Chief of Army History Conference (CAHC25) - Mastering the Army Profession
Schedule
Wed Nov 19 2025 at 09:00 am to 05:00 pm
UTC+11:00Location
Great Hall, Australian Parliament House | Canberra, CT
About this Event
CAHC25 - Mastering the Army Profession
The Australian Army’s purpose is to fight and win our nation’s wars. This is a weighty responsibility. It is our obligation to ensure that we master the Army profession if we are to rise to the challenge. In support of this aim, the Australian Army History Unit will conduct the Chief of Army History Conference (CAHC25) at Australian Parliament House on Wednesday 19 November with the theme of Mastering the Army Profession.
CAHC25 will analyse how Army has approached the Army profession throughout its history. The Conference intends to examine Army’s culture, ethics, discipline, professionalism, organisational structure and education and training.
The Chief of Army has refined three pillars of the modern Army profession: jurisdiction, expertise and self-regulation. CAHC25 will examine these pillars by drawing together a range of expert academics, historians and Army officers who will address the issues through the sub-themes of self-regulation, learning and professional body of knowledge, ethics and moral courage, change, reviews and service to society.
The conference will be conducted in a hybrid format with both in-person and online attendance.
Agenda
🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Registration
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:10 AM
Welcome to Conference & Administration
🕑: 09:10 AM - 09:30 AM
Chief of Army’s Address
Host: LTGEN Simon Stuart AO DSC
🕑: 09:30 AM - 10:15 AM
Keynote Presentation
Host: MAJGEN Chris Smith DSC AM CSC
🕑: 10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Morning Tea
🕑: 10:45 AM - 12:10 PM
Session 1A - Self Regulation (Great Hall)
Host: MAJ Samuel White
Info: Indigenous Australians Cultural Regulation of Conflict;
Discipline in 1 ATF Vietnam;
A History of Australian Military Discipline
🕑: 10:45 AM - 12:10 PM
Session 1B - Learning & Professional Body of Knowledge (Theatrette)
Host: Prof Craig Stockings
Info: Educating an Army; The Army Journal - Learning from Within; Bastardisation at RMC Duntroon
🕑: 12:10 PM - 01:10 PM
Lunch
🕑: 01:10 PM - 02:40 PM
Session 2A - Change (Great Hall)
Host: LTCOL Luke Carroll
Info: The Regular Officer Development Committee & Project Opera Review; The Australian Pentropic Experiment 1959-65; Australian Army Doctrinal Development & the Operational Experience in South Vietnam 1965-72
🕑: 01:10 PM - 02:40 PM
Session 2B - Service to Society (Theatrette)
Host: Dr Jason Smeaton
Info: The changing role of women in Army during the Second World War and the period of the Women's Royal Australian Army Corps, and the need to understand the historical experience of women in Army.
🕑: 02:40 PM - 03:00 PM
Afternoon Tea
🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Session 3A - Ethics, Moral Courage and Service (Great Hall)
Host: Prof Bob Breen
Info: Restraint and moral courage - the Somalia experience; Australian Society and its Army; Educating an Army - the PNGDF experience.
🕑: 03:00 PM - 04:30 PM
Session 3B - Review (Theatrette)
Host: Prof John Blaxland
Info: Organisational review - Hassett and Millar Reviews; Forward from the Past - The Development of Australian Army Doctrine, 1972 to 2000
🕑: 04:35 PM - 05:00 PM
Capstone Address
Host: TBC
Where is it happening?
Great Hall, Australian Parliament House, Parliament Drive, Canberra, AustraliaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
AUD 0.00
