Australian Consulate-General, Noumea

The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea, New Caledonia represents the Commonwealth of Australia in New Caledonia, a special collectivity of France, and is also accredited to the Pacific French Overseas collectivities, French Polynesia and Wallis and Futuna. The Consul-General also serves as Australia's representative to the Noumea-based Pacific Community. The Consulate-General, one of four in New Caledonia (alongside New Zealand, Indonesia and Vanuatu), has since 1976 had its offices at 19 avenue du Maréchal Foch, Nouméa. Since 1990, there has existed an Honorary Consulate in Papeete, French Polynesia, currently held by Marc Siu, which reports to the consulate-general in Nouméa.[1]

Australian Consul-General in Noumea, New Caledonia
Coat of Arms of Australia
Incumbent
Paul Wilson
since 15 June 2015
StyleHis Excellency
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderBertram Ballard (Official Representative)
Formation6 August 1940
WebsiteAustralian Consulate-General Noumea, New Caledonia - French Polynesia, Wallis and Futuna

The Australian Consulate-General in Nouméa reports directly to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra, Australia, just as the Australian embassies and high commissions around the world and is Australia's fourth-oldest diplomatic posting (after London, 1910; Ottawa, 1939; and Washington, 1940), having been established on 6 August 1940, when Bertram Ballard was posted to Nouméa. The consulate celebrated its 75th anniversary on 6 August 2015.[2][3]

Consulate history

First established on 6 August 1940 with the appointment of Bertram Ballard as Official Representative of the Commonwealth Government in Nouméa, Ballard's responsibilities included the "full power and authority on behalf of the Commonwealth Government to conduct discussions and/or to agree and conclude with the administration of New Caledonia any matters or agreements that may tend to the attainment of co-operation in 'the struggle against the Berlin-Rome Axis at the side of Great Britain' and to sign for an on behalf of the Commonwealth Government everything so agreed upon and concluded".[4] However, the time of Ballard's appointment meant that the real reason for his appointment was to report to Canberra the situation inside the French colony, including the political sympathies of the colonial administration. The administration in Nouméa at the time was decidedly pro-Vichy French, but the Australian Government continued to be hesitant in encouraging a takeover of the colony or encouraging Free French elements in the colony.

However, Ballard's report of 8 September 1940 noted that the provisional Governor, Colonel Denis, was not likely to be accommodating to a settlement in any case and that the people of the colony would "welcome and follow" a Governor appointed by De Gaulle, spurred the Australian Government, led by Minister for External Affairs, John McEwen, into action.[5] This action culminated in the sending of HMAS Adelaide to escort Free French Governor-designate Henri Sautot to Nouméa, bringing the colony to Free France on 19 September.

With the end of the war, the Official Representative's Office was upgraded to a Consulate, and the first consul appointed was Harold Stuart Barnett, appointed on 18 December 1945. From then until 20 February 1980, the agency was known as the Australian Consulate, when posting was upgraded to a Consulate-General.[6]

1987 recall incident

In January 1987, the French Government declared the serving Australian Consul-General, John Dauth, as "persona non grata", prompting his recall from the posting. The reasoning the French Government (represented by Minister for Overseas Departments and Territories, Bernard Pons) gave for Dauth's recall was that he "had provided aid to extremist members of the pro-independence FLNKS group which had links with Libya", an accusation that was firmly repudiated by Foreign Minister Bill Hayden, who called in the French representative in Canberra to register an official protest.[7][8]

Hayden had noted that "Mr Dauth has done no more than the Australian Government expects of any government official representing its interests overseas" and it was reported that his recall had been motivated by a recent breakdown in Australia–France relations, particularly over the future of New Caledonia. On 5 January France had suspended ministerial contacts with Australia because of their support for efforts at the United Nations to have New Caledonia put back on the United Nations list of Non-Self-Governing Territories (it had been removed from the list in 1947) and added to the Decolonisation List, which were successful in a resolution of the UN General Assembly of 2 December 1986.[9][10] France's actions to expel Dauth and its reasoning for doing so were also criticised by the governments of Fiji, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu's Prime Minister, Walter Lini, who noted that "the French Government's reaction after its defeat on the United Nations vote ... could be said to be undiplomatic, childish, naive and reactionary".[11][12]

