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Royal Military College, Duntroon
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The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911. It is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley-Griffen, close to the Department of Defence headquarters at Russell Hill and adacent to the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), which is Australian Defence Force's tri-service military academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australia Army, Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy.
The College's motto is Doctrina Vim Promovet, which translates to Learning Promotes Strength.
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The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911. It is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley-Griffen, close to the Department of Defence headquarters at Russell Hill and adacent to the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA), which is Australian Defence Force's tri-service military academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australia Army, Royal Australian Air Force and the Royal Australian Navy.
The College's motto is Doctrina Vim Promovet, which translates to Learning Promotes Strength. It was taken from Horace, Book 4, Ode 4 and was suggested by Professor T.G. Tucker of Melbourne University.
History
The Royal Military College-Duntroon was opened on 27 June 1911 by the Governor-General of Australia, Lord Dudley. It is situated on the old Campbell family homestead in Canberra, which the family had named "Duntroon" after Duntrune Castle, their ancestral home on Loch Crinan in Argyll, Scotland. The Australian Government first rented the Duntroon homestead for two years and finally acquired the freehold to the estate and 370 acres (1.5 km˛) of land after the creation of the Federal Capital.
The first Commandant of the College was Brigadier General William Throsby Bridges, who later died on a hospital ship after being wounded by a sniper on the shores of Gallipoli. Under his recommendations the College was modeled on aspects from the Royal Military College of Canada and the military Colleges of Britain, and the United States of America.
In the beginning, the College offered a four year course, during which the first two years focused upon civil subjests and the last two years focused upon military subjects. Over the entire course, however, there was military specific training, including physical training, drill, signalling and weapon handling. Over the years, however, with the impact of the two World Wars, the duration and focus of the course changed as the requirements of the Army dictated.
In 1967, RMC-D affiliated with the University of New South Wales to offer Bachelor courses in Arts, Science or Engineering, commencing in the 1968 academic year. The first degrees from RMC were awarded in 1971. In order to graduate, cadets had to achieve passes in both military and academic studies and leadership. With the establishment of ADFA in 1986, however, the Royal Military College ceased to offer university degrees as ADFA became responsible for the academic training of Army cadets, as well as those from the Air Force and Navy.
With the closure of the Officer Cadet School, Portsea, in December 1985, and the closure of the Women's Officer Training Wing at Georges Heights, Sydney, the Royal Military College - Duntroon became the sole General Service Officer training institute in the Australian Army, as all Regular Army officers serving in combat, combat support or service support Corps must attend Duntroon in order to be commissioned.
Following the establishment of ADFA, the full-time General Service Officer course was reduced to eighteen months, and broken up into three distinct classes - III, II and I Class. Cadets who wish to pursue a degree attend ADFA first upon appointment for three years, and then attend RMC-D for twelve months, starting the course in II Class. They then receive their commission but are liable for a longer Return of Service Obligation than those that only attend the Royal Military College.
Charter of the Royal Military College
The charter of the Royal Military College is to produce officers capable of commanding platoon-sized elements in the Hardened and Networked Army concept, and to prepare specialist candidates for commissioning. The College prepares cadets and other selected candidates for careers in the Army by promoting leadership and integrity; by promoting high ideals and the pursuit of excellence, and by inculcating a sense of duty, loyalty and service to the nation.
The Band of the Royal Military College - Duntroon
The Band of the Royal Military College - Duntroon has been in existence in some shape or form since the inception of the College in 1911, however, it was not until 1954 that they were officially established. In 1968 it became part of the Australian Army Band Corps. Since then it has become a regular feature of the ceremonies and parades conducted at the College, as well as at other events around Australia and overseas.
The most notable of these performances came in 2001, when the Band accompanied a detachment of the Australian Federation Guard to the United Kingdom where, as part of the celebrations of the centenary of Australia's federation, the AFG mounted the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace, while the RMC Band provided the Guards Band.
