Defence Leaders: Other Leaders
Rear Admiral Allan du Toit, AM, RAN
Commander Border Protection Command
Rear Admiral Allan du Toit, who assumed command of Border Protection Command on 9 May 2008, was raised and educated in Durban, South Africa. He has always had a great passion for the sea, ships and the navy and entered the South African Navy as a midshipman in 1975. After initial training at sea and ashore, he attended the tri-service South African Military Academy, graduating in 1979. He subsequently qualified as a mine warfare sub-specialist and Principal Warfare Officer (PWO) and served mainly at sea before moving to Australia in early 1987, where he accepted a commission in the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
He has seen extensive operational service in the Middle East, most recently in command of Coalition Task Force 158 in the North Arabian Gulf between September 2007 and March 2008, commanding maritime forces from Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Singapore and Iraq. He previously served in the Gulf as RAN Task Group Commander between November 2001 and March 2002 as part of Operation Slipper. During that deployment he also became the first non-US Navy officer to command multinational maritime interception forces enforcing UN sanctions against Iraq. In recognition of this operational service, he was appointed a Member in the Military Division of the Order of Australia in the 2004 Australia Day Honours List.
His previous command appointments include Commander Australian Amphibious Task Group 2001-02, Commander Australian Amphibious and Afloat Support Force Element Group 2000-01 and Commanding Officer of the amphibious ship HMAS Tobruk in 1998-99 during peacekeeping operations in Bougainville. He previously served as Executive Officer of HMAS Tobruk 1990-92 and as Deputy Commander Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Forces 1988-89. During his service in the SAN he served in frigates, submarines and mine countermeasures vessels.
In addition to extensive service at sea, Rear Admiral du Toit, has also served in a wide range of single-service and joint appointments ashore, most recently at the strategic level in Canberra. These include Director General Military Strategic Commitments 2006-07, Director General Joint Operations and Plans 2005-06, Director General Navy Capability, Performance and Plans and Head of the RAN Surface Warfare Community 2004-05, Director Navy Strategy and Futures 2003, Staff Officer Amphibious Policy, Doctrine and Capability 1999, Project Officer for the billion-dollar Mine Hunter Coastal Project 1993-96 and Director of Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving 1992. He also served as a member of the junior directing staff at the SA Naval Staff College in 1986 and received a Chief of the SA Navy’s Commendation in the same year.
He is a graduate of the South African Military Academy, SA Naval Staff College, RAN Staff College and the Australian Joint Services Staff College, and has undertaken professional training courses in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom and South Africa during his naval career. He holds a Bachelor of Military Science degree from the University of Stellenbosch, a Master of Defence Studies degree from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies. He is both an accomplished naval historian and avid student of contemporary defence and naval affairs and has written two books on warships and naval history, the first as a 15-year old school boy which was published while he was serving as a midshipman. He has also regularly contributed to professional naval conferences and journals in both Australia and overseas, including The United States Naval Institute Proceedings.
Allan and his wife Tessa, who is a radiation therapist, reside in Canberra and they have two sons, Tristan (17 and Rowan (13). His interests are wide ranging and he reads, draws and listens to music for relaxation. He is Patron of the ADF Basketball Association and is a passionate rugby union and cricket supporter who is proud to call Australia home.