presents

Topic: The RSL in today’s society

Major General David McLachlan AO (Ret’d)

David McLachlan was born in Harden NSW on 13 March 1937.  He graduated from the Officer Cadet School, Portsea in December 1959 and was allotted to the Royal Australian Army Service Corps. The early years saw regimental and staff appointments in Australia, Malaysia during confrontation with Indonesia, and in South Vietnam.  He underwent training in the UK, attending the University of Reading in 1970 and 1971, followed with attachments to British and United States Army units in Germany.

In 1973 he attended the Army Command and Staff College at Fort Queenscliff and was then posted to Headquarters Logistic Command as a staff officer until the end of 1977.  He was promoted to Lt. Colonel in December 1976.   Posted as Commanding Officer of the Logistic Battalion in Western Australia in January 1978, he remained there until attending the Joint Services Staff College in Canberra during the first half of 1980.  He was promoted to Colonel and appointed Director of Logistic Operations in 1983.

In January 1986, David McLachlan assumed the appointment of Chief of Staff, Headquarters Logistic Command, an appointment he held for three and a half years.  Further overseas study occurred during this time with attendance at the US Navy Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.  In July 1989 he moved to Sydney as Commander 2nd Military District where he stayed until the end of 1990.

Returning to Melbourne in January 1991 he was promoted to Major General and assumed the appointment of General Officer Commanding Logistic Command.  Logistic Command was a National Command with 10,000 military and civilian personnel, an annual budget, excluding salaries in excess of $600m and assets valued at over $2.5 billion located at 67 different locations throughout Australia.

David McLachlan retired from the Australian Regular Army in March 1994.  He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 1989 and promoted to Officer in the Order in the Queen’s Birthday list in 1993.  Today he is the Chairman of Industry Capability Network Ltd, acts as a Corporate Advisor to a number of listed companies, is a Director of the Royal Humane Society of Australasia, and was elected State President of the Victorian Branch of the Returned and Services League in June 2002 and is a Trustee of the Shrine of Remembrance. He is also, proudly, the Honorary Colonel of the 4th/19th Prince of Wales Light Horse Regiment.