List of ambassadors of Australia to the United States

The Ambassador of Australia to the United States is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the director of the Embassy of Australia to the United States of America in Washington, D.C.. It is Australia's third-oldest ambassadorial post, after the High Commissions in London (1910) and Ottawa (1939). The job has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and is currently Arthur Sinodinos, who has held the position since 7 February 2020.[1] The ambassador's work is assisted by multiple consulates throughout the country that have visiting and reporting responsibilities, as well as consular and trade matters for the embassy.

Ambassador of Australia to the United States
Incumbent
Arthur Sinodinos
since 7 February 2020
StyleHis Excellency
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor-General of Australia
Inaugural holderThe Lord Casey
Formation1 March 1940
WebsiteEmbassy of Australia
The Australian Embassy on 1601 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C.

On 26 May 2019 Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced, along with new Cabinet nominations, that he would recommend Senator for New South Wales Arthur Sinodinos to replace Hockey as Ambassador to the United States when Hockey's term ends in early 2020.[2][3] Sinodinos replaced Hockey in February 2020.[4]

Posting history

The United States and Australia have had official diplomatic relations since 1 March 1940, when Australia established a legation in Washington as one of its first independent postings. Prior to that, Australia had been represented by the British Embassy in Washington, either through a representative of the Australian government or simply by British officials on Australia's behalf. During 1929, Prime Minister Stanley Bruce appointed Herbert Brookes as "Commissioner-General to the United States", with a mandate to promote "Australian achievements in economic, musical, artistic, literary and intellectual fields". However, Brookes was recalled the next year by James Scullin (Bruce's successor), as a cost-saving measure during the Depression.[5][6] During 1937, Joseph Lyons (Scullin's successor) appointed Keith Officer as a liaison officer posted with the British Embassy, with the diplomatic rank of "Counsellor". Officer continued in the job until February 1940 when he became the charge d'Affaires, pending the arrival of Casey as the first Minister.[7][8]

First established as a legation directed by an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, on 19 July 1946 the diplomatic representative was promoted to embassy status and the Australian Minister, Frederic Eggleston became the first Ambassador. The job is seen as very desirable, and political appointees are regularly posted. Several distinguished Australians have served as Ambassador to the United States, including a future Governor-General of Australia (Richard Casey), a future Chief Justice of Australia (Sir Owen Dixon), a future Governor of Tasmania (James Plimsoll), two former federal leaders of the opposition (Andrew Peacock and Kim Beazley), and a former Treasurer of Australia (Joe Hockey).[9]

Office-holders

Commissioner/Commissioner-General
Image Name Office Term start date Term end date
 Sir Henry Braddon Commissioner for Australia in the United States of America 19 September 1918 31 July 1919
Mark Sheldon 31 July 1919 11 September 1924
Sir James Elder[10] 11 September 1924 17 May 1926
 Sir Hugh Denison[11] Commissioner-General for Australia in the United States of America 17 May 1926 10 February 1928
 Herbert Brookes 13 June 1929 23 January 1931

Counsellor/Charge d'Affaires
Image Name Office Term start date Term end date
 Keith Officer Australian Counsellor, British Embassy, United States of America February 1937 February 1940
Charge d'Affaires, Australian Legation February 1940 1 March 1940

Minister/Ambassador
Image Name Office Term start date Term end date
 Richard Casey Minister to the United States of America 1 March 1940 1 June 1942
 Owen Dixon 3 June 1942 1 October 1944
Frederic Eggleston 1 November 1944 19 July 1946
Ambassador to the United States of America 19 July 1946 5 September 1946
 Norman Makin 5 September 1946 1 January 1951
 Percy Spender 31 May 1951 1 January 1957
 Howard Beale 20 March 1958 1 April 1964
 Keith Waller 20 April 1964 1 June 1970
 James Plimsoll 8 June 1970 1 January 1973
Patrick Shaw 21 February 1974 27 December 1975
Gordon Noel Upton Chargé d'affaires 27 December 1975 8 March 1976
Nick Parkinson Ambassador to the United States of America 8 March 1976 1 February 1976
Alan Renouf 9 February 1976 20 May 1979
Robert B. Birch Chargé d'affaires 20 May 1979 13 November 1979
Nick Parkinson Ambassador to the United States of America 13 November 1979 15 July 1982
Geoffrey J. Price Chargé d'affaires 15 July 1982 16 August 1982
 Bob Cotton Ambassador to the United States of America 16 August 1982 1 June 1985
Rawdon Dalrymple 26 June 1985 1 April 1989
Michael Cook 20 April 1989 1 August 1993
 Don Russell 22 August 1993 1 December 1995
 John McCarthy 5 December 1995 1 February 1997
 Andrew Peacock 2 February 1997 27 February 1999
 Michael Thawley 2 February 2000 1 June 2005
 Dennis Richardson 20 June 2005 1 February 2010
 Kim Beazley 17 February 2010 22 January 2016
 Joe Hockey 29 January 2016 30 January 2020
 Arthur Sinodinos 7 February 2020 incumbent

