Commander Felicity Petrie

Felicity Petrie is the Australian War Memorial Navy Fellow, attached to the Memorial’s Military History section.

Felicity Petrie joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1999 through the Australian Defence Force Academy, graduating in 2003 as a Weapons Electrical Engineer Officer. Commander Petrie has served in HMA Ships Anzac, Toowoomba and Arunta, deploying to South East Asia, the Middle East Area of Operations, and the domestic Australian Maritime environment, participating in Operations Relex and Slipper, and multiple international exercises. She transferred to the Navy Reserves in early 2023.

Commander Felicity Petrie holds a bachelors degree in Engineering from UNSW ADFA, a Masters of Engineering from  RMIT University, and a Masters of Defence and Security Studies from ANU. A Chartered Fellow of Engineers Australia, and Chartered Marine Engineer with the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEst), she has extensive experience in the sustainment and delivery of maritime capability.

Commander Petrie graduated from the Australian Command and Staff Course (Joint) in 2019, and has worked within the innovation and emerging technology fields, developing policy on their use in a naval context. In 2020, Commander Petrie was the publication developer for the updated Australian Defence Force Leadership doctrine, and is currently contributing to the development of Australian Maritime Power doctrine with the Sea Power Centre - Australia.  

Commander Petrie is a certified yoga teacher and trainee yoga therapist, and volunteers offering yoga classes to veterans and other front-line service personnel.