Australian Military Regulations (Amendment)

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STATUTORY RULES

1968 No.

REGULATION UNDER DEFENCE ACT 1903-1966.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulation under the Defence Act 1903-1966.

Dated this fifteenth day of August,1968.

CASEY

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Allen Fairhall

Minister of State for Defence, acting for and on behalf of the Minister of

State for the Army.

Amendment or the Australian Military Regulations †

Ages for retirement of officers.

Regulation 124 of the Australian Military Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (1.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulation:—

“ (1.) Subject to this regulation, the age for the compulsory retirement of an officer, for the purposes of section 27 of the Act, is the age set out in the following table in relation to his rank or appointment and the name of his corps, service or department:—

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 1968.

† Statutory Rules 1927 No. 149, as amended by Statutory Rules 1928, Nos. 23, 28 and 126; 1929, No 123; 1930, Nos. 26, 67 and 92; 1931, No. 13; 1932, Nos. 80, 87 and 125; 1933 Nos. 49 and 77; 1934, Nos. 26 and 80; 1935, Nos. 99 and 109; 1936, Nos. 21, 44 and 100; 1937, No. 45; 1938, Nos. 75, 90 and 93; 1939, Nos. 31, 51, 58, 115, 123, 134, 160 and 173;, 1940, Nos. 2, 16, 29, 59, 150, 183, 184, 186, 199, 237, 252, 272 and 273; 1941, Nos 3, 4, 14, 43, 135, 153, 155, 205, 245, 246, 260 and 311; 1942, Nos. 35, 59, 60, 85, 114, 166, 179, 211, 231, 289, 333, 334, 350, 417, 477 506, 508, 521, 522, 555 and 556; 1943, Nos 17, 68, 72, 126, 174, 199, 200, 219, 244, 245, 246, 249 and 258; 1944, Nos. 1, 39, 69, 71, 72, 114, 120, 122, 154 and 164; 1945, Nos. 6, 19, 38, 42, 68, 94, 111, 141 and 195; 1946, Nos. 72, 113, 114, 116 and 150; 1947, Nos. 25 and 59; 1948, Nos. 40, 59, 65 and 79; 1949, Nos. 55 and 68, 1950, Nos. 10, 21, 29, 64 and 65; 1951 Nos. 20, 56, 125, 149 and 152; 1952, Nos. 8, 60, 68 and 69; 1953, No 87; 1954, Nos. 113, 117 and 118; 1955 Nos. 7, 31 and 55; 1956, Nos. 52, 102 and 115; 1957, No. 56; 1958, Nos. 31, 32 and 85; 1959, Nos. 22 and 30; 1960, No. 25; 1961, No. 42; 1962 Nos. 23 27, 68, 69 and 171; 1963, No. 28; 1964, Nos. 62, 83, 93 and 149; 1965, Nos. 61, 72, 116, 119, 138 and 171; 1966, Nos. 119 and 167, and 1967, Nos. 13, 118 and 168.

20475/68—Price 5c 12/12.8.1968

Corps, Service or Department.	Rank or Appointment.
Corps, Service or Department.	General or Lieutenant-General	Major-General.	Brigadier.	Colonel.	Lieutenant-Colonel.	Major.	Captain.	Lieutenant.	Second-Lieutenant.	Quartermaster.
The Australian Staff Corps..............	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Royal Australian Armoured Corps......	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery...	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Royal Australian Engineers...........	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Royal Australian Corps of Signals......	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Royal Australian Infantry Corps........	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Australian Army Aviation Corps.......	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Australian Intelligence Corps..........	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Royal Australian Army Service Corps (other than the Australian Army Canteen Service)	60	57	55	55	50	47	47	47	47	55
The Royal Australian Army Ordnance Corps (other than the Australian Army Printing and Stationery Service)	..	..	57	57	53	50	50	50	50	55
The Royal Corps of Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers	..	..	57	57	53	50	50	50	50	55
The Royal Australian Army Provost Corps....	..	..	57	57	53	50	50	50	50	55
The Royal Australian Survey Corps........	..	60	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Royal Australian Army Chaplains Department	..	60	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Australian Army Canteen Service.......	..	..	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps...	..	60	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Royal Australian Army Dental Corps....	..	..	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Royal Australian Army Educational Corps	..	..	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Australian Army Catering Corps.......	..	..	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Royal Australian Army Pay Corps......	..	..	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Australian Army Legal Corps.........	..	..	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Australian Army Printing and Stationery Service	..	..	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Australian Army Psychology Corps.....	..	..	57	57	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Australian Army Band Corps..........	..	..	55	55	55	55	55	55	55	55
The Royal Australian Army Nursing Corps...	..	..	55	55	55	55	55	55	55	..
The Women’s Royal Australian Army Corps..	..	..	55	55	55	55	50	50	50	..

By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1968 No. 124, made under the Defence Act 1903-1966, addresses the amendment of the Australian Military Regulations regarding the retirement ages of military officers. Enacted by the Governor-General in Council, this legislative instrument updates the retirement ages for officers across various ranks and corps within the Australian Defence Force, aiming to align with current operational needs and service requirements. The regulation was introduced to provide a structured framework for the compulsory retirement of officers, ensuring a steady transition of leadership and maintaining the efficiency and effectiveness of the military services. This legislative action was taken to provide a comprehensive and systematic approach to the retirement of military personnel, reflecting the policy objective of maintaining a well-organised and capable defence force. By setting specific ages for retirement based on rank and corps, the regulation seeks to balance the need for experienced leadership with the importance of promoting younger officers into higher positions.

Scope and Application

This legislative instrument pertains to a regulation made under the Defence Act 1903-1966, specifically amending the Australian Military Regulations to revise the ages for compulsory retirement of military officers. The amendment applies to all officers within the Australian Defence Force, irrespective of their rank or the specific corps, service, or department they belong to, and it is effective across the Commonwealth of Australia. This regulation sets out the retirement age for officers according to their rank and the specific corps or service they are part of, with variations in retirement ages across different ranks and corps. The regulation does not explicitly mention any exclusions or exemptions, implying that it applies universally to all officers within the scope of the Australian Defence Force. Further, the application and scope of this regulation can be extended or modified through subordinate instruments, thereby providing flexibility to adapt the retirement age criteria as necessary.

Key Provisions

This Statutory Rule, made under the Defence Act 1903-1966, primarily focuses on amending the Australian Military Regulations concerning the ages for compulsory retirement of military officers. Regulation 124 of the Australian Military Regulations is specifically altered to set forth new ages for compulsory retirement based on the officer's rank or appointment and their corps, service, or department (Regulation 124(1)). This regulation effectively replaces the previous retirement age structure with a new table that specifies the retirement ages for different ranks across various military corps and services. The obligations imposed by this legislation are primarily directed at military officers and their respective units or departments. Officers must adhere to the new retirement age criteria as outlined in the amended Regulation 124. The regulation ensures that retirement ages are uniformly applied across different ranks and military units, providing clarity and consistency in the enforcement of retirement policies. In terms of consequences for non-compliance, the legislation does not explicitly detail specific offences, penalties, or civil or criminal consequences for breaching the retirement age provisions. However, it is implicit that failure to comply with the compulsory retirement ages could lead to disciplinary actions under military law. Such actions could include administrative penalties, loss of rank, or other forms of disciplinary measures as deemed appropriate by the military authorities. The precise nature and extent of these consequences would be governed by broader military regulations and disciplinary codes rather than this specific statutory rule.

Area of Law: Defence Law
Instrument: Regulation
Concepts: Definitions & Interpretation; Offence Provisions; Reporting & Disclosure Obligations

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.

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