The Governor and Ms Annus with outgoing Commanding Officer of the HMAS Stirling, Captain Ainsley Morthorpe CSM ADC RAN, Mrs Lee Morthorpe, incoming Commanding Officer, Captain Gary Lawton RAN and Mrs Imelda Lawton
The Governor and Ms Annus with outgoing Commanding Officer of the HMAS Stirling, Captain Ainsley Morthorpe CSM ADC RAN, Mrs Lee Morthorpe, incoming Commanding Officer, Captain Gary Lawton RAN and Mrs Imelda Lawton

Lunch with outgoing/incoming Commanding Officer of the HMAS Stirling

The Governor hosted a lunch with outgoing Commanding Officer of the HMAS Stirling, Captain Ainsley Morthorpe CSM ADC RAN and welcomed incoming Commanding Officer, Captain Gary Lawton RAN.

Captain Ainsley Morthorpe, CSM, ADC, RAN joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1986, in the inaugural class of the Australian Defence Force Academy and graduating in December 1988. He became an Officer of the Watch before specialising as a Mine Warfare Officer, with a succession of postings in Landing Craft, Mine Hunters, a Replenishment Ship, Destroyer Escorts, Frigates and Destroyers.

In 2019 Captain Morthorpe assumed Command of the Navy base in Perth HMAS Stirling.

Commander Gary Lawton RAN joined the Royal Australian Navy in February 1997.

Lawton served in HMAS Collins as Sonar Officer and Operations Officer between 1997 and 2000. Upon completion of the Submarine Executive Officers Course in December 2000, he was the commissioning Executive Officer of HMAS Dechaineux until December 2001. During this period HMAS Dechaineux undertook a major South East Asian operational deployment and Lawton was selected to undertake the Royal Netherlands Navy Submarine Command Course in 2002. On successfully completing ‘Perisher’, he then completed the United States Navy Prospective Commanding Officers Course in September 2002.

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