Commanding Officer HMAS Success
Commander Anthony Rayner, RAN
Commander Anthony Rayner, RAN was born in Hobart, Tasmania in 1965 and joined the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) in 1985 as a Gunnery Sailor. Serving in HMAS Adelaide, HMAS Stuart and HMAS Derwent as a Quarter Master Gunner saw him commissioned to the rank of Midshipman in August 1987. Junior Officer training at HMAS Creswell and HMAS Watson culminated in the award of a Bridge Warfare Certificate in HMAS Swan in March 1989. He consolidated as an Officer of the Watch in HMAS Stuart and HMAS Westralia. This period included a six month deployment to the Arabian Gulf, in HMAS Westralia, as part of Operation Desert Storm.
From 1991 until August 2001 he undertook a succession of positions as the Navigation Officer of HMAS Warrnambool, HMAS Dubbo, HMAS Swan, HMAS Darwin, HMAS Anzac and HMAS Westralia. These postings included deployments throughout Australia, East Asia, South West Pacific and operational roles in the Southern Ocean and Fisheries Protection in Northern Australia. These sea posts were interspersed with shore respites as the Deputy Port Services Manager at HMAS Stirling and the Port Manager at Darwin Naval Base during the initial phase of the Timor crisis. Significant training undertaken during this time was the Major Fleet Unit Navigation and the Long Navigation Courses and the award of a Naval Pilot qualification in 1998.
Promoted to Lieutenant Commander in August 1999, he was the Commanding Officer of HMAS Dubbo from November 2001 until May 2003. Post Command he was appointed as Staff Officer Current Operations to Headquarters Northern Command (HQNORCOM) and subsequently the Staff Officer Navigation to the Minor War Vessel Sea Training Group. On promotion to Commander in December 2004 he assumed the role as the Head of Operations at HQNORCOM until July 2006 where upon he was appointed as the Chief of Staff at the Patrol Boat Group Headquarters. In 2007 Commander Rayner undertook the Australian Command and Staff Course and was the Executive Officer in HMAS Stirling during 2008.
Commander Rayner achieved the academic requirements of a Diploma of Teaching from the Melbourne University in 1994 and a Masters of Arts (Management and Strategy) from the University of New South Wales in 2009. He is a keen fisherman, recreational scuba diver, hunter and boating enthusiast. The proud father of three daughters and one son, Commander Rayner is married to Faith Anderson who is a Secondary School Teacher and Linguist.
Commander Rayner took Command of HMAS Success in June 2009.
