Air Chief Marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

Sir Allan Grant "Angus" Houston, (born 9 June 1947) is a retired senior officer of the

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

. He served as Chief of Air Force from 20 June 2001 and then as the Chief of the Defence Force from 4 July 2005. He retired from the military on 3 July 2011. Since then Houston has been appointed to a number of positions, including chairman of

Airservices Australia Airservices Australia is an Australian Government-owned corporation, responsible for providing services to the aviation industry within the Australian Flight Information Region (FIR). Some of Airservices Australia’s responsibilities includ ...

. In March 2014 he was appointed to head the

Joint Agency Coordination Centre The Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) is an Australian government agency which was established on 30 March 2014 to coordinate search and recovery operations for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which disappeared on 8 March 2014 and was soo ...

during the search for

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (MH370/MAS370) was an international passenger flight operated by Malaysia Airlines that disappeared from radar on 8 March 2014, while flying from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia to its planned de ...

, and in the Australia Day Honours of 2015, he was knighted for this service.

Early life

Houston was born on 9 June 1947 in

Ayrshire Ayrshire (, ) is a Counties of Scotland, historic county and registration county, in south-west Scotland, located on the shores of the Firth of Clyde. The lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area of Ayrshire and Arran covers the entirety ...

, Scotland and educated at

Strathallan School Strathallan School is a private boarding and day school in Scotland for boys and girls aged 5-18. The school has a campus at Forgandenny, a few miles south of Perth. School roll The school has 73 full-time staff, and 18 part-time staff. It h ...

Forgandenny Forgandenny (Scottish Gaelic ''Forgrann Eithne'', 'Over-Bog of Eithne' n ancient female Gaelic name is a small village in Perth and Kinross, Scotland, located four miles south of Perth, Scotland, Perth. Perth is a 20-minute bus ride from Forg ...

Perthshire Perthshire (Scottish English, locally: ; ), officially the County of Perth, is a Shires of Scotland, historic county and registration county in central Scotland. Geographically it extends from Strathmore, Angus and Perth & Kinross, Strathmore ...

. He emigrated to Australia in 1968 to work as a jackaroo on a sheep and wheat farm near the town of Mukinbudin in the North Eastern Wheatbelt region of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

Service career

Early career

Houston joined the RAAF as a cadet pilot in 1970 and was soon given the nickname "Angus". On 20 March 1971, he was granted an eight-year short-service commission with the rank of

pilot officer Pilot officer (Plt Off or P/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Pilot officer is the lowest ran ...

, and was promoted to

flying officer Flying officer (Fg Offr or F/O) is a junior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Flying officer is immediately ...

on 20 March 1973. He spent the early part of his career flying

UH-1 Iroquois The Bell UH-1 Iroquois (nicknamed "Huey") is a utility military helicopter designed and produced by the American aerospace company Bell Helicopter. It is the first member of the prolific Huey family, as well as the first turbine-powered helic ...

helicopter A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which Lift (force), lift and thrust are supplied by horizontally spinning Helicopter rotor, rotors. This allows the helicopter to VTOL, take off and land vertically, to hover (helicopter), hover, and ...

s in various parts of Australia,

Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...

and

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. On 10 March 1975, he received a permanent commission, with a promotion to flight lieutenant on 20 September. After graduation from Flying Instructors Course in 1975, Houston completed several instructional tours on Macchi MB-326H,

British Aircraft Corporation The British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) was a British aircraft manufacturer formed from the government-pressured merger of English Electric, English Electric Aviation Ltd., Vickers-Armstrongs, Vickers-Armstrongs (Aircraft), the Bristol Aeroplane ...

Strikemaster and Iroquois aircraft. A posting to the

Republic of Singapore Air Force The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is the aerial service branch of the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) responsible for controlling and defending the airspace of the country, and providing air support to the Army and Navy. It was establis ...

(RSAF) from 1976 to 1978 was followed by two years at No. 9 Squadron at

RAAF Base Amberley RAAF Base Amberley is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located southwest of Ipswich, Queensland in Australia and southwest of Brisbane CBD. It is the largest military airbase in Australia. Amberley is one of two defence ...

