Commanding Officer - OTAGO P148
Lieutenant Commander Simon Rooke
Lieutenant Commander Simon Rooke joined the Royal New Zealand Navy as a Midshipman in January 1991, undertaking his initial and specialist training ashore at HMNZS TAMAKI, before undertaking training at sea on the former HMNZS CANTERBURY and the oceanographic research vessel HMNZS TUI. In January 1993 he was promoted to Ensign and posted to HMNZS WELLINGTON (Frigate). He was promoted to Sub Lieutenant in January 1994, and awarded his full Bridge Watchkeeping qualification in September of that year.
In early 1995 Simon was posted to the survey vessel HMNZS MONOWAI as a Bridge Watchkeeper before undertaking a short shore based posting to Naval Staff in Wellington. Simon returned to Auckland in February 1996 where once again joined HMNZS CANTERBURY, which was undertaking preparations to deploy to the Arabian Gulf later that year. Simon was promoted to Lieutenant during the early stages of that deployment in July 1996. During the ships deployment to the Arabian Gulf, in addition to his normal duties, he performed the role of the ships Boarding Officer, leading his team in the conduct of UN sanction enforcement. Lieutenant Commander Rooke appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 1997 New Year's Honours List in recognition of his leadership and performance as the Boarding Officer on CANTERBURY in the Arabian Gulf.
Simon remained serving on CANTERBURY until late 1997 when he undertook the Frigate Navigating Officers course before posting to HMNZS ENDEAVOUR as the Navigating Officer in November 1997 and immediately deployed to Bougainville for peacekeeping. He remained on ENDEAVOUR until early 2000, during which time he was involved Defence Diplomacy deployments to North and South East Asia, Australia and the Pacific region, as well as an Operational Deployment to East Timor in 1999.
In March 2000, following a three week period as Officer In Command of the Inshore Patrol Craft HMNZS HINAU undertaking support duties during the Americas Cup Regatta, Simon assumed Command of HMNZS KAHU , an Inshore Patrol Craft primarily associated with the RNZN’s navigation training and inshore diving training and operations. Simon commanded KAHU until he was posted back to the former CANTERBURY in April 2001 as the Navigating Officer and also to undertake preparations for warfare officer training.
Simon commenced Warfare Officer training at HMAS WATSON in Sydney in January 2002 and graduated as an Principal Warfare Officer specialising in Above Water Warfare - PWO(A) in December. He was awarded the St Barbara Association prize as Dux of the Air Warfare Course. On completion of PWO Course Simon undertook an exchange with the Royal Australian Navy serving as Operations and Gunnery Officer on the ANZAC Class Frigate HMAS ARUNTA from January 2003 until August 2005. This period saw him undertake various activities including an operational evaluation, deployments in support of Defence Diplomacy to Japan and Russia and South East Asia, as well as conducting multiple patrols for Operation Relex, the prevention of illegal immigration into Australia.
In 2004 ARUNTA was awarded the Otranto Shield as the Royal Australian Navy’s best performing ship in Anti Air Warfare, an achievement that Simon, as the head of ARUNTA’s air warfare organisation, is particularly proud of.
In Oct 2005 Simon returned to NZ as Staff Officer Maritime Plans before being appointed as Staff Officer Maritime Operations from January 2006 to March 2008, based at Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand in Trentham. He was awarded a Chief of Navy Commendation for his performance during this period.
In April 2008 Simon attended the Gallipoli commemorations at on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey as the commander of the NZ Defence Force contingent. In May 2008 he commenced the NZ Defence Force College Command and Staff Course, graduating in December 2008.
Lieutenant Commander Rooke and his wife Corenna live in Wellington with their two primary school aged daughters. As a father to two young girls, Simon’s interests include supporting his daughters’ ballet, dance and school activities, as well as a passion for salt water fishing, and playing rugby.