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General (Ret’d) David Hurley, former Chief of the Defence Force and Governor of NSW, has been sworn in as the Governor-General of Australia.
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The decision for Hurley to replace outgoing Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove, who has held the position for the past five years,was made in December last year.
"General Hurley is known for looking people straight in the eye. Not up and not down. He was that way with those he led in the military and he's been that way as a governor and throughout his life," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at the time.
Hurley has served as governor of NSW since 2014, after 42 years of service in the Australian Defence Force.
He would serve as Chief of the Defence Force from July 2011 to 2014, after entering the Royal Military College, Duntroon, as an officer cadet in 1972.
Graduating from Duntroon in 1975, he was first posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR), and eventually promoted to captain.
Hurley went on exchange to the 1st Battalion Irish Guards with the British Army following this, and upon return, served with the 5th/7th Battalion.
In 1989, Hurley served as Mechanised Infantry Adviser for Australian Army Project Team Malaysia, and in 1993, assumed command of 1RAR while Lieutenant Colonel and led Operation SOLACE (Somalia), for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
Hurley was then promoted to Colonel and attended the US Army War College from 1996 to 1997, coming back to Australia as a Military Secretary to the Chief of Army.
In 1999, Hurley was promoted to Brigadier, and assumed command of the 1st Brigade in Darwin.
Two years later, he was appointed Director General Land Development within Capability Systems, Head Capability Systems Division and Land Commander Australia, where he served until 2003, when he was promoted to Lieutenant General in the role of Chief of Capability Development Group.
In 2007, he took responsibility as Chief of Joint Operations, and the next year was appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Force.
Three years later, Hurley was promoted to General and succeeded Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston as Chief of the Defence Force, and celebrated 40 years of service to the ADF in 2012.
Hurley retired from the Army in 2014 and was succeeded as Chief of the Defence Force by Air Chief Marshal Mark Binskin.
For a glimpse of Hurley's career, scroll through the gallery above.
