Robert Lowry

Robert Lowry grew up in Tasmania before joining the Australian army and served for 30 years before retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1993. During his army service he was posted to South Vietnam 1968-69, Singapore 1969-71, and Indonesia 1983-86 and developed an abiding interest in military affairs and politics.

Since 1993 he has been Acting National Director of the Australian Institute of International Affairs 1993-94, Associate Director of the Australian Defence Studies Centre (ADSC) 1997, Senior Analyst for the International Crisis Group in Jakarta 2001, Adviser on National Security in East Timor 2002-03, and Chairman of the Fiji National Security and Defence Review 2003-04.

His educational attainments include: Bachelor of Arts (Asian Studies) ANU, Master of Defence Studies UNSW, graduate of the Australian Staff College, and graduate of the Indonesian Army Command and Staff College. He was the Army visiting fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, ANU, in 1992 and has had several visiting fellowships since then at ANU and the ADSC, UNSW.

He is author of The Armed Forces of Indonesia, Allen & Unwin 1996, Fortress Fiji 2006 and other monographs, book chapters, working papers and articles on Indonesian defence matters.

His interest in Fiji was stirred during his time there as chairman of the Fiji National Security and Defence review. The findings of the review were published in Safeguarding Peace & Prosperity, Fiji, 2004. He hopes that Fortress Fiji will help bring to light more information, stories and photographs of wartime Fiji that might be included in further publications.