Our Patron

Brig. Doug Formby (ret)

Doug Formby was commissioned into the Australian Army in 1958 as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Australian Armoured Corps. The next 32 years saw him in command and training appointments, from his first troop of three tanks and 12 crewmen to command of the Army's resources in Queensland, in the rank of Brigadier, with his headquarters at Victoria Barracks, Brisbane.

In the early 1960's he saw active service in Sarawak (Bomeo) with a British Cavalry Regiment during the confrontation with Indonesia. He again saw active service in South Vietnam in 1969/70 with Australian Armoured Units.

In 1973/74, Doug travelled to the UK to attend the British Army's Staff College and the Royal Military College of Science. He has instructed at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, The Australian Army Staff College at Queenscliffe, Victoria and, commanded the Army's premier training establishment, The Land Warfare Centre at Canungra, Queensland. He has served with the Armies of the USA, Britain, NZ and Malaysia. Doug also developed and supervised training for elements of the Indonesian Army.

Upon leaving the Army, Doug was invited by the Queensland Government to help restructure the Queensland prison system. Initially he chose to manage the Boggo Road Jail for three months before assuming responsibility for all of the State's Prisons. He was then approached by the accounting firm, Coopers & Lybrand, to work in their Human Resources Department to assist in the identification and placement of business executives. It was during this time that he also served for a period of time on the Council of the Queensland Scouts.

Doug was then invited to restructure the Queensland RSPCA as State General Manager. This was followed by a new venture when he owned and operated his own small business to round out his work experience.

Doug has been active for many years within the RSL. He was President of the Kenmore­Moggill Sub Branch for three years, a Director on the board of RSL Care ( a company that constructs and operates aged care facilities) and was elected to the position of State President of the RSL in Queensland in June 2006. He is a director on the national executive of RSL Australia.

Doug also completed two years as President and Chairman of the Board of Brisbane Legacy.

Doug has been married to his wife, Beverley, for 47 years and they have two children and four grand children.