Chris Roberts
Class of 1963
Class of 1963Army Officer
While at school, Chris Roberts lived on Woodsome Street. He played in the Rugby 1st XV, and was Captain in 1963. He was also Open Champion Boy in Athletics the same year.
After leaving, Mount Lawley Senior High School he went to Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra. Graduating in 1967, he became a Troop Commander with the 3rd Special Air Service Squadron and saw operational service in South Vietnam.
Returning to Australia saw appointments as Adjutant of the 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, and as an Instructor at the Officer Cadet School in Portsea.
Chris returned to Perth to study, completing a BA with Honours in History at the University of Western Australia in 1975. He was appointed Officer Commanding, 1st Special Air Service Squadron, and in 1978 attended the Army Staff College before becoming Brigade Major (Senior Operations Officer) of the 1st Task Force.
Chris was Commanding Officer of the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) from 1982-1985, responsible for Australia's counter-terrorist hostage rescue force.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australian in 1985, and then went to the United States Armed Forces Staff College before a role as the Assistant Army Attache in Washington DC. He returned to Australia as the Dircetor of Special Action Forces, and raised Headquarters Special Forces (now Special Operations Command) on being appointed as Commander, Special Forces.
He was also awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross in 1992, and took on the role of Director General Corporate Planning - Army, responsible for the Army's future planning and budget. He attended the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies before his last appointment as Commander Northern Command, a tri-service role responsible for the planning, practice and defence of Northern Australia.
After 35 years in the Australian Army, with extensive military and combat experience, Chris retired at the rank of Brigadier in 1999.
Chris spent 7 years working with the Multiplex Group and since then, has worked as a volunteer in the Military History section of the Australian War Memorial in Canberra and the Australian Army History Unit.
Chris' combined passion for history and his military experience helped him to develop strong views about the quality of much military history, especially when it is not rigorously researched and relies too much on myths and misconceptions.
He is a published author, writing a book reassessing the Anzac campaign, 'The Landing at Anzac: 1915'. He has also published a number of papers, including: 'The Landing at Anzac: a reassessment', Chinese Strategy and the Spratly Islands Dispute', and 'Turkish machine guns at the landing'. His research, and conclusions, have literally re-written our understanding of the Gallipoli landing.
Christ is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Australian Centre for the Study of Armed Conflict and Society at UNSW, Canberra.
Chris' outstanding military career, his academic achievements and his committment to his community are a resounding vindication of the qualities which were recognised in his early days at Mount Lawley Senior High School.
With his wife, Judy, Chris has two daughters and two grandchildren.