Commander Kate Woodall
Commander Kate Woodall, RAN was born in Mackay, Queensland and joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Seaman Officer in 2001. Midshipman Woodall joined HMAS Arunta briefly in mid-2001 and deployed in support of Operation RELEX before commencing studies at the Australian Defence Force Academy in 2002. Midshipman Woodall was awarded a Bachelor of Science with majors in Oceanography and Indonesian in 2004.
Sub Lieutenant Woodall served in HMA Ships Adelaide, Geraldton, Arunta and Warramunga, and was awarded her Bridge Warfare Certificate in Warramunga in 2006, deploying to the Northern Arabian Gulf in support of Operation CATALYST, and was awarded the 2006 Queen’s Gold Medal. In 2007, Lieutenant Woodall was awarded the Maritime Geospatial Officer - Meteorology and Oceanography specialisation after obtaining a Graduate Diploma in Meteorology from the Bureau of Meteorology Training Centre.
Lieutenant Woodall undertook duties as SO3 Meteorological Operations watchkeeper within Headquarters Joint Operations Command, from 2008-2009. During this tenure Lieutenant Woodall deployed to Antarctica, providing meteorological support to RSV Aurora Australis for the international agreement to resupply Showa station, a Japanese Antarctic Station. Lieutenant Woodall posted to the Operational Meteorology and Oceanography Centre, 2010-2011, where she deployed in support of exercises and operations.
In 2012, Lieutenant Woodall posted briefly to the Defence Intelligence Training Centre at Kokoda Barracks, Canungra, as an Instructor. During this tenure Lieutenant Woodall was selected to undertake studies towards a Masters of Science in Physical Oceanography at the Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California, USA.
Promoted to Lieutenant Commander in 2014, she undertook duties as the Staff Officer METOC Policy and Plans and Staff Officer Minewarfare, Hydrographic and Patrol Forces Capability Implementation Team within Navy Strategic Command. In 2016, Lieutenant Commander Woodall was appointment as the Officer-in-Charge of the Naval Air Station Weather and Oceanography Centre embedded within HMAS Albatross in 2016.
Lieutenant Commander Woodall was the Executive Officer of HMAS Coonawarra from 2018-2019, and was promoted to Commander in 2019 before undertaking duties as Assistant Director Oceanography in the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation, 2020-2021.
Commander Woodall holds a Masters in Science (physical oceanography) through the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and a Masters of Strategy and Security through the University of New South Wales.
Commander Woodall assumed Command of the Royal Australian Naval College in December 2021.
