Submarines 

Association

Australia

Vale 

In Memory of

COMMODORE MICHAEL THOMAS DUNNE AM RAN (RTD) 

May He Rest In Peace

 It is with great sadness that the SAA advises of the passing of Commodore Michael (Mickey) Dunne. Commodore Dunne was born in Wollongong NSW in July 1944 and he joined the Royal Australian Naval College as a 18 year old Cadet Midshipman in January 1963. In 1965, Sub Lieutenant Dunne proceeded to the United Kingdom to complete his warfare officer’s courses at the British Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.

 This was followed by a period of sea time during which he was awarded his Bridge Watchkeeping and Ocean Navigation Certificates and in August 1968, his Submarine Qualification. He had the distinction of completing his training with six months “time gained”. After service in Royal Navy submarines, Dunne was a commissioning crew member of HMAS Onslow and later the XO of HMAS Ovens. He successfully completed his Commanding Officer’s Qualifying Course (Perisher), followed by command of the submarines HMS Finwhale and HMAS Otama.

 After promotion to Captain, he commanded HMAS Watson, the destroyer maintenance ship HMAS Stalwart, and then HMAS Cerberus, before being promoted to Commodore in 1991. He was especially proud of commanding Watson, the home of Naval Warfare as he was the only submariner to do so. In 1994 he was made a member of The Order of Australia (AM) “In recognition of his service to the RAN, particularly as Director General Force Development (Sea)”. Commodore Dunne will be remembered as a highly skilled and competent submariner, well respected by all, he was a stalwart of Navy Rugby and was always looking for an opportunity to have his command play a game during a port visit. Commodore Michael Dunne AM RAN (Rtd) passed away on the 5 th of May 2024. The SAA expresses its condolences to the Dunne family.       

Commodore Michael Dunne AM RAN (Rtd) passed away in Brisbane on the 5th of May 2024, he is survived by wife Barbara and children Michael, Matthew, Victoria, Rebecca and Sean. 

His funeral will be held on Thursday 6 June at 11:00am at St Peter Chanel Catholic Church, 41 Chaprowe Rd, The Gap Queensland.

To the Family and Friends of Michael, 

Please find below the link to the Memorial Gallery of Michael Dunne, where family and friends can view the live stream of the service at 11:00 am on Thursday, 6 June 2024. Link: https://www.tastefultransitions.com.au/michael-dunne/ 

How do I view the live stream? The video will appear under the title 'Live Stream of Service for Michael Dunne’. Once the service goes live, the video will start playing automatically with the sound muted. Please unmute the sound on the bottom right hand side of the video player. Can I view the live stream after it’s finished? The live stream is available to be viewed after the service has finished. How long is the final video available? Within 14 days of the service, the live stream video will be replaced with an edited copy of the service, which includes additional camera footage from the service and other media. 

Michael’s Memorial Gallery and video will be available for 6 months. Warm Regards, Barbara Dunne & Family Michael Dunne