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Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College at Duntroon
Motto: doctrina vim promovet (Learning Promotes Strength) Horace, Book 4, Ode 4.
Established: 27 June 1911
Type: Military college
Commandant: RMC-A Brigadier Mark Bornholt AM
Students: 425 (85 cadets in 5 companies)
Location: Campbell, Canberra, ACT,, Australia.
Campus: 370 acres (1.5 km²) suburban
Nickname: Cordie 1
Affiliations: Duntroon Society
Website: http://www.defence.gov.au/ARMY/rmc/

The Royal Military College, Duntroon is Australia's military academy where Staff Cadets train for commissioning into the Australian Army as a part of the Australian Defence Force. The Royal Military College of Australia prepares cadets and other selected candidates for careers in the Army by promoting leadership and integrity; by promoting high ideals and the pursuit of excellence, and by inculcating a sense of duty, loyalty and service to the nation. The mission of the Royal Military College is to produce officers capable of commanding platoon groups in the Hardened and Networked Army, and to prepare specialist candidates for commissioning. The RMC was founded in 1911 in Duntroon, Canberra, ACT, Australia. The Royal Military College, Duntroon is adjacent to the Australian Defence Force Academy(ADFA), a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force.

The College's motto "Doctrina Vim Promovet" translates to "Learning Promotes Strength." RMC affiliated with the University of New South Wales to offer Bachelor courses in Arts, Science or Engineering, commencing in the 1968 academic year. In order to graduate, cadets had to achieve passes in both military and academic studies and leadership. The RMC Commandant, Brigadier M.D. Bornholt, AM is in charge of all Officer training Establishments throughout Australia. 2

Contents

History

Mural shows Robert Campbell (Australian landowner) and his house "Duntroon" that is now part of the RMC Duntroon

Duntroon was opened on 27 June 1911 by the Governor-General of Australia, Lord Dudley. The college is situated on the old Campbell family homestead in Canberra. The family had named the property "Duntroon" after Duntrune Castle, their ancestral home on Loch Crinan in Argyll, Scotland. The Australian Government first rented the Duntroon homestead for two years and finally acquired the freehold to the estate and 370 acres (1.5 km²) of land after the creation of the Federal Capital.

Major General William Throsby Bridges

The initial Commandant of the College was Brigadier General William Throsby Bridges, who later died on a hospital ship after being wounded by a sniper on the shores of Gallipoli. Under his recommendations the College was modeled on aspects from the Royal Military College of Canada and the military Colleges of Britain, and the United States of America.

In 2001, the Band of the Royal Military College [1] accompanied a detachment of the Australian Federation Guard to the United Kingdom where, as part of the celebrations of the centenary of Australia's federation, the AFG mounted the Queen's Guard at Buckingham Palace, while the RMC Band [2] provided the Guards Band.

In 2003, the Officer Tertiary Recruitment Scheme (OTRS) was introduced, which involves the recruitment of officers enrolled in tertiary study. Essentially, this program involves undergraduate sponsorship of university students, who are appointed as Officer Cadets (ARA), while they study. During their tertiary study, they train with the applicable University Regiment as reservists. At the conclusion of their study (provided they had completed the necessary modules) they enroll at RMC in II Class.

Buildings and Features

The officers' mess, an imposing stone building, was built as the Campbell family's house.

Programs

The College also oversees the programme for training officers in the Australian Army Reserve. These reservists join a University Regiment and undertake a number of training modules run by the various University Regiments around Australia in their free time in addition to the standard one night a week and one weekend a month of the Reserves. The final six and a half weeks of the reserve officer course are conducted at RMC-Duntroon. As of January 2008, the Part-time Officers course will be shortened to a duration of 104 days, with Initial Employment (Corps specific) Training conducted thereafter.

The Diploma of Arts (Military) is the academic qualification awarded to staff cadets who graduate from RMC Duntroon, after they successfully complete the 18-month military and academic course at the College.

Charter of the Royal Military College

"The Charter of the Royal Military College is to prepare cadets and other selected candidates for careers as officers in the Army by promoting learning, leadership and integrity; by inspiring high ideals and the pursuit of excellence; and by inculcating a sense of duty, loyalty and service to Australia." 3

Staff Cadets

Staff Cadet is a title accorded only to officer trainees of the Royal Military College, Duntroon of Australia

Until the late 1940s graduates entered the Staff Officer Corps of the Australian Army. After the late 1940s graduates were assigned different corps and were no longer posted to the Staff Corps. The title was kept on as a tradition at the RMC. Trainees at all other Australian Regular Army officer training establishments are referred to as Officer Cadet.

There are two streams of Cadets:

Direct entry cadets complete 3rd, 2nd and 1st class at Duntroon in that order, each of 6 months duration. Cadets from ADFA join Duntroon in 2nd class, combining with the direct entry cadets completing 12 months at the college. The leadership and military training provided at ADFA during the 3 years of training is considered the equivalent of 3rd class at RMC.

Direct entry cadets are known as 'bakers' particularly from the former ADFA cadets, as they are considered only half baked, given that they spend only 18 months in training as opposed to the 4 years of a University Degree undertaken by an ADFA cadet. Similarly ADFA entry cadets are known as 'FACs' (abbv. Fuckin ADFA Cadets). This terminology is always used informally and never in any written correspondence. Technically, the training and syllabus for both entry types is the same.

Officer Cadets recruited under the Ready Reserve Scheme graduated from Duntroon until 1996, completing the full Duntroon course in 6 months then completing 6 months full-time service with their units. Some of these commissioned officers then went on to join the Australian Regular Army and to finish their degrees at ADFA.

Books

  • A. C. T. 'Notes on the Royal Military College Duntroon 1938' Royal Military College 1938
  • Chris Coulthard-Clark 'Duntroon.The Royal Military College of Australia, 1911-1986' Book ID: 13983959 Sydney, Allen & Unwin, (1986)
  • Australia Dept Defence Duntroon. Royal Military College (Paperback - 1977)
  • J. E Lee 'Duntroon, the Royal Military College of Australia, 1911-1946' 1952
  • Bruce Moore 'A lexicon of cadet language: Royal Military College, Duntroon, in the period 1983-1985' 1993
  • G Solomon 'A Poor Sort of Memory: a Personal Memoir of the Royal Military College Duntroon' 1978
  • Royal Military College 'Enobesra. A Cadet Handbook' Multiple years including 1972 & 1974

Royal Military College, Australia Units (Reserves)

Notes

  1. ^ http://www.anu.edu.au/andc/res/aus_words/aewords/aewords_cg.php
  2. ^ http://www.defence.gov.au/army/rmc/
  3. ^ 'The Royal Military College Duntroon' handbook, 1996, npg, p.1
  • Moore, Bruce, A Lexicon of Cadet Language: Royal Military College, Duntroon, in the period 1983 to 1985, Canberra: Australian National Dictionary Centre. 1993 1

See also

External links

Coordinates: 35°17′59″S 149°09′54″E / -35.29972, 149.165

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