Sir Peter Cosgrove’s not-so-ordinary memoir

The term “living national treasure” has been devalued by overuse. But if there is one Australian to whom it can be applied, that is Sir Peter Cosgrove, who launched his memoir, You Shouldn’t Have Joined … , in Sydney on Tuesday. Sir Peter has lived a rich life. He rose to be the Chief of the Australian Defence Force and, ultimately, governor-general. The thread running through Sir Peter’s life has been unselfish service to the nation. He served as a young infantry officer in the Vietnam War, being awarded the Military Cross for bravery in combat. He also served the nation alongside our US ally in Iraq and Afghanistan. No one is better qualified to make judgments about the intricate moral calculus facing soldiers fighting implacable foes far from home.

He alluded to this in remarks about the extreme demands placed on our Special Forces in Afghanistan. Sir Peter did not condone war crimes but put in context the pressures entailed in multiple deployments, and warned against throwing the baby out with the bathwater by diluting the warrior ethos of elite troops. Our Special Forces, as he said, needed to “co-operate right up to the edge of ferocity, confidence, courage, diligence, all that sort of thing. But never to step over the line”.

Sir Peter rose to national prominence as commander of INTERFET, which restored order to East Timor after pro-Indonesian militia embarked upon a bloody rampage against pro-independence forces. At the time, he was nearing retirement after a successful but almost anonymous army career. But in 1999, the East Timor crisis transformed then Major General Cosgrove’s place in the esteem of Australians. His presence reassured a nation that had been at peace for many years and found itself in conflict with our largest neighbour. The hour and the man came together, with Australians seeing their best selves reflected in a soldier who was without affectation or artifice, brave and calm in a crisis, and leading a mission to help the underdog. Few in public life could match his raw, engaging authenticity.

For a man whose professional life was steeped in the application of violence, Major General Cosgrove, paradoxically, always seemed to rise above the fray. After his exemplary leadership in Timor, his rise continued as a much admired, unifying figure as Chief of the Army, Chief of Defence and governor-general. To every role, he brought the same distinct qualities of leadership, authenticity and manifest decency. As Australian of the Year and as governor-general he met huge numbers of citizens, who invariably recalled encounters with him as memories to cherish. His demeanour was the same whether at Buckingham Palace or a regional show. As Paul Kelly said in launching the memoir, it is that of a man who says he’s always been a “very ordinary bloke … who’s led an extraordinary life”. In this he was ably supported by his wife, Lady Lynne Cosgrove. They are an example for all who aspire to leadership.