Health support for RAN operations 1901-1976: Past lessons for the present and future

Overview:

The thesis on which this presentation is based fills significant gaps in the Australian military historiography, as to how the RAN’s health services supported its peacetime and warlike military, diplomatic and constabulary missions operations between Federation in 1901 and the instigation of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) in 1976. The imperative to this end is driven by a longstanding and ongoing misapprehension within Defence and elsewhere that the RAN’s health services only need to treat seagoing battle casualties on the same terms as their Army and Air Force counterparts. However, Arthur Graham Butler’s seminal First World War official history explained how military health services have three inextricably linked ‘purposes’: besides providing treatment services, they entail facilitating operational capability and returning service personnel to civilian life. This presentation describes how and why, despite having been neglected since, Butler’s ‘purposes’ remain relevant to the RAN’s ability to contribute to future ADF peacetime as well as warlike operations.

Presenter: Dr Neil Westphalen

MBBS (Adel) DipAvMed MPH PhD FRACGP FACAsM FAFOEM (RACP) psc

Commander, Royal Australian Navy

 Dr Neil Westphalen graduated from the University of Adelaide as a medical practitioner in 1985 and joined the RAN in 1987. His postgraduate qualifications include Fellowships in general practice, occupational and environmental medicine and aerospace medicine, a Master of Public Health from Curtin University and a Diploma of Aviation Medicine via King’s College London. He is also a RAN Staff College graduate and was a awarded a history PhD from UNSW Canberra in June 2025, entitled ‘Constant Care: health support for Australian naval operations 1901-1976’.

Commander Westphalen’s seagoing service included Swan, Stalwart, Success, Sydney, Perth, Manoora and Choules, during which he undertook DAMASK VII, RIMPAC 1996, TANAGER, RELEX II, GEMSBOK, TALISMAN SABRE 2007 and RENDERSAFE 2014. His clinical roles ashore included Cerberus and Penguin, thence Kuttabul, Albatross, Stirling and the Submarine and Underwater Medicine Unit—West as Senior Medical Officer. Staff positions included Director Health at what became Joint Operations Command, Director Navy Occupational and Environmental Health, Director of Navy Health, Staff Officer 1 Medical Employment Classification Advisory and Review Services, and Fleet Medical Officer. On transferring to the RAN Reserve in 2016, Commander Westphalen undertook staff roles for Exercise KAKADU 16, the Director-General Navy Safety and Environment Policy Coordination, and the Navy Personnel Career Management Agency.

Neil is widowed, with three children and his first grandchild.

Detail:

Date and Time:1100, Wednesday 17^h. June 2026 (Sydney time)

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