Biography
Born in Sydney on the 15 April 1933, Martin came from a long line of naval officers. He was descended from Lieutenant George Johnston, one of the Royal Marines of the First Fleet, and the convict Esther Abrahams. Their son Robert was the first Australian born person to enlist in the Royal Navy, which he joined in 1805. In 1942, when David was nine years old, his father was lost in action following the sinking of HMAS Perth of which he was Deputy Commander.
Martin attended the Scots College in Bellevue Hill from 1939–1946 before joining the RAN as a cadet midshipman and entering the Royal Australian Naval College in 1947. He also attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich, before serving aboard HMAS Sydney during the Korean War, then aboard the aircraft carriers HMAS Vengeance and HMAS Melbourne.
He was an officer on HMS Battleaxe, participating in the Cyprus and Iceland emergencies (also known as the "Cod Wars") in 1959–1960. He was promoted to Commander of the Third Australian Destroyer Squadron in 1974 and commanded several RAN ships, including HMA Ships Queenborough, Torrens, Supply and Melbourne. Martin was promoted to flag rank in 1982 and served as Chief of Naval Personnel and as Commander of Naval Support Command until he retired in February 1988. On 26 January 1985, the Queen appointed Martin an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) "for service as the Chief of Naval Personnel and flag officer Naval Support Command".
Read more about this topic: David Martin (governor)
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