Air Vice-Marshal Julie Hammer, an electronics engineer in the Royal Australian Air Force, holds a Bachelor of Science with honours (1977) from The University of Queensland. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Aerosystems Engineering and a Graduate Diploma in Strategic Studies.

Joining the Air Force in 1977, she has served in the fields of aircraft maintenance; technical intelligence; electronic warfare and command control; communications and intelligence (C3I) systems acquisition; and support.

During 2002 and the first half of 2003, Air Vice-Marshal Hammer was the Commandant of the Australian Defence Force Academy. She is currently the Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Department of Defence.

One of the first women to join the Air Force after some of the non-traditional roles were opened to women, Air Vice-Marshal Hammer has blazed a pioneering trail and become accustomed to many "firsts" in her life and career.

In 1985, she was the first female engineer promoted to Squadron Leader and in 1992, was the first woman to command an operational unit in the RAAF, the Electronic Warfare Squadron, being awarded a Conspicuous Service Cross (CSC) for that command.

She was the first woman in the RAAF to become a member of the General List on promotion to Group Captain in 1996; the first serving woman to be promoted to One Star level on promotion to Air Commodore in 1999; and the first woman to be promoted to Two Star level, on promotion to Air Vice-Marshal in 2003. She is the only woman in the history of the Australian Defence Force to have achieved "starred" rank.

Air Vice-Marshal Hammer was the recipient of the 1996 Association of Old Crows (Australian Chapter) Award for Distinguished Service to Electronic Warfare. She was awarded the 2001 Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial Medal by the Royal Aeronautical Society in recognition of her contribution to Australian aerospace and delivered the 2001 Kingsford Smith Memorial Lecture.

Air Vice-Marshal Hammer is a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia; a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society; and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
One of the inaugural Board Members of the Centre for Engineering Leadership and Management within the Institution of Engineers Australia, she served for three years from 1996 to 1998 as one of the Prime Minister's representatives on the Governor-General's Australian Bravery Awards Council.

In 2002, she was appointed by the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Status of Women as one of Australia's Honouring Women Ambassadors.

The University of Queensland named Air Vice-Marshall Hammer the 2003 Alumnus of the Year and she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2004 Australia Day Honours List. She was the 2005 ACT Australian of the Year and is a Director of the .au Domain Administration Ltd.

Within Engineers Australia, Air Vice-Marshal Hammer was one of the inaugural Board Members of the Centre for Engineering Leadership and Management (CELM) and took over as Chair of the CELM Board in November 2005. She has led the development of advanced competencies for leadership, management and business skills. She is currently the National Deputy President for Engineers Australia and will become National President in November 2007.