Rear Admiral Peter Alistair Craigie Clarke

Peter Clarke was born in England on 11 March 1951 and joined Britannia Royal Naval College, at Dartmouth, in 1970. He specialised in submarines and navigation serving in several conventional and nuclear powered submarines. Lieutenant Clarke completed the Submarine Command Course (Perisher) and the Royal Navy Staff Course, at Greenwich, before taking command of the diesel submarine HMS Oberon in 1982.

Following promotion to Lieutenant Commander in 1983, he spent a year as an analyst in the Defence Intelligence Staff and then 18 months as the submariners posting officer. Lieutenant Commander Clarke subsequently took command of the Trafalgar Class fast attack nuclear submarine HMS Tireless and was promoted Commander midway through his appointment. He then served ashore for three years on the naval staff in the Ministry of Defence followed by 18 months as the executive officer of Britannia Royal Naval College.

In 1993 he resigned from the Royal Navy, migrated to Australia and joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). He commenced his RAN service in Navy Office, Canberra before moving to Maritime Headquarters, in 1994, as the Fleet Submarine Operations Officer. Later that year he was appointed as Chief Staff Officer (Operations) and was subsequently promoted Captain in 1995. Captain Clarke completed a year of full time study at the Australian College of Defence and Strategic Studies in 1996 before moving to Western Australia as Commander of the Australian Submarine Squadron during 1997-98.

He returned to Navy Office in early 1999 as the project manager for the New Submarine Project and was promoted Commodore in December of that year. As Commander of the Submarine Force Element Group he returned to Western Australia to manage all aspects of submarine capability at HMAS Stirling. He was also Senior Naval Officer - Western Australia and Aide-de-camp to the Governor-General during this period. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in September 2001 and returned to Navy Office and the New Submarine Project.

Rear Admiral Clarke retired from RAN in late 2003 and has since made a second career as a management specialist and advisor/mentor to chief executive officers. He has taken part in reviews of Sydney Ferries, the NSW State Emergency Service and the NSW Police Force in recent years.