Consulates
LocationOpenConsulReporting responsibility
Consulate-General, Chicago1971Michael WoodIllinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin[12]
Consulate-General, Honolulu1973Jane HardyHawaii, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, USPACOM[13]
Consulate-General, Houston (Austrade)1982Peter McGauranTexas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana
Consulate-General, New York1945Alastair WaltonNew York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, Ohio, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands
Consulate-General, Los Angeles1971Chelsey MartinCalifornia (south of the 36N latitude), Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada (Clark County), Utah
Consulate-General, San Francisco (Austrade)1946Chris OldfieldCalifornia (north of 36N latitude), Nevada (except Clark County), Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
Honorary Consulate, Miami1999Don SlesnickFlorida[14]

From 1993 to August 2012, there existed a Consulate-General in Atlanta, Georgia, which was managed by Austrade. The consulate's closure was due to a realignment of resources "to growing and emerging markets like Mongolia and Colombia." After its closure, the consulate's reporting responsibilities for the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina were transferred to the Australian Embassy in Washington.[15] From 12 September 1994 to his death on 11 June 2017, there existed an Honorary Consulate in Denver, Colorado, held by Mark O'Regan, an Australian-born Denver realtor and former civil servant in the Territory of Papua New Guinea.[16] From 7 December 1999 to his death on 6 November 2013, the Honorary Consul in Miami, Florida, was Thomas Flynn.[17] Flynn was appointed as an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service as honorary consul in 2005.[18]

Consuls-General

Atlanta

The consulate-general was opened in 1993 under Austrade management.[19] The consulate was closed in August 2012 following an Austrade restructure.

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Ian Wing14 September 1993May 1997[20]
Geoff Gray14 August 19972000
David Crook200022 November 2004[21][22]
Amanda Hodges7 January 2005June 2009
Duncan ColeJune 200931 August 2012[23]

Chicago

Originally opened in 1971, the consulate-general was closed in 1993 due to budget constraints after being transferred to Austrade, but re-opened under DFAT in 2001.[24]

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
T. W. Collis19711974
F. B. Hall19751978
D. C. Goss19791980
B. B. Hickey19811985
Terry McCarthy19861987
Jeremy Hearder19881990[25]
Kevin Gates19916 August 1993
Consulate closed
Ron Harvey20012004[26]
Bob Charles20052008[27][28]
Elizabeth SchickApril 2008April 2011
Roger PriceNovember 201131 March 2015[29]
Michael Wood1 April 2015date[12]

Honolulu

Originally opened as a Consulate in January 1973, the posting was upgraded to a Consulate-General on 26 March 1978.[30][31]

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
David Wadham (Consul)January 1973June 1975[32]
William Rowe (Consul)June 197526 March 1978[33]
William Rowe MBE26 March 1978June 1979[34]
Brian MeadeJune 1979February 1983
Bill FisherFebruary 1983April 1987
Richard SmithApril 1987August 1989[35]
Robert TysonAugust 1989January 1993
Murray CobbanJanuary 1993October 1995
Colin McDonaldOctober 1995May 1998[36]
Peter WoolcottMay 1998July 2001[37]
Paul RobilliardJuly 2001September 2004[38]
John QuinnSeptember 2004August 2007[39]
David BinnsAugust 2007August 2011[40]
Scott DewarAugust 2011February 2015[41]
Jeff Robinson8 February 201522 December 2017
Jane Hardy22 December 2017present[42]

Los Angeles

Originally a Trade Commission from 1965, the post was upgraded to a Consulate-General from 3 March 1971 and was closed during a period of budget cuts to Foreign Affairs on 1 July 1976. The consulate reopened in September 1978 and management was transferred from DFAT to Austrade in October 1992. DFAT resumed management from November 1999.[43]

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
A. I. Macrae (Trade Commissioner)19641966[44]
M. J. Long (Trade Commissioner)19673 March 1971
Philip Searcy OBE3 March 1971September 1975
Harold MarshallSeptember 19751 July 1976
Consulate closed
Peter BarbourSeptember 1978April 1981
John McLeay Jr.April 1981February 1984
Basil TeaseyFebruary 1984June 1988
John KelsoJune 1988October 1992
Colin HookOctober 1992May 1995
Robert O'DonovanJune 19951997
Michael Johnson1997November 1999
Allan RocherNovember 1999November 2002[45]
John OlsenNovember 2002September 2006[46]
Innes WilloxSeptember 2006March 2009[47]
Chris De Cure OAMMarch 2009July 2012[48]
Karen LanyonJuly 2012October 2015[49]
Chelsey Martin22 October 2015date[50]

San Francisco

Since 1993, the consulate-general has been managed by Austrade.[19]

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Edward SmartJuly 1946October 1949[51]
N. N. Frewin (acting)October 19491952[52]
Stewart Wolfe JamiesonJune 19521955
Melville MarshallMay 19551960
Bill CuttsDecember 19601963
Frederick HomerFebruary 19631966
Neil TruscottFebruary 19661970[53]
Roger DeanApril 19701974
John McCredieAugust 19741977
Geoffrey BradyAugust 19771982
Leslie SellarsNovember 19821983
John MelhuishMay 19831986
David RutterOctober 19861990
David CharlesAugust 1990September 1993[54]
John Paul McCaffrey29 September 1993May 1995
Dr Joe Hlubucek25 May 19951998
Peter Lewis1998October 2002
Peter Frank16 October 20022005
David Lawson2005June 2009
Nigel WarrenJune 2009June 2015
Sally-Ann WattsJune 2015October 2015
Chris OldfieldOctober 2015March 2019[55][56]
Nick NichlesMar 2019date[57]

See also
  • United States Ambassador to Australia
  • Australia-United States relations

References
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Further reading
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