List of Australian High Commissioners to Fiji

The High Commissioner of Australia to Fiji is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia to Fiji. Since 2014, the Deputy High Commissioner also has responsibility for relations with Tuvalu, currently Amy Crago. The High Commissioner is also Australia's Permanent Representative to the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, which is headquartered in Suva. The position has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and is currently held by John Feakes.

High Commissioner of Australia to Fiji
Incumbent
John Feakes
since 9 June 2017
(presented credentials 21 December 2017)[1]
StyleHer Excellency
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderRowen Osborn
Formation1970
WebsiteAustralian High Commission, Fiji

Posting history

As fellow members of the Commonwealth of Nations, diplomatic relations between Australia and Fiji are at governmental level, rather than between Heads of State. Thus, the countries exchange High Commissioners, rather than Ambassadors. Between 1987 and 1997, this was not the case; after the Coups of 1987, Fiji was deemed to have been expelled from the Commonwealth, but rejoined after the promulgation of a new constitution in 1997. Hence, from 1987 until 1997, the representative of the Australian Government in Fiji was an Ambassador.

Between 2009 and 2012, Australia had no diplomatic relationship. In July 2012, the governments agreed to exchange High Commissioners, ending the three-year gap,[2] with an Australian High Commissioner commencing in December 2014.[3]

Australia established diplomatic relations with Tuvalu on its independence in 1978 and the High Commission has been cross-accredited to Tuvalu since then.

List of heads of mission

High Commissioners to the Dominion of Fiji
NameStart of termEnd of termNotes
Rowen Osborn19701973[4][5]
H.W. Bullock19731976[6][7]
Gordon Upton19761979[8]
Raymond Greet19791982[9]
Colin McDonald19821984[10]
Jeremy Hearder19841986
John Piper19861987[11][12]
Relations suspended following 1987 coups d'état

Ambassadors to the Republic of Fiji
NameStart of termEnd of termNotes
Bob Cotton19881991[13][14]
John Trotter19911995
Greg Urwin19951997[15]

High Commissioners to the Republic of Fiji
NameStart of termEnd of termNotes
Susan Boyd19992003[16]
Jennifer Rawson20032007[17]
James Batley20072009[18][19][20]
Relations suspended following 2006 coup d'état
Margaret TwomeyDecember 20149 June 2017[3][21]
John Feakes9 June 2017present[22]

References
  1. "Australia's New Envoy Feakes Looking to Better Ties". Fiji Sun. 22 December 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  2. "Australian high commissioner out of Fiji". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. 6 March 2013. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  3. Fox, Liam (2 December 2014). "Australia's High Commissioner to Fiji, Margaret Twomey, takes up post two years after appointment". Australian Broadcasting Commission. Archived from the original on 29 December 2014.
  4. "Fiji envoy appointed". The Canberra Times. 20 November 1970. p. 7.
  5. Osborn, Francis d’Arenberg. "Francis d'Arenberg OSBORN" (PDF) (Interview). Interviewed by Susan Marsden. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 March 2015.
  6. Whitlam, Edward Gough (9 February 1973). "Appointment of High Commissioner to Fiji, Tonga and Western Samoa" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 1 March 2015.
  7. "Ambassador". The Canberra Times. 12 March 1973. p. 3.
  8. "Appointment". The Canberra Times. 26 May 1976. p. 3.
  9. "Diplomatic postings". The Canberra Times. 1 November 1979. p. 11.
  10. "High Commissioners' postings". The Canberra Times. 13 February 1982. p. 7.
  11. "High Commissioner". The Canberra Times. 13 June 1986. p. 3.
  12. Grutzner, Anna (17 October 1987). "Australian move: Top envoy to Fiji recalled". The Canberra Times. p. 1.
  13. Downer, Alexander (25 March 1997). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Malaysia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. From 1988 to 1991 he was Ambassador to Fiji and High Commissioner to Tuvalu.
  14. "Career diplomat tipped to be ambassador to Fiji". The Canberra Times. 8 February 1988. p. 3. He probably would be called Ambassador rather than High Commissioner, at least at first, the sources said.
  15. Evans, Gareth (10 March 1995). "Diplomatic appointment: Fiji and Tuvalu" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  16. Downer, Alexander (8 June 1999). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to Fiji" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  17. Downer, Alexander (29 May 2003). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to Fiji" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  18. Hayward-Jones, Jenny (4 November 2009). "Another diplomatic spat with Fiji". Lowy Interpreter. Lowy Institute for International Policy.
  19. Merritt, Chris (4 November 2009). "Fiji expels high commissioner". The Australian. News Ltd. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  20. Downer, Alexander (9 January 2007). "Diplomatic appointment – High Commissioner to Fiji" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  21. Carr, Bob (15 December 2012). "High Commissioner to Fiji" (Press release). Australian Government.
  22. Bishop, Julie (9 June 2017). "High Commissioner to Fiji" (Press release). Australian Government.
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