Commanding Officer HMAS Parramatta
Commander Guy Blackburn, RAN
Commander Guy Blackburn, RAN joined the Royal Australian Navy as a Seaman Officer through the Australian Defence Force Academy (ADFA) in 1989. After completing degree studies, he commenced sea service and was awarded his primary qualification as a Seaman Officer in 1994/5. Commander Blackburn then went on to complete Principal Warfare Officer (PWO) course as a Surface Warfare specialist in 1998. Commander Blackburn’s sea service has been in HMA Ships Gladstone (Fremantle Class Patrol Boat), Hobart (II) and Brisbane (Charles F Adams Class Destroyers), as an Officer Of the Watch; HMA Ships Brisbane, Darwin (Adelaide Class Frigate) and Stuart (Anzac Class Frigate) as a Principal Warfare Officer (Anti Submarine Warfare); and as the Executive Officer in HMAS Canberra (II) (Adelaide Class Frigate) in 2004/5 upon which Canberra was decommissioned. Commander Blackburn commanded HMAS Stuart from May-July 2010 prior to taking up posting in Command of HMAS Ballarat. His shore postings include service as the Executive Officer at the Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre (AJAAC), Instructor Joint Warfare at the Australian Defence Force Warfare Centre (ADFWC), and as the lead Anti Submarine Warfare Instructor at HMAS Watson on the Principal Warfare Officers course. Commander Blackburn’s Headquarters postings have been as Director Navy Warfare Professional Requirements (DNWPR), Staff Officer to the Chief of Navy (SOCN), Deputy Director Future Maritime Warfare (DDFMW) and as Deputy Director Navy Experimentation (DDNE) in Russell Offices, Canberra.
Commander Blackburn successfully graduated from Australian Command and Staff College (ACSC) in 2006 and holds Masters degrees in Maritime Studies, International Relations, and Strategy and Policy. He holds a Bachelors degree in Science majoring in Oceanography.
Commander Blackburn was awarded the Australian Active Service Medal (AASM) and Iraq Campaign Medal (ICAT and IRAQ 2003 clasp) during the Operational deployment of HMAS Darwin to the Gulf during Operations Slipper and the War in Iraq in 2003 during Operations Bastille and Falconer. Commander Blackburn was awarded a Deputy Chief of Navy’s commendation for his work whilst DNWPR in particular for his presentations to the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal during the General Officer Pay Submission and as a community advocate for Warfare. Commander Blackburn is married to Julie and they have three children who live in Canberra. He is a passionate Rugby Union supporter, maintains an active engagement in producing academic papers regarding Australian Naval strategy and future Australian Naval capability, and enjoys long distance running.
Commander Blackburn recently assumed command of HMAS Parramatta.
