| Honorific prefix | Commodore |
|---|---|
| Office | Administrator of Northern Territory |
| Term start | 1 January 1981 |
| Term end | 1 July 1989 |
| Predecessor | John England |
| Successor | James Muirhead |
| Birth date | 29 July 1933 |
| Birth place | Shanghai, China |
| Death date | 26 February 1997 (aged 63) |
| Death place | Darwin, Australia |
| Spouse | Joan Johnston |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Branch | Royal Australian Navy |
| Service years | 1947–1980 |
| Rank | Commodore |
| Commands | HMAS Perth (1976–77) HMAS Vendetta (1969–70) |
| Battles | Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Vietnam War |
| Mawards | Officer of the Order of Australia Member of the Order of Australia (Mil Div) Officer of the Order of the British Empire Commander, Order of Saint John |
Commodore Eric Eugene Johnston (29 July 1933 – 26 February 1997) was a Royal Australian Navy officer and the Administrator of the Northern Territory from 1 January 1981 to 1 July 1989.
Career
During his naval career he commanded HMAS Vendetta in the Vietnam War.[1] Later he commanded HMAS Perth from 1976 to 1978.[2]
After Cyclone Tracy in 1974, as Naval Officer Commanding Northern Australia, he was involved in the administration of emergency naval assistance.[3][4]
Recognition and honours
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1970,[5] a Member of the Order of Australia in 1975, a Commander in the Order of Saint John in 1981[6] and advanced to an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1987.[7]
The Eric Johnston Lectures of the Northern Territory Library were named in his honour. He gave the first lecture in 1986.[8]
References
- ^ HMAS Vendetta
- ^ Captains of HMAS Perth
- ^ "History of Driver High School". Archived from the original on 2007-09-01.
- ^ "Cyclone Tracy and the Navy". Archived from the original on 2006-10-13.
- ^ No. 45188. 8 September 1970. p. 9893.
- ^ No. 48605. 11 May 1981. p. 6579.
- ^ "Eric Eugene Johnston (1933–1997)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ^ "Eric Johnston Lecture". Northern Territory Library. Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.