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Some information regarding the ranks held by service personnel.
Information still being assembled.
For a comparative table of ranks see this artical at the AWM.
A person with no rank.
May also be called by other names that indicate a function.
Non-commissioned officers (NCOs) are responsible for small groups of people, usually numbering no more than about 15, but a platoon sergeant or equivalent is responsible for the discipline of 30 to 40 soldiers. An NCO's authority to command is vested in them by their commanding officer as a representative of the commander of their service, as opposed to an officer, whose authority derives from a commission from the head of state.
Those with warrant rank are known collectively as warrant officers and within a military organisation are generally responsible for the maintenance of discipline. In Australia a warrant is issued under the authority of the Defence Act of 1903.
Those with commissioned rank are known as officers. Their authority to command is vested in them by the head of state, in Australia's case the sovereign, and this authority is known as their commission. Officers are usually responsible for around 30 people at the most junior levels of command, up to hundreds of thousands at the highest levels. Once granted, a commission is held up for life and can only by withdrawn in the case of serious misconduct.