Buildings and Features
Many of the original buildings from when the College was first opened in 1911 still stand and continue to be used today, having been heritage listed. An example of this is the officers' mess, known as 'Duntroon House', which is an imposing stone building, that was actually built as the Campbell family's house before the land was purchased by the Crown.
The College itself is situated at the foot of Mt Pleasant on the Duntroon estate. The base is one of the only military bases in Australia that is open to the general public, consisting of a large area of land incorporating a golf course, a residential area for Defence members and their families, various area logistics and infrastructure units, a military hospital, a retail area, vast sporting facilities and the Australian Defence Force Academy.
Programs
The current full-time program conducted at the Royal Military College - Duntroon is a course of eighteen months in duration, broken into three distinct classes, numbered as III, II and I Class. Each class lasts six months in duration and cadets must successfully complete each component in order to graduate and receive their commmision. The course is designed to test the cadets physically and mentally and graduation is by no means guaranteed. Upon graduating, cadets are promoted to the rank of lieutenant and receive a Diploma of Arts (Military) from the University of New South Wales.
Within the full-time course, there are two streams of Cadets, those that enter from the Australian Defence Force Academy and those that enter through the direct entry method. Direct Entry cadets complete the eighteen month course, whilst cadets from ADFA join Duntroon in II Class, combining with the Direct Entry cadets and completing twelve months at the college. The leadership and military training provided at ADFA during the 3 years of training is considered the equivalent of III Class at RMC.
Colloquially, Direct Entry cadets are known as 'bakers' particularly from the former ADFA cadets, as they are considered only half-baked, given that they spend only eighteen months in training as opposed to the four years of a University Degree undertaken by an ADFA cadet. Similarly, ADFA entry cadets are known as 'FACs' (which stands for 'Former ADFA Cadets'). This terminology is always used informally and never in any written correspondence.
Technically, the training and syllabus for both entry types is the same.
The College also oversees the programme for training officers in the Australian Army Reserve. Upon appointment to the Reserves, members join a University Regiment within their location and then undertake their training over the course of five modules run by the various University Regiments around Australia. Additionally, they are required to parade at their unit one night a week and one weekend a month. The final six and a half weeks of the reserve officer course are conducted at RMC-Duntroon. As of January 2008, the Part-time Officers course will be shortened to a duration of 104 days, with further employment training, specific to Corprs allocation, conducted thereafter.
Officer Cadets recruited under the now defunct Ready Reserve Scheme graduated from Duntroon until 1996, completing the full Duntroon course in 6 months then completing 6 months full-time service with their units. Some of these commissioned officers then went on to join the Australian Regular Army and to finish their degrees at ADFA.
In 2003, the Officer Tertiary Recruitment Scheme (OTRS) was introduced, which involves the recruitment of officers enrolled in tertiary study. Essentially, this program involves undergraduate sponsorship of university students, who are appointed as Officer Cadets in the Australian Regular Army, while they study. During their tertiary study, they train with the applicable University Regiment as reservists and conduct modules of training as they are able to fit in around their studies. At the conclusion of their study (provided they have completed the necessary modules) they enroll at RMC-D in II Class.
Staff Cadets
Staff Cadet is a title accorded only to officer trainees of the Royal Military College of Australia, which is the organisation that oversees both the Regular officer training at Duntroon and the Reserve officer training at the University Regiments. It is used as a form of address in substitute for a cadet's rank, which is technically 'Officer Cadet'. This title came about due to the fact that originally graduates entered the Staff Officer Corps of the Australian Army. After the late 1940s, however, graduates were assigned different corps upon graduation and were no longer posted to the Staff Corps. The title was kept on as a tradition at the RMC-D, however, although officer trainees at all other Australian Regular Army officer training establishments are referred to as Officer Cadet.
Organisation
Cadets at the Royal Military College-Duntroon are organised into a nominal infantry battalion structure (known as the 11th Infantry Battalion) with companies, platoons and sections which form the Corps of Staff Cadets. Within each company, platoon and section there are cadets from all three classes (levels of training), who are organised into an internal hierarchy that gives the cadets themselves responsibility for looking after their own administration, albeit with guidance and supervision from training staff.
