second jet fighter to enter service with the RAF. Although it arrived too late to see combat during the war, the Vampire served...
, English Electric Canberra
English Electric Canberra
The English Electric Canberra is a first-generation jet-powered light bomber manufactured in large numbers through the 1950s. The Canberra could fly at a higher altitude than any other bomber through the 1950s and set a world altitude record of 70,310 ft in 1957...
, and CAC Sabre
CAC Sabre
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Allward, Maurice. F-86 Sabre. London: Ian Allen, 1978. ISBN 0-71100-860-4.* Curtis, Duncan. North American F-86 Sabre. Ramsbury, UK: Crowood, 2000. ISBN 1-86126-358-9....
. Promoted to squadron leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
, he earned the Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
(AFC) for his test flying achievements; the award was gazetted on 1 January 1955. He married Faye Doughton on 20 April 1955; the couple had a daughter, Anni.
Having earlier attended RAAF Staff College, Point Cook
RAAF Williams
RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. Both establishments previously existed as separate RAAF Bases until 1999 when they were amalgamated to form RAAF Williams...
, and been promoted to wing commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
, Rowland took charge of ARDU from June 1956 until August 1959. In 1957, he raised concerns that the supersonic Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, touted as a multi-role replacement for the Sabre, was ill-suited for any purpose except interception
Interceptor aircraft
An interceptor aircraft is a type of fighter aircraft designed specifically to prevent missions of enemy aircraft, particularly bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. Interceptors generally rely on high speed and powerful armament in order to complete their mission as quickly as possible and set up...
. Defence Minister
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
Sir Philip McBride
Philip McBride
Sir Philip Albert Martin McBride KCMG was an Australian politician.McBride was born into a well-known pastoral family and educated at Burra Public School and Prince Alfred College in Adelaide. In 1931, he was elected as the member for Grey in the Australian House of Representatives, representing...
had reached the same conclusion, and kept the Sabre in frontline service until a more suitable aircraft could be chosen, namely the Dassault Mirage III delta-wing fighter. From 1961 to 1964 Rowland was based in Paris, as Technical Staff Officer on the RAAF team preparing for the Mirage's acceptance into Australian service. After returning to Australia he was posted to the Directorate of Aircraft Engineering at the Department of Air, Canberra, responsible for ongoing technical oversight of the Mirage.
In December 1966 Rowland became commanding officer of No. 3 Aircraft Depot (No. 3 AD) at RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley
RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force base located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland and southwest of Brisbane. It is currently home to No. 1 Squadron and No. 6 Squadron , No. 33 Squadron and No. 36 Squadron...
, Queensland, with the acting rank of group captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
; his promotion was made substantive in November 1967. After completing his tenure at No. 3 AD in January 1969, Rowland was appointed Senior Engineering Staff Officer at Headquarters Operational Command
RAAF Air Command
Air Command is the operational arm of the Royal Australian Air Force . It is headed by the Air Commander Australia, whose role is to manage and command the RAAF's Force Element Groups , which contain the operational capability of the Air Force...
in Glenbrook
RAAF Base Glenbrook
RAAF Base Glenbrook is home to Headquarters Air Command of the Royal Australian Air Force. There is no airfield at Glenbrook, although it is an HLS . It is a small base in the Lower Blue Mountains outside Sydney, New South Wales, with most administrative services located on the nearby RAAF Base...
, New South Wales. In 1971 he was posted to Britain to attend the Royal College of Defence Studies
Royal College of Defence Studies
The Royal College of Defence Studies is an internationally-renowned institution and component of the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom...
, London. Returning to Australia, he was Director-General of Aircraft Engineering before being promoted to air vice marshal to serve as Air Member for Technical Services (AMTS), the RAAF’s senior engineering position, in November 1972. The AMTS occupied a seat on the Australian Air Board, the service's controlling body that was chaired by the Chief of the Air Staff (CAS). In March 1975 Rowland was raised to air marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
and took over from Air Marshal Charles Read
Charles Read (RAAF officer)
Air Marshal Sir Charles Frederick Read KBE, CB, DFC, AFC is a retired senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served as Chief of the Air Staff from 1972 to 1975. Born in Sydney, Read joined the RAAF in 1937, and began his career flying biplane fighters. As a Beaufighter pilot, he...
as CAS, becoming the first appointee to the position who had joined the RAAF after the commencement of World War II. He was also the first engineering officer to lead the RAAF. However the CAS was required to be a member of the Air Force's aircrew stream so, although already a qualified pilot, he had to transfer from the Technical Branch to the General Duties Branch. Soon afterwards, the stipulation for the CAS to be a member of the General Duties Branch was removed.
In 1976, Rowland became the first CAS to personally command the RAAF in a legal sense, following dissolution of the Air Board, a consequence of defence reorganisation in the wake of the "Tange report
Arthur Tange
Sir Arthur Harold Tange AC, CBE was a prominent Australian senior public servant of the middle to late 20th century....
