Past Council Members

Past Vice-Presidents:

1995-2000 Russell Schedlich

 Russ Schedlich graduated from the University of New South Wales in 1979 and started working in the Royal Australian Navy the following year. After time at sea and in major shore Establishments, he specialised in underwater medicine, and in 1986-88 undertook a posting to the Institute of Naval Medicine in the United Kingdom. Returning to Australia, he served as Fleet Medical Officer from 1989-90 and then completed a Master of Public Health the following year.

Past Secretaries:

1998 – 2005 Dr (LCDR) Fabian Purcell

Graduate of Monash University Medical School, Melbourne. Joined the Australian Naval Reserve 1988 Full Time Service in 1990-91 including duties in the Persian Gulf Completed Anaesthesia training becoming a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anesthetists in 1998. First Provisional Fellow in Anaesthesia to work as Research Fellow in the Southern Health Care Network Patient Simulation Centre in 1998.

Past Patrons:

2022 – 2024 Rear Admiral Sarah Sharkey RAN AM, CSC

Rear Admiral Sarah Edith Sharkey, AM, CSC is an Australian physician, medical administrator, and a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy.

While holding the rank of captain, Sharkey was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours for “outstanding achievement as the Director of Clinical Governance and Projects and Australian Defence Force Health Services Project Transition Lead”.  She was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours “for exceptional service to the Australian Defence Force in the management of health care”.

2019 – 2022 Major General Charles New OAM

Major General New was born 15th June 1959, Sydney NSW. He completed his Higher School Certificate at Waverley College Sydney (where he was a Cadet Under Officer) and graduated with his primary medical degree Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery in 1985, UNSW. He enlisted in 1992 as a Specialist Service Officer and was posted to 1st Parachute Surgical Team (PST) at Holsworthy Sydney. Subsequent to his specialty training in Orthopaedics (FRACS Orth), MAJGEN New undertook sub-specialist spinal surgery training in the UK in 2003 and was posted to 23rd Parachute Field Ambulance Aldershot on exchange, serving in their Forward Squadron as an Orthopaedic Surgeon. In support of Specialist Airborne Operations, he completed a suite of courses to deliver the scope of service required. MAJGEN New has deployed with Australian forces to Rwanda, East Timor and Banda Aceh and has held appointments with 1PST and 1HSB (Health Support Battalion) in Sydney and staff appointments SO1 Reserve Health 2000, SMO 8 Brigade 2007, Consultant Surgeon to SGADF 2008–2014, Chairman Orthopaedic Consultative Group JHC 2009 onwards.

2015 – 2019 Rear Admiral Jenny Firman AM

 Over 22 years of full-time service in the RAN, Jenny was posted to various positions, including service at sea in the training ship HMAS Jervis Bay during 1986 and 1987. Jenny also served at the naval hospital at HMAS Penguin and specialised in underwater medicine. She served as the Officer in Charge of the Submarine and Underwater Medicine Unit from 1994 to 1996, as well as the senior health officer at the RAN Health Centre at HMAS Cerberus and as the medical officer at HMAS Stirling.  Rear Admiral Jennifer Ruth Firman was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021: “For exceptional performance of duty in the field of military medicine”.

2011 – 2015 Professor Air Vice Marshall Hugh Bartholomeusz OAM, RFD, MBBS, FRACS

Dr Hugh Bartholomeusz graduated from the University of Queensland in 1976. He undertook further advanced surgical training in plastic surgery at Princess Alexandra Hospital, Royal Brisbane Hospital and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Adelaide. He is currently the senior plastic surgeon at Greenslopes Private Hospital and has been President of the Queensland Society of Plastic Surgeons and Chairman of the State Committee of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. His appointments have also included the Chairmanship of the Australian Day Surgery Council and past President of the Council of the Australian Society of Plastic Surgeons. He teaches undergraduate and post graduate medical and nursing personnel and is currently appointed as an Associate Professor at the University of Queensland.

His international accomplishments have included World President of the International Air Cadet Exchange Association and a member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Ambulatory Surgery. He has served as a commissioned officer in the Royal Australian Air Force since 1972 and currently holds the rank of Air Vice-Marshal. He is a former Surgeon General Australian Defence Force Reserves and is the current Chairman of the Australian Air Force Cadets National Council.

2008 – 2011 Major General Paul Alexander

MAJGEN Paul Alexander joined the Army in 1976 and completed his medical training at the University of Melbourne in 1978. Following several years of clinical training in Victorian hospitals, he commenced the first of several regimental appointments as the Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) of the 3rd Battalion Royal Australian Regiment. This was followed by several years working as an RMO in Papua New Guinea with the PNG Defence Force. He then served as the RMO for the Special Air Service Regiment for three years and completed SAS selection during his tenure.

