Rodney Taylor
| Rodney Graham Taylor | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Rocket Rod" |
| Born | 11 June 1940 Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Died | 1 September 2002 (aged 62) Wamboin, New South Wales |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Royal Australian Navy |
| Years of service | 1954–1997 |
| Rank | Vice Admiral |
| Commands held |
Chief of Navy (1994–97) Deputy Chief of Naval Staff (1991–94) HMAS Torrens Third Australian Destroyer Squadron HMAS Vampire (1979–80) |
| Battles/wars |
Vietnam War Gulf War |
| Awards |
Officer of the Order of Australia Mentioned in Despatches Pingat Jasa Gemilang (Tentera) (Singapore) |
Vice Admiral Rodney Graham Taylor AO (11 June 1940 – 1 September 2002) was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Navy, serving as Chief of Navy from 1994 to 1997. Born in Queensland, Taylor entered the Royal Australian Naval College at the age of thirteen. Graduating as dux of his year in 1957, he later specialised in navigation and served during the Vietnam War. Commanding HMAS Vampire as well as HMAS Torrens, Taylor planned and coordinated the deployment of Australian ships during the Gulf War. Retiring from the navy in 1997, Taylor died from lung cancer in 2002 at the age of 62.
Taylor was born in the Queensland town of Toowoomba on 11 June 1940, the second son of Len and Vera Taylor. In 1954, Taylor joined the Royal Australian Naval College at the land base HMAS Cerberus; he was one of the last officers to enlist in the Royal Australian Navy as a thirteen-year-old. During his time at the college, Taylor excelled academically as well as in cricket and rugby.
In December 1957, Taylor graduated from the Royal Australian Naval College and was awarded the Queen’s Medal as dux of his year as well as the Grand Aggregate Prize, and was commissioned as a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy. Completing a period of training at sea aboard HMAS Swan, Taylor was posted to England for further instruction at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, from which he graduated in 1959.
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