 Completing his tour as captain of Vengeance , Burrell briefly resumed the role of Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff in August 1954 . The following month he was made an aide @-@ de @-@ camp to the Queen . Burrell was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1955 New Year Honours . In February he became Flag Officer of the Australian Fleet , with the acting rank of rear admiral ; this was made substantive in July . On 12 May 1956 , he hoisted his standard aboard the recently arrived aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne , marking her replacement of sister ship HMAS Sydney as flagship of the RAN . Burrell was posted soon afterwards to the Navy Office , Canberra , to redevelop the service 's officer structure , leading to a new General List of officers ' seniority . He served as Second Naval Member ( Personnel ) from September 1956 until January 1958 , when he again became Flag Officer of the Australian Fleet . Appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1959 New Years Honours , Burrell was raised to vice admiral on 24 February and became First Naval Member , the Chief of the Naval Staff ( CNS ) . He succeeded Vice Admiral Sir Roy Dowling . 