MAJGEN Alexander has also been actively involved in risk management and legal medicine. He has completed a Masters in Legal Medicine and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Legal Medicine. MAJGEN Alexander was promoted to the rank of Major General on 25th March 2008.

MAJGEN Alexander was appointed Commander Joint Health and Surgeon General Australian Defence Force on 4 August 2008 and Joint Health Command was established on 11 August 2008.

2005 – 2008 Rear Admiral Graeme Shirtley RFD

Graeme was awarded a Diploma of Diagnostic Radiology from Sydney University in 1979 and his Fellowship from the Royal Australasian College of Radiologists (now the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists) in 1980. He was in private practice in Sydney, developing his special interests in CT imaging, musculo-skeletal imaging (particularly with ultrasound) and mammography. He was Chairman of his radiology group in 1995-99. In addition, Graeme was a senior visiting medical officer with the Central and Eastern Sydney Breast Screening Program at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital from 1989 to 2003. He was also chairman of the CT group of the RANZCR Accreditation and Quality Control Subcommittee, and the radiologist on the Professional Services Review Committee of the Health Insurance Commission. In 1992 Graeme became a Visiting Fellow in MRI at the Barrows Neurological Institute in Phoenix Arizona, and at the MRI Institute Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He was also a member of the Radiological Society of North America.

Graeme joined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve (RANR) as a junior sailor in 1969. After topping his recruit course, he joined the medical branch as an Ordinary Sick Berth Attendant. Over the next six years he was promoted through the ranks to Leading Seaman while continuing his undergraduate medical studies.

On 9 May 2005 Graeme was promoted to Rear Admiral and appointed SGADF, the first Navy medical officer to hold the position since its establishment in the early 1980s. He was also the first medical officer to achieve the rank of Rear Admiral RANR, and the first to achieve the rank of Rear Admiral since Geoff Bayliss (DGNHS 1987-1990).

In addition to chairing the Australian Defence Human Research Ethics Committee, Graeme was Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Queensland in the Centre for Military and Veterans Health (CMVH), and Chairman of the CMVH e-Health Committee. He also continued to conduct courses in ultrasound for trauma surgeons, as part of the Royal Australian College of Surgeons teaching program. On 04 July 2008, with the restructure of the senior ADF health leadership, Graeme was appointed Surgeon General Defence Health Reserves until 31 December 2008. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the Military Division in the Australia Day 2011 Honours List, for his exceptional performance of duties as a RANR medical officer.

2001 – 2005 Air Vice-Marshal Bruce Short

Following postgraduate training Air Vice-Marshal Short was admitted as a Fellow of the Australasian College of Physicians in 1973 and commenced private practice in Sydney as a specialist general physician with particular interests in cardiovascular medicine. In 1989 he was admitted as a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians and in 2000 advanced to Fellowship of the American College of Physicians. Air Vice-Marshal Short holds appointments at Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney Adventist and North Shore Private hospitals and since 1975 has been a Clinical Lecturer in Cardiology at the University of Sydney

Air Vice-Marshal Short has completed 40 years of continuous service in the Australian Defence Force following his enlistment in 1960 as a private in the Sydney University Regiment. Following 4 years Reserve infantry training he transferred to the RAAF medical undergraduate scheme. He graduated from the University of Sydney and following residency at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney, he commenced permanent Air Force service in 1968 at 3 RAAF Hospital. In addition to his clinical duties he performed strategic aeromedical evacuation service to Vung Tau, Vietnam. He was then posted as Senior Medical Officer RAAF Point Cook, and Senior Medical Officer RAAF Williamtown (1970). In 1972 he transferred to the RAAF General Reserve and, in late 1973, served at 4 RAAF, Butterworth, Malaysia, as a specialist physician.

1998 – 2001 Major General John Pearn AO AM

 Major General John Pearn has served as one of Australia’s most senior doctor-soldiers. Professor Pearn is Senior Paediatrician at the Queensland Children’s Hospital where he has served as a full-time staff clinician since 1968. His major clinical, research and teaching interests in paediatrics and internal medicine have included medical genetics, clinical toxicology, bioethics and accident prevention.

Major General John Pearn also served in a second career in the Australian Defence Force, rising progressively through various senior command and executive positions in the Defence Health Service. In 1998 Major General Pearn was appointed Surgeon General to the Australian Defence Force and served in this role until his retirement in 2000.