Rear Admiral Mark Hill
Mark Davenport Hill was born in Adelaide, South Australia and joined the Royal Australian Naval Reserve in 1979 before transferring to the RAN. After qualifying as a Seaman Officer he sub-specialised in Mine Warfare and undertook advanced Mine Warfare training in the United States, Great Britain and Belgium.
Rear Admiral Hill saw his first sea command as a Lieutenant in the minesweeper Brolga, followed by commands in HMA Ships Brunei and Rushcutter. As a Lieutenant Commander he assumed command of the new minehunter HMAS Gascoyne and commissioned the ship.
In addition to his sea service, Rear Admiral Hill has served on operations ashore in East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan (twice, including a period in command of Task Group Afghanistan). In January 2019, he deployed as the Deputy Commander Joint Task Force 633 which commanded and administered the 1,600 ADF personnel undertaking operations in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Mid-way through his appointment he assumed Rear Admiral rank and commanded the Joint Task Force until January 2020. In July 2020, Rear Admiral Hill deployed to Victoria as part of Operation COVID-19 ASSIST.
Promoted to Commander in 2001, in 2002 Rear Admiral Hill was appointed Commanding Officer of RAN Recruit School. He served in this capacity until 2004 when he assumed command of HMAS Coonawarra, the RAN’s Darwin shore establishment. He was promoted to Captain in 2007 and established the position of Director, Navy Personnel Policy. From 2009 to 2011, Captain Hill commanded HMAS Cerberus, the Navy’s largest training establishment, where he was also the Training Authority-Logistics/Engineering and Senior Naval Officer-Victoria.
Rear Admiral Hill has held various appointments in Canberra and Sydney including Deputy Commander of the Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Force and Program Director of the New Generation Navy (NGN) program, which is effecting cultural reform in the Navy. In his last appointment as a Captain, he oversaw Navy Issues Management including Navy’s input to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. In 2017, Rear Admiral Hill was promoted to Commodore and assumed duty as the Director General Australian Navy Cadets and Reserves. In November 2020, Rear Admiral Hill was promoted to his present rank and appointed Commander Maritime Border Command.
For his work at RAN Recruit School, Rear Admiral Hill was awarded the Conspicuous Service Cross. A graduate from the RAN Staff College, he has served on the Directing Staff at the Australian Command and Staff College. He holds Masters Degrees in Business Administration and Arts (Organisational Communication). Rear Admiral Hill has represented South Australia in rowing and lives in Canberra.
Rear Admiral Mark Davenport Hill was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List 2021 ‘For exceptional service as the Commander Joint Task Force 633 on Operation Accordion from June 2019 to January 2020’.
Rear Admiral Hill handed over duties as Commander Maritime Border Command in January 2022.
