Our People in VIC
Angela Bond - A Captain's Voyage: from Echuca to Rockingham
For Angela Bond, a childhood spent splashing about on the banks of the Murray River would ensure a life-long connection to the water. As a young girl growing up in Echuca, her time was all but consumed by participation in water sports from swimming to kayaking, and it was eventually this love for all things aquatic that led a young Angela Bond her to take the plunge and join the Women’s Royal Australian Naval Service in 1980.
Five years later, when legislation was amended to allow women to serve at sea, she answered the call of the ocean and transferred into the Royal Australian Navy. That move has taken Bond, now ‘Captain Bond’, all over the world, and most recently made her a trail blazer when, in December, she became the first female Commanding Officer of Australia’s largest operational Naval base, HMAS Stirling.
The new role presents exciting new challenges for Captain Bond, who now has around 3,500 uniformed service members and Defence-civilian personnel under her Command. It’s a career milestone she has long had her sights on.
“A command like this is a role that many Officers aspire to, and I’m very excited to be here for the next three years,” said Captain Bond who is enjoying her fourth posting to HMAS Stirling, the Navy’s Western Australian base.
“I have had a thirteen year association with Stirling over my thirty-two years in the Navy, and this is the position that I have always wanted. This is something I am really proud of,” she said.
Captain Bond has experienced a busy start to her three year stint at the helm, which ramped up on the 28th of December when she hosted 500 people at a ceremony to farewell the Anzac Class Frigate HMAS Toowoomba, before the Australian warship set sail for an operational deployment to the Middle East.
“My main objective during this tenure of Command will be to offer the very best support possible to the Australian Sailors and Officers who are serving Australia at sea and on land, in operations around the globe,” she said.
“The Navy prospers on teamwork, and a huge part of our mission here at Stirling is ensuring that the crews of the Navy’s Western Australian based ships have access to all the support services they need to keep them fighting fit and available to serve their nation,” said Captain Bond, whose home life is as busy as her work life.
The Mother of four has successfully juggled the demands of her professional life with those of her personal life, an achievement that she is particularly proud of.
“Like many people in the Navy, my family is my backbone, and I couldn’t do my job without them. My husband has taken on a lot of duties at home, which has allowed me to find a work life balance – which is an essential ingredient for long-term success,” said Captain Bond.
“I still have some family in Echuca too, and we love to visit when we can. My Mother Eileen is there, and so is my Brother, Niece and Nephew. On top of that, the Navy is also a family of sorts, and I hope to help foster an even greater sense of community here at Stirling.”
Looking back to her younger days, the proud Victorian had never dreamt of one day assuming one of the Royal Australian Navy’s most important leadership roles.
“I guess I have come a long way from my school days at St Joseph’s College and Echuca High School. Would I recommend a career in the Navy to today’s students? Absolutely!” said Captain Bond.
“We are getting some incredible new ships in the near future, and there’s some extraordinary opportunities on the horizon,” she said. “Dive in. You won’t regret it.”