Rear Admiral James Vincent Purcell Goldrick, AO, CSC (1958 – 17 March 2023) was a naval historian, analyst of contemporary naval and maritime affairs, and a senior officer of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
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Goldrick died on March 17, 2023, in Canberra, after being treated for lymphoma and leukemia.
Caroline and Peter Goldrick gave birth to James. Caroline studied history at Sydney University, while Peter was a navy officer who served as a midshipman during WWII and as a Sea Fury pilot during the Korean War.
James and his sisters Frances and Philippa grew up in a lively and intellectually engaging environment.
The frequent moves required by military life were accompanied with a layer of naval discipline. James attended a variety of largely Jesuit schools that fit his brilliant mind.
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As a fifteen-year-old Cadet midshipman, James Goldrick joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1974.
James graduated from the Royal Australian Naval Academy and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Letters from the University of New England.
In university college, James Goldrick’s interests were not limited to academics, and he met his future wife, Ruth Wilson, who was studying to be a librarian at the time.
Their connection was maintained by post after university, and eventually led to their marriage in 1989.
James is survived by his wife Ruth, kids Owen and Edmund, and sister Frances.
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