Major General David McLachlan AO AO (Mil) (Ret'd)

Honours and awards

Officer of the Order of Australia in 2020 in the General Division for distinguished service to veterans and their families through roles with social welfare and commemoration organisations.

Officer of the Order of Australia in 1993 in the Military Division for distinguished service to the Army as General Officer Commanding Logistic Command.

About

Major General David McLachlan AO AO (Mil) (Ret'd) has set an example of distinguished service and outstanding leadership since being called up for national service in 1956. Throughout his career, David served in a range of international operations including in Malaysia, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and Germany. He rose to the rank of Major General and was appointed General Officer Commanding Logistic Command.

After retiring from the Army in 1994, David was the found Chairman of ISONET Limited, which later became the Industry Capability Network Limited. In 2002, he was elected state president of the Returned Services League Victoria branch. In this capacity, he was a passionate and hard-working advocate for Victoria’s veterans for 14 years. He continues to be involved with the RSL nationally and often travels to its sub-branches as a speaker.

In 2017, the Victorian Government appointed David as Veterans Employment Advocate as part of its comprehensive Public Sector Veteran Employment Strategy. Under David’s guidance, the program has proved to be a resounding success with over 1159 veterans being employed in the public sector. This puts the Victorian Government on track to achieve its goal of 1500 veterans employed by June 2025.