Originally the Corps of Staff Cadets companies were alphabetically named, however, in 1954 battle names were introduced for the four companies that existed at that time. These were Alamein, Gallipoli, Kokoda and Kapyong. In 1974 another company was added - Long Tan - whilst in 1976, a sixth company, Romani, was formed. In 1986, the Corps was reduced to four companies again - Gallipoli, Alamein, Kokoda and Kapyong. Kokoda was reformed in 1987, whilst Long Tan was disbanded in 1991 and reformed in 1995.
As of 2008 there are five full time companies making up the Corps, these are: Alamein, Gallipoli, Kapyong, Kokoda and Long Tan. A sixth company, Romani, is used for Reserve officers who come to the College in January and July to complete the final module of their training.
Over the course of the training semester the five full-time companies compete through sporting events and academic studies for the honour of carrying the Sovereign's Banner on parade, with the first placed company taking the title of 'Sovereign's Company' for the next semester and taking their place on the right flank when the Corps is on parade. The current Sovereign's Company is Kapyong (as of January 2009).
Queen's Medal
The Queen's Medal is awarded to the cadet graduating top of their class, and is determined by how well a cadet performs in all facets of training at the College. It was originally awarded in 1919, when it was called the King's Medal, and all cadets, including foreign cadets attending the College, are eligible. At the end of training, all cadets are ranked by merit on the Queen's Medal and this ranking is used as one of the tools to determine a cadet's Corps allocation.
Reserve Units of the Royal Military College – Australia
Note: These Units are now part of the 2nd Division as of July 2008. They continue to follow the RMC-D curriculum, albeit in modularised format.
Commandants
- BRIGGEN W.T Bridges, CMG (1910-14)
- MAJGEN J.W Parnell, CMG (1914-20)
- MAJGEN J.G Legge, CB, CMG (1920-22)
- COL Commandant F.B Heritage, CBE, MVO (1922-29)
- BRIG E.F Harrison (1929-31)
- BRIG F.B Heritage, CBE, MVO(1931)
- MAJGEN J.H Bruche, CB, CMG (1931)
- LTCOL D.H Pratt, DSO, MC (1931)
- BRIG F.B Heritage, CBE, MVO(1931-32)
- COL J.D Lavarack, CMG, DSO (1933-35)
- BRIG C.G.N Miles, CMG, DSO (1935-39)
- BRIG E.C.P Plant, DSO, OBE (1939-40)
- BRIG E.F Harrison (1940-42)
- BRIG B.Combes, CBE (1942-45)
- BRIG E.L Vowles, MC(1945-48)
- MAJGEN H.Wells, CBE, DSO (1949-51)
- MAJGEN R.N.L Hopkins, CBE (1951-54)
- MAJGEN I.R Campbell, CBE, DSO (1954-57)
- MAJGEN J.G.N Wilton, CBE, DSO (1957-60)
- MAJGEN R.W Knights, CBE (1960-62)
- MAJGEN C.H Finlay, CB, CBE (1962-68)
- MAJGEN C.A.E Fraser, CBE (1968-70)
- MAJGEN C.M.I Pearson, DSO, OBE, MC (1970-73)
- MAJGEN R.A Hay, CB, MBE (1973-77)
- MAJGEN A.L Morrison, AO, DSO, MBE (1977-81)
- MAJGEN J.D Kelly, DSO (1981-83)
- MAJGEN H.J Coates, MBE (1983-84)
- MAJGEN B.H Hockney, AO (1984-87)
- MAJGEN M.P Blake, AM, MC (1987-90)
- BRIG R.G Curtis, AM, MC (1990-93)
- BRIG S.V.L Willis (1993-95)
- BRIG B.G Stevens (1995-96)
- BRIG P.J Cosgrove, AM, MC (1997-98)
- BRIG P.L.G Pursey (1999)
- BRIG M.R McNarn, AM(2000-01)
- BRIG M.F Paramor (2001-03)
- BRIG C.G Appleton (2003-06)
- BRIG M.D Bornholt, AM (2006-present)
See also
External links
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