Labor Appoints Australia’s First Female Permanent Defence Secretary

Meghan Quinn, the current secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources, will be recommended to the governor-general for the role.

Department of Industry Secretary Meghan Quinn during Senate estimate hearings at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 10, 2025. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

The Labor government is set to appoint the first woman in Australian history to permanently serve as secretary of the Department of Defence.

The nomination comes after Greg Moriarty stepped down from the role on April 19 to take up the position of Australia’s Ambassador to the United States.

On April 28, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that he would recommend Meghan Quinn to the governor-general for appointment as Defence Secretary.

Currently, she serves as Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.

Quinn was the senior official responsible for developing the “Australia in the Asian Century White Paper” while serving in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Quinn held several deputy secretary roles within the Treasury portfolio, where she worked for more than three decades. Earlier in her career, she also worked at BHP and the Bank of England.

In 2009, Quinn received the Public Service Medal for distinguished public service in developing climate change policy.

A ‘Historic’ Appointment: Albanese

Albanese touted Quinn’s appointment as “historic,” while acknowledging the contributions of both outgoing and acting officials.

“This is a historic appointment with Ms. Quinn becoming the first woman to substantively hold the position of Secretary of the Department of Defence,” he said.

“I would like to thank Mr. Greg Moriarty AO for his service as Secretary of the Department of Defence, and I look forward to working with him in his new role as Australian Ambassador to the United States of America. I would also like to thank Ms. Cath Patterson for acting as Secretary.”

Patterson, who joined the department as associate secretary in December 2025, has been serving as acting defence secretary since Moriarty’s departure.

Defence Minister Richard Marles also welcomed Quinn’s nomination as the next defence secretary.

“Ms. Quinn has had a distinguished career, including her current role as the Secretary of the Department of Industry, Science and Resources. She will take on the role Defence Secretary next month and in doing so will be the first woman to substantively hold the position.” he said on social media.

Quinn’s five-year term will begin on May 18, during which she will oversee the national defence strategy, recently bolstered by a $53 billion (US$38 billion) government funding increase.

Her appointment comes at a time of heightened global instability, including the ongoing Iran conflict, the Russia-Ukraine war, and growing concerns over China’s expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific.

Quinn is not the only woman to take on a landmark leadership role in Australia’s defence establishment. In April, a broader leadership overhaul also saw Lieutenant General Susan Coyle appointed as the nation’s first female chief of army.