John Cedric Grey | |
Birth Date: | 31 January 1939 |
Birth Place: | Sydney, New South Wales |
Allegiance: | Australia |
Branch: | Australian Army |
Serviceyears: | 1957–1995 |
Rank: | Lieutenant General |
Commands: | Chief of the General Staff (1992–95) Deputy Chief of the General Staff (1991–92) Australian Command and Staff College (1986–88) 1st Armoured Regiment (1978–79) |
Battles: | Vietnam War |
Awards: | Companion of the Order of Australia Commendation for Distinguished Service |
Laterwork: | Chancellor of James Cook University |
Lieutenant General John Cedric Grey AC (born 31 January 1939) was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served as Chief of the General Staff from 1992 to 1995. He was Chancellor of James Cook University from 1999 to 2016.[1]
Grey was born in Sydney, New South Wales, on 31 January 1939 to Aubrey Cedric and Dacia Downing Grey. He was educated at St Andrew's Cathedral School and Sydney Grammar School, before entering the Royal Military College, Duntroon as an officer cadet in 1957.[2] [3]
Grey was posted to the 3rd Cavalry Regiment and, as a captain,[4] was deployed to Vietnam for which he was belatedly awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Service.[5] [6] [7] By 1984 he had been promoted to colonel and made Director of Co-ordination at the Department of Defence.[8]
He became Assistant Chief of Defence Force, Logistics and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 1991 for service in that role.[9]
He was appointed Chief of the General Staff in 1992[3] and made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1995 for outstanding leadership, inspiration and dedication to the Australian Army during a period of profound restructuring.[10]
In retirement he established his own consultancy business based in Cairns; he also became a Non-Executive Director of Tarong Energy and Chancellor of James Cook University.[3] In 2003 he was appointed Chairman of Queensland's Wet Tropics Management Authority Board.[11]