Brendan Hannam has been named as the Australian soldier who died in a vehicle rollover during a training accident near Darwin on Monday. Five others were injured.
Chief of the army, Lt Gen Susan Coyle, confirmed two of the five others injured remained in hospital in a stable condition in Darwin, while the other three are currently in Robertson Barracks in a hospital ward being monitored.
The incident occurred at the Mount Bundey training area, around 100km south-east of Darwin in the Northern Territory.
Coyle said Hannam was a junior non-commissioned officer in the fifth/seventh battalion and is survived by his partner and two young children.
“He is a much beloved junior leader in our army. He has served and sacrificed on two operational tours to Afghanistan in 2019 under Operation High and also he trained Ukrainians with the British Armed Forces in the United Kingdom under Operation Kudu,” Coyle said.
Marles in a social media post on Tuesday afternoon said the defence force had “experienced a tragic loss of one of our finest soldiers” but did not provide further details.
“Australia’s service men and women do an exceptional job training and fighting for our country. This work in the defence of our nation carries risk. Our thoughts in this difficult time are with their family and friends,” he said.
“Defence is currently working with and supporting all the families in this difficult time.”
In a separate statement, prime minister Anthony Albanese – who is in Tuvalu for the pre-COP leaders’ meeting – also sent condolences.
“There are no safe or easy days for those who serve in our country’s name. This sad incident is a terrible reminder of what families take on when their loved one bravely puts on our nation’s uniform,” he said.
“Every loss and every incident is felt deeply by the broader Defence family, but by none more so than their mates who served alongside them. We think of them today and every day.”
The NT’s chief minister, Lia Finocchiaro, indicated in a press conference that the incident had occurred on Monday evening.
She said two people were evacuated by helicopter to Darwin around 7.30pm, with another three taken by plane around 9.30pm.
“Our sincerest condolences to the family of the young service personnel who lost their life yesterday,” Finocchiaro said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family who are obviously devastated by this loss and of course the support of our entire community is there for all of our service personnel who will be feeling this loss immensely.”
The NT’s police commissioner, Martin Dole, said officers had been sent to the facility to “assist defence” in responding.
He also declined to provide further details but said police were “helping to investigate on behalf of the coroner”.
“Next of kin has been notified. We request that the privacy of Defence members and families is respected at this time,” the department said.
The incident comes following several high-profile training accidents claiming the lives of ADF personnel.
Jack Fitzgibbon, the son of the former Labor defence minister Joel Fitzgibbon, died in 2024 during a parachute incident during a routine training activity in Sydney.
Three separate inquiries were launched after the death of Fitzgibbon: a Comcare inquiry led by the commonwealth’s WHS regulator; a New South Wales coronial inquiry; and an internal defence probe.
Lachlan Muddle, an experienced paratrooper, died in March after a mid-air collision with another trooper during training above a Jervis Bay airfield.
Following Muddle’s death, Marles said the Australia defence force had been provided with recommendations from investigations into the death of Fitzgibbon.
“In both that incident [2024] and this one, it is vital that investigations are as thorough as humanly possible so that every lesson is learned,” Marles said in March.
The federal opposition leader, Angus Taylor, said the Coalition was awaiting further updates from the government “at the appropriate time.”
“It’s another tragic reminder that our men and women warfighters put their lives on the line even when they are not on mission,” he said in a statement.
“We are also thinking of the five soldiers injured in this incident. We wish them a full and swift recovery, and our thoughts are with their families who will be supporting them through this very challenging time.”
Joel Fitzgibbon, in a social media post on Tuesday, sent condolences to those affected in the Mount Bundey incident.
“It’s an another reminder that training exercises are a preparation for war and are risky in and of themselves. Lest we forget.”
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