However, the Navy veteran has been enticed out of retirement to go back to school as the head of the Australian Maritime College.

Despite having to 'learn a new vernacular' in education Mr van Balen is looking forward to heading up the AMC has it moves into its new future as a defence precinct.

He and his wife moved to Tasmania from Port Macquarie and he's been in the role since May 13.

CJ: Can you tell me about your background?

A: I spent the majority of my life in the Navy and held various titles and ranks over the years. I did the usual Navy training after I joined the Navy in 1978. I retired in 2016 and have held titles such as the Commander of the HMAS Sydney and was eventually the deputy head of Navy. I have held several positions including principal warfare officer, Commanding Officer of HMAS Sydney, chief of defence force liaison officer to United States Central Command, deputy chief of Navy and head Navy personnel, training and resources. I was also the Commanding Officer for the HMAS Watson, which is a training authority.

CJ: What drew you to this role at the AMC?

A: I had retired to Port Macquarie in 2016 and was aware of the [federal] government's naval shipbuilding plan. The AMC, with its research capability, is ideally placed to help develop the knowledge that will be required of the navy in the future. Once this role came up, I was approached by a few people and was enticed out of retirement to apply for it.

CJ: Do you have any education background prior to this role?

A: No. I spent the majority of my career in the Navy. I am not an AMC graduate. However, during my time in the Navy, I held the position of Commanding Officer of the HMAS Watson, which is basically like the AMC of the Navy and I headed up that organisation. The Navy has always had a relationship with the AMC so I was exposed to it through that relationship. I've had to learn a whole new vernacular related to education but I'm learning quickly on the job. It's about understanding the environment you're in and applying what I know to this new environment.

CJ: Had you been to the AMC prior to taking up this position?

A: No. I visited the campus the day before my interview for the role but I hadn't been here before. I was very impressed with the facilities the college has here. Since taking up the position I have been busy learning what AMC does in more detail and planning for future projects. I have had to learn a whole new vernacular for education.

CJ: What do you hope you can bring to the AMC?

A: I hope I will be able to bring the same leadership I have shown during my time in the Navy. I hope to be able to lead people in the right direction to achieve AMC's future goals. Those goals include: providing a learning environment that students are engaged in and they are positioned to be highly competitive for any jobs in their chosen field; we hope to maximise our research output in the growth of knowledge for the maritime sectors and; ensure our people operate in an environment that promotes such research and the development of learning.

CJ: What capability do you think the AMC has?

A: It is just one component of a larger academic network the country has but it plays a very important role. It has some real niche areas, such as in hydrodynamics and has some cutting-edge facilities, like the cavitation tunnels. That is and will be key to a lot of the work done on the new ships and submarines. We want to bring the industry together to work on solutions to those problems facing the sector now and in the future.

CJ: What role will the new proposed defence precinct play in this capability?

A: We want to set up a facility where we can have defence and industry come together to work with our students to develop the knowledge we need in the maritime space. It will ensure the design and construction of ships and submarines (as part of the naval shipbuilding plan) meets demand. It will also develop the knowledge and research we have for the future of the sector. There is one way to look at it, and that's the bricks and mortar building, but another way is to look at it as an expanding of the systems to support the flow of this knowledge; some of which can be highly classified (in relation to defence work). There is a lot more governance and technology arrangements that slo have to come into play.

CJ: Have you been to Tasmania before prior to this post?

A: My wife and I have now moved to Launceston but we lived in Canberra and Port Macquarie prior to this. We have been to Hobart once before when I was Commander of the HMAS Sydney. We were returning to home port in Sydney after the Gulf War and we asked the crew where they would want to visit before going home. The resounding answer was Tasmania - to Hobart. We arrived there and they had a state reception for us. Other than that I've been to Tasmania two or three other times because of Navy visits - I've been to Devonport and Port Arthur. We love Launceston, it's beautiful here. Port Macquarie only has 20,000 people so, Launceston is a bit bigger than that.