. In late 1979, Houston was posted to

Hill Air Force Base Hill Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force (USAF) base located in Davis County, Utah, just south of the city of Ogden, and bordering the Cities of Layton, Clearfield, Riverdale, Roy, and Sunset with its largest border immediately adja ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

U.S.A. for exchange flying duties with a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

helicopter unit. In 1980 he was awarded the Air Force Cross for an open sea rescue in gale-force winds off the coast of

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

in 1979.It's an Honour
– Air Force Cross – 14 June 1980
Citation: ''9 Sqn RAAF – Helicopter rescue off Evans Head – For devotion to duty as a pilot of No9 Sqn RAAF'' He was promoted to

squadron leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

on 1 January 1982. After a further posting to No. 9 Squadron as the Executive Officer, and staff training at RAAF Staff College, Houston was posted to the Department of Air (Development Division) where he was involved in the Black Hawk helicopter Project. In 1987, Houston assumed command of No. 9 Squadron to introduce the Black Hawk helicopter, to relocate the unit from Amberley to

Townsville, Queensland The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...

, and to transfer the capability to the

Australian Army The Australian Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of Australia. It is a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF), along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. The Army is commanded by the Chief of Army ...

. In 1989 he served one year in command of the 5th Aviation Regiment. Houston was admitted as a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in 1990 for his work in the transfer of responsibility for Blackhawk operations.It's an Honour
– Member of the Order of Australia – 26 January 1990
Citation: ''For service to the RAAF as CO No9 Sqn and subsequently Officer Commanding 5th Aviation Regiment'' Following graduation from Joint Services Staff College, Houston was posted to the Joint Operations staff at Headquarters

Australian Defence Force The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is the Armed forces, military organisation responsible for the defence of Australia and its national interests. It consists of three branches: the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), Australian Army and the Royal Aus ...

and was involved in strategic planning during the

Persian Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

of 1990–1991. On promotion to

group captain Group captain (Gp Capt or G/C) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British influence. Group cap ...

in July 1992, he assumed the post of Director Air Force Policy and negotiated the establishment of the RSAF Flying School at

RAAF Base Pearce RAAF Base Pearce is the main Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military air base in Western Australia, located in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. It is used for training by the RAAF and the Republic of Singapore Air Force. Pearce is the busies ...

. After completing a

C-130H Hercules The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 was originally designe ...

conversion in 1993, Houston commanded No. 86 Wing from 1994 to 1995. Houston attended the

Royal College of Defence Studies The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) instructs the most promising senior officers of the British Armed Forces, His Majesty's Diplomatic Service and Civil Service in national defence and international security matters at the highest leve ...

in London in 1996. He was Chief of Staff, Headquarters Australian Theatre from 1997 to 1999, Commander Integrated Air Defence System from 1999 to 2000 and Head Strategic Command from 17 August 2000.

Senior command

Houston was appointed as Chief of Air Force (CAF) on 20 June 2001 and, in the

2003 Australia Day Honours The 2003 Australia Day Honours are appointments to various orders and honours to recognise and reward good works by Australian citizens. The list was announced on 26 January 2003 by the Governor General of Australia, Peter Hollingworth. The Aust ...

, advanced to

Officer of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

.
Citation: ''For distinguished service to the Australian Defence Force and the Royal Australian Air Force in senior command appointments.'' As acting Chief of the Defence Force (CDF) in 2001, Houston played a central role in the Children Overboard Affair. At a

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

inquiry in February 2002, Houston challenged the then government's claim made during the 2001 election campaign, that seafaring asylum seekers had thrown children overboard in a presumed ploy to secure rescue and passage to Australia. On 4 July 2005, he was promoted to

air chief marshal Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many Commonwealth of Nations, countries that have historical British i ...

and appointed Chief of the Defence Force. In the

Australia Day Honours The Australian honours and awards system refers to all orders, decorations, and medals, as instituted by letters patent from the Monarch of Australia and countersigned by the Australian prime minister at the time, that have been progressively ...

of 26 January 2008, he was advanced to a

Companion of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

.
Citation: ''For eminent service to the Australian Defence Force as Chief of the Defence Force.'' In March 2008, Houston's appointment was extended to 3 July 2011.

Later life

After his retirement from the CDF position, the Australian Government appointed Houston as Chair of the Anzac Centenary Advisory Board on 6 July 2011, with the remit to "provide strategic advice and recommendations on the planning and implementation of Anzac Centenary events". On 6 December 2011, it was announced that the Australian Government had appointed Houston as the next chairman of

on the grounds of his aviation, governance and leadership experience. In June 2012, Prime Minister

Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013. She held office as the leader of the Labor Party (ALP), having previously served as the ...

announced that Houston would chair an expert group that would examine asylum seeker policy and prepare a report recommending a solution for the Government's consideration.ABC Radio Australia
'Houston to lead asylum policy panel after Senate rejects bill
29 June 2012 In February 2014, Houston was appointed chair of the

Defence SA Defence SA is the Government of South Australia's lead agency for all defence matters. It is Australia's only stand-alone state defence organisation. It is a single point of contact for all defence stakeholders, streamlining their interaction acros ...

