OCS Portsea
Encyclopedia
The Officer Cadet School, Portsea (sometimes referred to as OCS Portsea) was an officer training establishment of the Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...

. Established at Portsea in Victoria, Australia, in 1951 to provide training to officer cadets prior to commissioning, for many years OCS provided the Australian Regular Army with the bulk of its junior officers. However, following a review of military training establishments in Australia in the mid-1980s, the school was eventually closed in 1985.

The motto of OCS Portsea was Loyalty and Service, which was chosen by Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...

 (later Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...

 Sir
Sir
Sir is an honorific used as a title , or as a courtesy title to address a man without using his given or family name in many English speaking cultures...

) James Harrison
James Harrison (Australian governor)
Major General Sir James William Harrison KCMG CB CBE was an Australian military officer and the first Australian-born Governor of South Australia....

 during his time serving as OCS's first Commandant (1952–54).

Location

OCS Portsea was located at Point Nepean near the mouth of Port Phillip Bay in Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

, Australia. The land occupied by OCS was originally used as a quarantine station for many years, where newly arrived immigrants were housed before they could be screened for infectious diseases. When the quarantine station closed, the OCS took up the remainder of the land, although upon closure the land was re-allocated to the Army School of Health.

Since 2002, however, when the Army School of Health vacated the land, there has been much debate surrounding the future of the site. Many of the old buildings were retained and some still stand today, having been protected under law. One of the buildings, which was used as a hospital, remains as a museum. OCS Cadets conducted lessons in a building previously used as a mortuary during the operation of the quarantine station. The Regimental Sergeant Major's hut is believed to be one of the oldest buildings in Victoria.

In June 2009 the land was transferred to the Victorian government and has been incorporated into the Point Nepean National Park. In December 2009 the site was opened to the community as a public park.

History

The Officer Cadet School, Portsea began training officers for the Australian Army in January 1952. During its 33 years of operation some 3,166 cadets graduated; from the School until it closed in 1985. In its heyday, Portsea was responsible for turning out the bulk of officers for the Regular Army, providing, up to 40% of new officers as opposed to RMC, which provided only 27% in the same time.

The school was set up amidst the backdrop of the post-war period, when commitments to Korea and Japan and to the national service scheme required an increase in the number of junior officers in the Army. The four year course at the Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...

 was not flexible enough to enable this increase in junior officers, so the decision was made to establish the Officer Cadet School at Portsea. Unlike Duntroon OCS did not provide a degree course and trained would be junior officers over a six month course.

The course later ran for 44 weeks. Entry criteria differed to Duntroon, with broader age ranges and lower educational requirements; consequently a high proportion of Portsea's officer cadets were serving soldiers deemed suitable for commissioning. A significant number of OCS cadets were direct entry civilians. Additionally, OCS trained servicemen from other nations including The Philippines, South Vietnam, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Kenyan, Uganda, Fiji and New Zealand and those graduated were commissioned into their respective services. A number of graduates were also RAAF personnel.

Following the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...

, when the national service scheme ended and OTU Scheyville closed (1973), OCS Portsea trained up to 50% of the new officers commissioned into the Regular Army, compared with Duntroon's 39%. The other 11% was provided by OTU Scheyville and the Women's Officer Training Wing at George's Heights, Sydney.

In the mid 1980s, a review of military training establishments in Australia occurred. As a result, a decision created a tri-service military academy offering tertiary education to officer trainees of all three services (Army, Air Force and Navy). This academy became known as the Australian Defence Force Academy
Australian Defence Force Academy
The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...

 (ADFA). Due to the formation of ADFA, the Royal Military College, Duntroon stopped providing degrees to its graduates and reduced its course from four years to eighteen months. This essentially meant that RMC-D and OCS were providing the same training and, perhaps somewhat controversially given that OCS Portsea was currently providing the bulk of new officers to the Army at the time, the decision was made to close down Portsea.

The final OCS graduating class was the class of December 1985, which included female cadets for the first time, following the closure of the Women's Officer Training Wing in December 1984. The Royal Military College, Duntroon then became the sole training establishment for General Service Officers in the Australian Regular Army.

Badcoe, VC

Major Peter Badcoe, a graduate of Portsea, was awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....

 for gallantry whilst serving as a member of the Australian Army Training Team - Vietnam (AATTV) in 1967. He was one of four members of the AATV to receive the award during the Vietnam War. The award was made posthumously and (as of 2009) the medal will be put on display at the Australian War Memorial
Australian War Memorial
The Australian War Memorial is Australia's national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organisations who have died or participated in the wars of the Commonwealth of Australia...

.

The main hall at Portsea was named in his honour, as is a lecture theatre at the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

The Colours

OCS Portsea's colours were approved on 6 September 1960. The main colour was garter blue, with the OCS badge superimposed with a saffron lion, a cherry garter and scroll and buttercup edges.

With the closure of OCS Portsea in December 1985, the school's Colours were laid up. On 23 March 1986, the Colours were paraded for the last time and were then laid up in the Anzac Memorial Chapel of St Paul at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory.

The Portsea Memorial Wall

A memorial to all OCS Portsea graduates who lost their lives on active service is currently maintained in the grounds of the Royal Military College at Duntroon, where it is maintained by the cadets. Originally this memorial was located outside the Commandant's house, however, in 2004 it was moved to its present location in Stakey Park, opposite the Military Instruction Block, where the cadets have most of their lessons during their time in barracks. As a mark of respect, all service personnel are required to salute the memorial tablet as they pass by.

Notable graduates of OCS Portsea

The training institution of Portsea had a number of graduates that were both notable soldiers and colourful or successful in civilian life.

As outstanding soldiers
  • The most famous graduate and soldier was Major Peter Badcoe (Victoria Cross).
  • Jerry Mateparae
    Jerry Mateparae
    Lieutenant General Sir Jeremiah "Jerry" Mateparae, GNZM, QSO is New Zealand's 20th Governor-General. He was Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force between 2006 and 2011, the first Māori person to hold the office, and the Director of the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau from 7...

    , or by his full title from 30 August 2011, His Excellency The Right Honourable Lieutenant General Sir Jeremiah Mateparae GNZM QSO. Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae is the Governor-General designate for New Zealand, and formerly Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force
    New Zealand Defence Force
    The New Zealand Defence Force consists of three services: the Royal New Zealand Navy; the New Zealand Army; and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the NZDF is His Excellency Rt. Hon...

    , Chief of the New Zealand Army
    New Zealand Army
    The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...

    , after retiring from military service, served as Director of the New Zealand Government Communications Security Bureau
    Government Communications Security Bureau
    The Government Communications Security Bureau is an intelligence agency of the New Zealand government.The mission statement is given as:To contribute to the national security of New Zealand through:...

     prior to his nomination for Governor-General.

Notables after military service
  • Les Hiddins
    Les Hiddins
    Major Leslie James Hiddins AM , aka "The Bush Tucker Man" is a retired Australian Army soldier and war veteran, who is best known for his love and knowledge of the Australian bush...

     of the Television show, The Bush Tucker Man

See also

  • Royal Military College, Duntroon
    Royal Military College, Duntroon
    The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...

  • Australian Defence Force Academy
    Australian Defence Force Academy
    The Australian Defence Force Academy is a tri-service military Academy that provides military and tertiary academic education for junior officers of the Australian Defence Force in the Royal Australian Navy , Australian Army and Royal Australian Air Force .Tertiary education is provided by the...

  • Officer Training Unit, Scheyville

External links

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