" in 1973. A new Chief of the Air Staff Advisory Committee (CASAC) was set up, but there was no requirement for the CAS to accept its advice. According to Air Force historian Alan Stephens, Rowland considered that the "collective wisdom" engendered by the Air Board had been generally beneficial to the RAAF, and believed the new arrangements led to "'paralysis and arrogation of decision
making', and empire building in the Public Service component". Though known as a strong committee member who enjoyed a good argument, he "found that the sheer time involved in attending meetings made it very difficult for him to run the Air Force 'the way [he]
wanted to'". To help facilitate the cross-fertilisation of ideas on air power between senior officers, he inaugurated an annual CAS Symposium. On 11 June 1977, he was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the military division (KBE). In July the same year, he was awarded the National Medal
National Medal (Australia)
The National Medal is an Australian award given for long service by operational members of specified eligible organisations. It was introduced in 1975, as an original component of the new Australian honours system, and replaced a range of medals available to military and civilian uniformed...
with First Clasp, given "for diligent long service to the community". Rowland retired from the RAAF in March 1979, and was succeeded as CAS by Air Marshal Neville McNamara
Neville McNamara
Air Chief Marshal Sir Neville Patrick McNamara KBE, AO, AFC, AE is a retired senior commander of the Royal Australian Air Force . He served as Chief of the Air Staff , the RAAF's highest-ranking position, from 1979 until 1982, and as Chief of the Defence Force Staff , Australia's top military role...
, who later became the first Air Force member to command all three Australian services as Chief of the Defence Force Staff (later Chief of the Defence Force
Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...
).
Governorship and later life
After leaving the Air Force, Rowland continued to live in Canberra, consulting part-time for French arms concern Ofema. In late 1980 he was recommended by the government of Neville WranNeville Wran
Neville Kenneth Wran, AC, CNZM, QC was the Premier of New South Wales from 1976 until 1986. He was National President of the Australian Labor Party from 1980 to 1986 and Chairman of both the Lionel Murphy Foundation and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation from 1986...
to serve as the next Governor of New South Wales, replacing Sir Roden Cutler. Rowland admitted that he did not have "the faintest idea" why he was chosen, and thought that "there must be a lot of people who could do it a lot better than I could". However he saw the role as the monarch's representative in New South Wales as helping to provide "a valuable link with an older part of the world". He was duly appointed by Queen Elizabeth II on 20 January 1981. Upon taking office, Rowland declared that he wished to be seen as a "man of the people". To this end he opened Government House
Government House, Sydney
Government House is located in Sydney, Australia alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens, overlooking Sydney Harbour, just south of the Sydney Opera House...
to the public on a more frequent basis, and also extended invitations for official functions to a broader range of society than was previously the case. As Governor of New South Wales, he held a dormant commission
Dormant commission
A dormant commission is a commission which lies dormant or sleeping until it is triggered by a particular event. The concept appears in the constitutional affairs of Commonwealth realm nations....
to serve as Administrator of the Commonwealth and Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force
Australian Defence Force
The 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...
during absences by the Governor General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
, and did so a number of times while in office. On one such occasion he was required to dismiss Air Vice Marshal James Flemming from his position as director of the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...
, Canberra, after Flemming made comments alleging that "leftists" were trying to transform the War Memorial into a "peace memorial".
Rowland was awarded an honorary Doctorate in Engineering by the University of Sydney in 1983, and also appointed a Knight of the Order of St John. On 26 January 1987, he was invested as a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for "service to the Crown and to the people of New South Wales". At Sydney Town Hall
Sydney Town Hall
The Sydney Town Hall is a landmark sandstone building located in the heart of Sydney. It stands opposite the Queen Victoria Building and alongside St Andrew's Cathedral...
on 3 October that year, he took the salute of Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran
Vietnam veteran is a phrase used to describe someone who served in the armed forces of participating countries during the Vietnam War.The term has been used to describe veterans who were in the armed forces of South Vietnam, the United States armed forces, and countries allied to them, whether or...
s during their official "Welcome Home March". Rowland's original four-year term as Governor was extended twice, each time for two years, by the Wran and Unsworth
Barry Unsworth
Barry Unsworth is a British novelist who is known for novels with historical themes. He has published 15 novels, and has been shortlisted for the Booker Prize three times, winning once for the 1992 novel Sacred Hunger....
administrations. He was succeeded on 20 January 1989 by Rear Admiral Sir David Martin
David Martin (Governor)
-Honours:-External links:...
. After retiring from the Governorship, Rowland served as President of the Royal Humane Society
Royal Humane Society
The Royal Humane Society is a British charity which promotes lifesaving intervention. It was founded in England in 1774 as the Society for the Recovery of Persons Apparently Drowned, for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of near drowning....
, Chancellor of the University of Sydney
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is a public university located in Sydney, New South Wales. The main campus spreads across the suburbs of Camperdown and Darlington on the southwestern outskirts of the Sydney CBD. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and Oceania...
from 1990 to 1991, and as a member of the Police Board from 1989 to 1992. He was also a member of the boards of several private companies, including Angus & Coote and Thomson-CSF Pacific Holdings
Thomson-CSF
Thomson-CSF was a major electronics and defence contractor. In December 2000 it was renamed Thales Group.-History:In 1879 Elihu Thomson and Edwin Houston formed the Thomson-Houston Electric Company in the United States....
, and Chairman of the Aerospace Foundation of Australia from 1992 until his death in Sydney on 27 May 1999. Sir James Rowland was survived by his wife and daughter, and accorded a state funeral.