Commander Rose Apikotoa has become the first Australian of Tongan heritage promoted to the rank of captain in the Australian Navy at a ceremony in Canberra on 29 January, 2026.

Currently Commanding Officer of HMAS Moreton, Captain Apikotoa will soon take up a new Canberra-based role as Chief of Staff to the Head of Military Personnel in Defence People Group.

Deputy Chief of Navy Rear Admiral Matthew Buckley presented her new rank slide, highlighting a career marked by leadership and service.

“Rose is not only one of our great leaders, she is one of our great female leaders and undoubtedly one of the real leaders for quite a significant number of people in our Navy from all parts of the Pacific family," Rear Admiral Buckley said.

“Her professional and personal contributions, both in and outside of Navy, support and vindicate Rose’s remarkable career success.”

Family, colleagues and Tonga’s Acting High Commissioner to Australia, Curtis Tu'ihalangingie, attended the ceremony.

“I am humbled by the support being provided to my promotion by the presence of the Acting High Commissioner of Tonga. Whilst I was born and bred in Australia, my ancestral home of Tonga will always have a special place in my heart,” Captain Apikotoa said.

Her naval career spans maritime warfare roles aboard HMA Ships Yarra, Gascoyne, Sydney, Newcastle and Parramatta, alongside senior shore postings including Deputy Fleet Operations officer, aide-de-camp to the Chief of Defence Force, Deputy Director Navy Intelligence Capability, and Commanding Officer of HMAS Moreton.

The ceremony featured prayers and blessings from Tongan-born Navy Chaplain Simote Finau, as well as traditional dances performed by a local Tongan group.

The daughter of Tongan migrants to Australia, Captain Apikotoa paid tribute to her family’s influence on her leadership and values.

“Growing up in a Tongan household gave me the morals and collective culture that have contributed to my own leadership style and the values that I live by,” she said.

“My parents worked hard and made great sacrifices for myself and my siblings.”

Beyond her operational roles, Captain Apikotoa is a committed mentor, supporting ADF women’s rugby union players on and off the field. The Royal Australian Navy Rugby Union women’s most valuable player trophy bears her name.

She also champions Pacific Islander youth development through programs at Western Sydney University and Griffith University and regularly speaks to high school students about careers in Defence.

“It’s time to mentor ADF members of Pacific Islander heritage,” she said.

“Their connections in the Pacific will be important as we are called on to do more in the region, with the ever-present threat of natural disasters and growing geostrategic uncertainty.”