President
Col John Platt, CSC Ret'd
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John Platt was commissioned as an Officer in the Australian Army in 1973 and served overseas in the United Kingdom, Germany, United States, the Philippines and East Timor. His appointments have included:
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Honorary Aide to His Excellency the Governor of New South Wales - Sir Roden Cutler;
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Defence Liaison Officer in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet; and
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As a Commanding Officer of Army and Defence Force Units on three occasions.
For outstanding leadership, he was awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross in the 2000 Australia Day Honours List. Upon transfer to the Army Reserve, John continued to do part time work as the Chief Safety Officer for large combined and joint training activities and exercises.
John has been an industry General Manager and CEO; and has consulted to business including ING Australia and ANZ Wealth. He has been a Chairman and Director on Boards of Financial Services Companies since 2011 and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Currently he is also Chairman of Australia Remembers - Northern Beaches and North Shore, and a Director of the Manly Life Saving Club.
Vice President
Col Jacqueline Costello
Vice President
Lt Col Karl Delaney
​Colonel Jacqueline Costello was commissioned into the Australian Army in 2002 and has undertaken a diverse range of clinical, organisational, operational, command and staff appointments during her service. Colonel Costello holds a Masters Degree in Organisational Psychology and currently leads the Human Performance Optimisation team at Headquarters Forces Command. She has served as the Officer-in-Charge of the ADF Centre for Mental Health, as the Senior Psychologist in the Commander’s Advisory Group at Forces Command, and prior to her current appointment, as the Commanding Officer of the 1st Psychology Unit. Together with her family she enjoys an active, outdoors lifestyle on the Northern Beaches.
Lt Col Karl Delaney was commissioned as an Officer in the Australian Army in 1983 and served in the Royal Australian Artillery and command, staff and training appointments over a 23-year period. Karl has a Master of Science from the US Naval Postgraduate School California, and is a graduate of the School of Artillery in Manly and the Royal Military College of Science Shrivenham, UK. Karl has been the Master of Ceremonies for both our Anzac Day Service at Harbord Diggers and the Anzac Day Battle of the Beaches Rugby game at Manly Oval.
A Retired Marketing Director with a keen interest in Local Community activities including being a current representative of the Soldiers Avenue of Honour Stakeholders Group, Delegate for Harbord Diggers Sub Clubs. Honorary Secretary for the Harbord Diggers RSL sub Branch for the past 14 yrs. Has 2 children & 7 Grandchildren.
Hon Secretary
Pamela Hansen
John was born in 1948 in Broken Hill and has been married for 50 years to wife Roslyn and has 2 children and 3 Grandchildren. He has lived on the Northern Beaches since 1977 and in Freshwater since 2002, retired in 2005 after a 40 yr business career initially 12 yrs as a chartered accountant Tax Specialist and 28 years as a Merchant Banker
Treasurer
John Oliver