About the Speaker

Midshipman Scully-O’Shea commissioned in the the Royal Australian Navy in 1994 as a Maritime Warfare Officer and is a graduate of the Australian Defence Force Academy. As a Sub-Lieutenant, he qualified as a Bridge Watchkeeper in 1999. In 2000, Lieutenant Scully-O’Shea specialised as a Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Officer. He served as the Diving Officer in HMAS Huon and then joined Australian Clearance Diving Team One. He later posted to HMA Ships Huon and Norman as the Executive Officer. In 2006, Lieutenant Commander Scully-O’Shea served on exchange with the USN Naval Mine Warfare and Anti-Submarine Warfare Command in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In 2008, he assumed command of HMAS Yarra and was later appointed in command of Mine Hunter Coastal Crew Five, embarked in HMA Ships Yarra, and then Gascoyne. Lieutenant Commander Scully-O’Shea graduated from the Australian Command and Staff Course in 2011, as the Chief of Navy Prize winner and then posted as Chief of Staff, Australian Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving Task Group. In January 2013, Commander Scully-O’Shea was appointed as Director, Counter-Improvised Explosive Devices, within HQ Joint Task Force 633 based in the Middle East. On return to Australia, he assumed the role of Capability Manager’s Representative for Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving. In 2016, Commander Scully-O’Shea was appointed as the Executive Officer in the Landing Helicopter Dock, HMAS Canberra. Captain Scully-O’Shea was promoted in December 2018 and appointed as Captain—Mine Warfare and Clearance Diving (MCD), managing Navy’s MCD capability. From November 2020 to July 2022 he served as the Chief of Staff to the Chief of Navy Australia (Vice Admiral Michael Noonan, AO, RAN).

Commodore Scully-O’Shea was then appointed as the inaugural Head Australian Defence Staff—New Delhi, in December 2022. Commodore Scully-O’Shea holds a BSc (Hons) from the University of New South Wales, a GradDip in Strategy and Defence Studies from the Australian Defence College and a GradCert in Maritime Studies from the University of Wollongong.

He is married to Casey, a serving Navy Captain, who is working remotely whilst in New Delhi. They have two daughters aged 16 and 14 who both attend the American Embassy School in Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. Commodore Scully-O’Shea is a cricket, rugby union and rugby league fan and enjoys spending time outdoors and with his family—who all love Indian food! He’s learning how to play golf and the guitar… and owns too many boats and motorcycles—but not (yet…) a Royal Enfield.