Advisory Board. The position was previously held by General

Peter Cosgrove General (Australia), General Sir Peter John Cosgrove, (born 28 July 1947) is an Australian retired senior Australian Army, Army officer who served as the 26th governor-general of Australia, in office from 2014 to 2019. A graduate of the Royal ...

. On 30 March 2014, Prime Minister

Tony Abbott Anthony John Abbott (; born 4 November 1957) is an Australian former politician who served as the 28th prime minister of Australia from 2013 to 2015. He held office as the leader of the Liberal Party of Australia and was the member of parli ...

announced that Houston would head the

(JACC), based in

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

, formed to oversee the efforts to find

. At that time, the plane had been missing for just over three weeks since its disappearance on Saturday, 8 March. On 26 January 2015, Houston was appointed a

Knight of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of then ...

(AK) for his service to Australia and commitment to the MH17 and MH 370 disasters. Saying he was "surprised and deeply humbled," he said he would prefer to be called by his name instead of "Sir Angus." "It's a great honour to be recognised in this way. But I'd like people to still call me Angus. That's probably the way I am," he said. The ceremony in which he was officially knighted was held on 17 April 2015 at

Government House, Canberra Government House, colloquially known as Yarralumla, is the official residence of the governor-general of Australia. It is located in the suburb of Yarralumla in the Australian capital city of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. The ...

by the Governor-General of Australia, General Sir Peter Cosgrove. On 1 June 2015, Houston was announced as the new special envoy for South Australia. According to Premier

Jay Weatherill Jay Wilson Weatherill (born 3 April 1964) is an Australian former politician who was the 45th premier of South Australia, serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018. Weatherill represented the South Australian House of Assembly, House of ...

, Houston is tasked with supporting trade missions, providing advice on international engagement strategies and providing important introductions in key markets. Weatherill also noted Houston's strong relationships with military leaders across Asia being potentially advantageous to the state. Houston was elected to the role of

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

of the

University of the Sunshine Coast The University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC; formerly abbreviated as USC until 2022) is a public university based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. After opening with 524 students in 1996 as the Sunshine Coast University College, it ...

and took office from 1 April 2017. Houston was appointed to the board of

Virgin Australia Virgin Australia, formerly known as Virgin Blue, is an Australian airline based in Brisbane, Queensland. It is one of two active airlines (the other being Virgin Atlantic) to use the Virgin Group, Virgin brand, as well as the larger by fleet ...

in December 2018, replacing

Mark Vaile Mark Anthony James Vaile (born 18 April 1956) is an Australian former politician who served as the 12th deputy prime minister of Australia and the leader of the National Party of Australia from 2005 to 2007, during the final years of the Howar ...

. Houston is an Honorary Patron of the ACT Veterans Rugby Club, the Bomber Command Association in Australia, Sunnyfield Disability Services and the Australian American Association Canberra Division. He is the chair of the

Canberra Symphony Orchestra Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is the professional orchestra of the Australian Capital Territory based in Canberra, the national capital of Australia. History Officially formed on 14 March 1950 and registered as an amateur ensemble, the C ...

. Houston is a member of the senior advisory group of the Indonesia-Australia Defence Alumni Association (IKAHAN). Houston is chair of Murray-Darling Basin Authority since August 2020.

Personal life

Houston and his wife Liz, who is a teacher, have three sons. In July 2010, while CDF, Houston took medical leave to deal with prostate issues.CDF to take leave for medical treatment
Defence Media Release MSPA 319/10, 26 July 2010.

Honours and awards

Scholastic

; Chancellor, visitor, governor, rector and fellowships ;Honorary degrees

References

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Houston, Angus 1947 births Living people People from Ayrshire People educated at Strathallan School Scottish airmen Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies Scottish emigrants to Australia Australian aviators Australian recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Chiefs of the Defence Force (Australia) Commanders of the Legion of Merit Commanders of the Order of Orange-Nassau Commanders of the Legion of Honour Knights of the Order of Australia Foreign recipients of the Legion of Merit Royal Australian Air Force air marshals Recipients of the Darjah Utama Bakti Cemerlang (Tentera) Recipients of the Order of Timor-Leste Recipients of the Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) Chancellors by university in Australia Chiefs of Air Force (Australia)