“One of the key goals for the Certa Cito Foundation is to connect veterans and their families, and if required, serving members, with those organisations that can provide the care and assistance they need. Through this service the Certa Cito Foundation aims to make a positive difference to the health and welfare of the ADF and, in particular, RA Sigs, members, amilies and communities.”
James RocheVice President
Governance
Link to defence
Although we work closely with the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force, the Certa Cito Foundation is an independent not- for-profit registered charity operating under Australian company law and the regulation of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). That allows the Foundation to extend our support beyond active service personnel to include ADF veterans and their families.
Our relationship with the Army and the ADF is enhanced by the appointment of five directors on the Certa Cito Foundation board who are also appointed by the Chief of Army as Colonels Commandant to RA Sigs and they act as ambassadors between the Corps and the wider RA Sigs community.
The Chair of the Cito Foundation also holds the appointment of Representative Colonel Commandant, which is an honorary position appointed by the Chief of Army and works with the RA Sigs Head of Corps. This senior honorary position has been held since 2018 by Brigadier Alison Creagh AM CSC. In 2020, Brigadier Creagh was elected President of the Certa Cito Foundation. She continues to serve in both roles.
Our history
Australia has the unique distinction of having had the first regularly formed signals unit in the British Empire with roots stemming back to 1869. The first Australian Corps of Signallers was formed on 12 January 1906, the date still recognised as the Corps of Signals birthday.
In 1911, the Signals Corps merged with Australian Engineers, before separating again on 1 January 1925 when the Australian Corps of Signals was formed. On 10 November 1948, His Majesty King George VI conferred the title “Royal” and the date is recognised as “Corps Day”.
After World War II, a silver salver was presented to the Australian Corps of Signals by Princess Mary as a memento of co-operation between the British Royal Corps of Signals and the Australian Corps of Signals throughout the Second World War. Since then, members of the Corps have served with distinction in all operational areas in which Australian troops have been involved, including Korea, Malaya, Borneo, South Vietnam, Cambodia, Timor-Leste, Iraq and Afghanistan. Signals representatives have also served on other military operations overseas and in Australia.
Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal, Princess Anne, is the Colonel-in-Chief for the Royal Australian Corps of Signals and the Corps carries her banner. On 5 July 2000, she was the special guest at Simpson Barracks in Victoria during the Corps’ 75th anniversary celebrations. The Princess Royal has visited RA Sigs personnel on other visits to Australia, most recently in 2022.
Logo and identity
The Foundation’s logo and corporate identity reflects our close ties with the Australian Army’s Royal Australian Corps of Signals. Our name is drawn from the Corps’ motto “Certa Cito”, or swift and sure, summarising the Corps’ commitment to providing communication with maximum speed and certainty. Our logo is developed in the domestic colours of light blue over dark blue and dark green representing communications via air, sea and land. Central to the logo is Mercury, the winged messenger of the gods — known as the RA Sigs’ iconic “Jimmy” — which symbolises the shared experience that connects our members across Australia and around the world.