Office-holders
Official RepresentativeStart of termEnd of termNotes
Bertram Ballard6 August 19401943[13][14]
Noël Deschamps1943December 1945[15]
ConsulStart of termEnd of termNotes
Harold Stuart Barnett18 December 19451949[16][17]
Lawrence John Lawrey19491951
Harold David Anderson19511952
H. E. Holland (Vice Consul)19531954[6]
John Stanley Cumpston1955January 1958[18]
Pierre HuttonJanuary 1958June 1958[19]
R. B. HodgsonJune 19581962[20]
Keith Douglas Scott19621963[21]
Ivor Gordon Bowden19641965
I. E. Nicolson19651968
A. C. F. Wilson19681970
D. G. Wilson19701971
Alan Edwards19711972[22][23]
M. R. Casson19721976
Bill Fisher19761978
Mike Ovington19781980
Consul-GeneralStart of termEnd of termNotes
Dr Malcolm Leader20 February 19801982
Stuart Hume198311 May 1986
John Dauth11 May 198611 January 1987[24][9]
Dr Malcolm Leader (acting)11 January 19879 June 1987[25]
David O'Leary9 June 19871990[26]
R. A. Rowe1990May 1994
Leslie RoweJune 19949 June 1995
Graeme Wilson9 June 199528 August 1998[27]
Sally Mansfield28 August 19986 June 2001[28]
Denise Fisher6 June 20015 July 2004[29]
Jane Urquhart5 July 20044 October 2007[30]
Anita Butler4 October 200724 November 2011[31]
Heidi Bootle24 November 201115 June 2015[32]
Paul Wilson15 June 2015incumbent[33]

See also

References
  1. "Relations between Australia and French Polynesia". Australian Consulate-General Noumea, New Caledonia. DFAT. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  2. "75th anniversary of Australian diplomatic representation in Noumea". Australian Consulate-General Noumea, New Caledonia. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original on 14 February 2016. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
  3. "CONSUL-GENERAL IN NEW CALEDONIA?". Maryborough Chronicle, Wide Bay And Burnett Advertiser (22, 455). Queensland, Australia. 29 February 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. CA 1870. John Curtin Prime Ministerial Library. Records of the Official Representative's Office, Noumea [New Caledonia]. 1945.
  5. Fisher, Denise (23 May 2013). France in the South Pacific: Power and Politics. ANU E Press. p. 38.
  6. CA 1871: Australian Consulate-General, Noumea [New Caledonia], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 20 June 2017
  7. "French carpeted over accusation". The Canberra Times. 61 (18, 757). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 10 February 1987. p. 1. Retrieved 4 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Hayden denies consul misspent aid funds". The Canberra Times. 61 (18, 730). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 January 1987. p. 1. Retrieved 4 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  9. "French message to Australia Envoy is told to leave". The Canberra Times. 61 (18, 728). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 12 January 1987. p. 1. Retrieved 19 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "UNGA/Res/41/41". United Nations Documents. 2 December 1986. Retrieved 4 May 2016.
  11. "Fiji joins critics of France in Pacific". The Canberra Times. 61 (18, 746). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 30 January 1987. p. 4. Retrieved 4 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "France naive, reactionary: Vanuatu PM". The Canberra Times. 61 (18, 733). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 17 January 1987. p. 12. Retrieved 4 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "TRADE WITH NEW CALEDONIA". The Sydney Morning Herald (32, 131). New South Wales, Australia. 21 December 1940. p. 14. Retrieved 19 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "Australian Envoy For New Caledonia". News. XXXV (5, 314). South Australia. 6 August 1940. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "CONSUL TO NOUMEA". The Canberra Times. 20 (5, 854). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 11 January 1946. p. 2. Retrieved 21 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. "Australian Consul to Noumea". The Examiner (Tasmania). CIV (260). Tasmania, Australia. 11 January 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 21 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. "FIRST AUSTRALIAN CONSUL TO NOUMEA". The Courier-mail (2851). Queensland, Australia. 11 January 1946. p. 3. Retrieved 21 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  18. "CANBERRA DIARY". The Canberra Times. 31 (9, 390). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 29 January 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 21 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  19. "CANBERRA DIARY". The Canberra Times. 32 (9, 515). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 June 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 21 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  20. "CANBERRA DIARY". The Canberra Times. 32 (9, 485). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 21 May 1958. p. 5. Retrieved 21 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. "Minister to Lead Delegates at Noumea". The Age. 12 October 1962.
  22. "Walkabout" (PDF). Christ Church Chronicle. 13. November 1971. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 September 2016.
  23. Juddery, Bruce (28 March 1972). "Australia recalls consul". The Canberra Times. p. 1.
  24. "IN BRIEF". The Canberra Times. 60 (18, 485). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 12 May 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  25. "All's quiet in New Caledonia... for now". The Canberra Times. 61 (18, 811). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 5 April 1987. p. 4. Retrieved 19 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  26. "Diplomatic postings announced". The Canberra Times. 61 (18, 875). Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 8 June 1987. p. 3. Retrieved 19 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  27. Evans, Gareth (25 May 1995). "DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT: CONSUL-GENERAL IN NOUMEA" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016.
  28. Downer, Alexander (28 August 1998). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General In Noumea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  29. Downer, Alexander (6 June 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Noumea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016.
  30. Downer, Alexander (5 July 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Noumea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016.
  31. Downer, Alexander (4 October 2007). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Noumea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015.
  32. Rudd, Kevin (24 November 2011). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Noumea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 1 June 2016.
  33. Bishop, Julie (15 June 2015). "Consul-General in Noumea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 1 March 2016.
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