27 Facts About David Morrison

Lieutenant General David Lindsay Morrison was born on 24 May 1956 and is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army.

David Morrison served as Chief of Army from June 2011 until his retirement in May 2015.

David Morrison was named Australian of the Year for 2016.

The son of Major General Alan "Alby" Morrison, Morrison attended St Edmund's College, Canberra and the Australian National University, where he studied arts and law.

David Morrison then graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea into the Royal Australian Infantry Corps.

In 1987 and 1988, David Morrison served as the Australian instructor at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, in the United Kingdom.

In 1992, David Morrison attended the Army Command and Staff College, Queenscliff, and was then appointed as the Brigade Major of the 3rd Brigade, based in Townsville, Queensland.

David Morrison was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1999 for his services as brigade major, director of Preparedness and Mobilisation and CO of 2 RAR.

David Morrison left that position at the end of 2001 to attend the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies, Canberra, where he graduated in 2002 with a Master of Arts in Strategic Studies.

David Morrison was promoted to brigadier in November 2002, and commanded the 3rd Brigade from December 2002 until December 2004.

David Morrison was appointed commander of the Australian Defence College in January 2006, and Head Military Strategic Commitments in April 2007.

David Morrison took up the appointment of Deputy Chief of Army in February 2008, replacing Major General John Cantwell.

David Morrison was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Australia Day Honours List of 2010 for distinguished service to the Australian Army in the fields of training and education, military strategic commitments and force structure and capability; in particular, as Commander Australian Defence College, Head Military Strategic Commitments and Deputy Chief of Army.

Army veterans who fought a "decisive ambush against far superior forces" at Thua Tich in Vietnam in 1969 have complained that David Morrison argued against their recognition in 2008, which was approved by Labor defence support secretary Dr Mike Kelly.

David Morrison was promoted to lieutenant general on 23 June 2011, and assumed the post of Chief of Army in a ceremony the following day.

In 2013 David Morrison, in supporting diversity, authorised the combining of a rainbow flag with the Rising Sun badge.

In 2013, David Morrison obtained a second Master of Arts in Strategic Studies from Deakin University.

David Morrison received the university's Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015.

On 25 January 2016, David Morrison was made Australian of the Year in a ceremony in Canberra attended by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

David Morrison listed his three priorities as Australian of the year: "action on a republic, domestic violence and gender equality".

David Morrison described the emails as "explicit, derogatory, demeaning and repugnant", and suggested that the alleged conduct was even worse than the "Skype scandal" of 2011.

David Morrison added that he had been committed ever since becoming Chief of Army to making the Army an inclusive force.

David Morrison's speech was written by his speech writer, Lieutenant Colonel Cate McGregor, who is transgender.

Since the "Jedi Council scandal", information was received by media outlets, that the army, under the control of David Morrison, had previously investigated the individuals involved and had failed to find any evidence of the allegations and cleared those involved of any wrongdoing.

In May 2015 David Morrison retired from the army and in September 2015 was appointed chairman of the Diversity Council Australia, a not-for-profit workplace diversity advisor to business in Australia, and as a gender diversity adviser to Deloitte Partners.

David Morrison participated in a "Walk a Mile in their Shoes" event demonstrating against family violence.

In September 2016 David Morrison equated the legacy of domestic violence victims with fallen servicemen and women, proposing an Anzac Day-like memorial for women who have been killed by their partners.