Ex Royal Australian Navy Commander, John G O'Neill had served most of his Naval career as a submarine Engineering Specialist , and as a submarine Staff Officer in the Australian High Commission. He was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2010, for service to the community through a range of youth and service organisations, and the Technical Aide to the Disabled ACT. McNeill had also graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Masters in Business and Technology. (Australian Government, It's an Honour website; Goodreads website)