Commanding Officer HMAS Parramatta

Commander Heath Robertson, RAN

Commander Heath Robertson, RAN began his naval career as a Supplementary List Officer in 1987 at HMAS Creswell. Upon graduation from the naval college he began training as a Seaman Officer and was awarded his Bridge Watchkeeping Certificate in 1990 while serving in HMAS Gawler.

Following further postings to sea as an Officer of the Watch in HMA Ships Stuart and Swan, he specialised in Navigation and served as the Navigating Officer in HMA Ships Ipswich, Torrens, Tobruk and Westralia. In 1997 he undertook the Principal Warfare Officer course at HMAS Watson, going on to serve as the Operations Officer and Signal Communications Officer in HMAS Hobart.

After a brief tenure as Senior Instructor at the Navigation Faculty, CMDR Robertson assumed command of HMAS Cessnock in 2000. He was promoted to LCDR in 2001. In 2002, he was posted as Staff Officer Current Operations to the Commander Northern Command, and then as Officer-In-Charge of Navigation in 2003.

CMDR Robertson attended the Joint Command and Staff College in 2004 before being selected as the Decommissioning Executive Officer of HMAS Westralia and Commissioning Executive Officer of HMAS Sirius. He was promoted to the rand of CMDR in 2006, and in 2007 he was appointed Master Attendant, responsible for Port Services and Fleet Support nationally.

CMDR Robertson has enjoyed the privilege of sea command since—commanding HMAS Perth from late 2008 and more recently assuming command of HMAS Parramatta on 13 November 2009.

Commander Robertson is married and has three teenage children. CMDR Robertson is a keen sports fan—particularly when his home state of Queensland is represented.