John Christopher Jeremy AM
4 July 1942 – 18 April 2025

Dear Members,

It is my sad duty to advise Navy League of Australia (NLA) Members that John Jeremy a long-standing member of the NLA, Vice President of the NLA NSW Division, Life Member, and past Federal Vice President crossed the immortal bar on Good Friday, 18 April after a short battle with cancer.

Much loved son of Joan (d) and Richmond Jeremy (d), brother of David (d) and Richmond (d). Adored uncle of Annie, Robert, Mathew and Richmond and their families.

A dear friend to so many in the Royal Australian Navy, the NLA, and the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club. John was a Naval architect par excellence, a shipbuilder, sailor, historian, author, editor, photographer and mentor. A man of many lives, who lived life to the full. He brightened our lives with his quiet humour and enquiring mind. He will be remembered with much love.

John shared many careers and lives based upon his profession as a naval architect. He will be remembered for his time at Cockatoo Island, beginning in 1960 as an apprentice ship draughtsman and then qualifying as a naval architect at the University of New South Wales. He held several positions in the planning and technical area before being appointed Technical Director of the company in 1976. In 1978 he took responsibility for all production activities and was appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Cockatoo Dockyard, from 1981 until it closed in 1991. He was instrumental in creating the current Cockatoo Island precent – and argued long for operationally preserving the dock as a strategic asset. An argument that rings even truer today.

John made an enormous contribution to many organisations, including the Navy League of Australia, to the RAN INDOPAC and the concurrent International Maritime Exposition series (the next INDOPAC/IME is in November 2025), the Naval Historical Society of Australia, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (of which he was also editor of the Australian Naval Architect), the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust, Naval Officers Association, Australia Day Regatta Committee, and the Sydney Amateur Sailing Club.

His relationship and competition with Mr Robert Otto Albert AO, the previous President of the NSW Division of the NLA who pre-deceased John in January 2024, was profound. Together they would race against each other as members of Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron (RSYS), and conspire new designs and systems for sailing, naval ships, and the Navy in the club house afterwards. John was instrumental in supporting Robert through some challenging times and taking forward the NLA and THE NAVY (the journal of the Navy League of Australia), following Robert’s death. His advice and consistent support for his beloved Royal Australian Navy, and the NLA will be sorely missed. An expert across the board – his speeches and papers identified both strengths and weaknesses, a core view being that we should build plentiful grey ships (including tankers), in steel, in Australia. In order to survive in our hostile waters and defend our Girt adequately and effectively. If not built here, then fitted out appropriately – using Australian steel. Not the sub-standard steel found all too often in many RAN warships today.

A service to commemorate John’s life will be held at 1415 Monday 5 May 2025 in the North Chapel of Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens and Crematorium, 199 Delhi Rd, North Ryde NSW 2113. This will be followed by a wake at the Skyline Function Centre in the grounds of the Northern Suburbs Memorial Gardens. Please see Guardian Funerals Northern Suburbs website for live streaming details.

We will remember.

Mark Schweikert
President
The Navy League of Australia