List of ambassadors of the United States to Australia

The position of United States Ambassador to Australia has existed since 1940. U.S.–Australian relations have been close throughout the history of Australia. Before World War II, Australia was closely aligned with the United Kingdom, but it has strengthened its relationship with the United States since 1942, as Britain's influence in Asia has declined and the United States' influence has increased. At the governmental level, United States–Australia relationships are formalised by the ANZUS treaty and Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement.

Ambassador of the United States to Australia
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Michael Goldman
as Chargé d’Affaires
since January 19, 2021
NominatorThe President of the United States
AppointerThe President
with Senate advice and consent
Inaugural holderClarence E. Gauss
(as US Minister to Australia)
Formation1940
WebsiteU.S. Embassy - Canberra

The embassy in Canberra has always been regarded as a desirable posting and hence has become a patronage position. U.S. Ambassadors to Australia have traditionally been friends, political allies, or former business associates of the President of the day. Some have been major donors to the President's election campaign or political party. Few have been career diplomats (Marshall Green was a conspicuous exception). The two ambassadors during the Bush Administration, for example, were Tom Schieffer, a former business associate of President Bush, and Robert McCallum Jr., a Bush college friend. The actor Fess Parker was offered the post in 1985 by Ronald Reagan, after representing Reagan at an event in Australia. Parker considered it, but turned it down.[1]

This arrangement has suited Australian governments, which welcome the ability of such Ambassadors to gain direct access to the President, bypassing the State Department. The United States was without an ambassador to Australia from September 2016 until February 2019.

United States Ambassadors to Australia

The following individuals have served as the US Ambassadors to Australia, or any precedent titles:

List of US Ambassadors to Australia
Ordinal Officeholder Image Term began Term ended Time in office Notes
US Ministers to Australia
1Clarence E. GaussJuly 17, 1940March 5, 1941
2Nelson T. JohnsonSeptember 12, 1941April 20, 1945
US Ambassadors to Australia
3Robert Butler19461948[2]
4Myron M. Cowen19481949
5Pete Jarman8 June 1949 (1949-06-08)31 July 1953 (1953-07-31)4 years, 53 days[3]
6Amos J. Peaslee19531956
7Douglas M. Moffat19561956
8William J. Sebald14 March 1957 (1957-03-14)31 October 1961 (1961-10-31)4 years, 231 days[4]
9William C. Battle13 July 1962 (1962-07-13)31 August 1964 (1964-08-31)2 years, 49 days[5]
10Ed Clark19651967[6]
11William H. Crook19681969
12Walter L. Rice19691973
13Marshall Green19731975
14James Ward Hargrove19761977
15Philip H. Alston19771981[7][8]
16Robert D. Nesen20 November 1981 (1981-11-20)2 May 1985 (1985-05-02)3 years, 163 days[9]
17Laurence W. Lane6 December 1985 (1985-12-06)29 April 1989 (1989-04-29)3 years, 144 days[10]
18Melvin F. Sembler10 October 1989 (1989-10-10)28 February 1993 (1993-02-28)3 years, 141 days[11]
19Edward J. Perkins24 November 1993 (1993-11-24)19 July 1996 (1996-07-19)2 years, 238 days[12]
20Genta H. Holmes11 April 1997 (1997-04-11)23 July 2000 (2000-07-23)3 years, 103 days[13]
21Edward (Skip) Gnehm30 August 2000 (2000-08-30)22 June 2001 (2001-06-22)296 days[14]
22Thomas Schieffer23 August 2001 (2001-08-23)18 February 2005 (2005-02-18)3 years, 179 days[15]
vacant19 February 2005 (2005-02-19)31 July 2006 (2006-07-31)1 year, 162 days
23Robert McCallum, Jr.24 August 2006 (2006-08-24)20 January 2009 (2009-01-20)2 years, 149 days[16]
24Jeff Bleich26 November 2009 (2009-11-26)12 September 2013 (2013-09-12)3 years, 290 days[17]
25John Berry25 September 2013 (2013-09-25)20 September 2016 (2016-09-20)2 years, 361 days[18]
vacant21 September 2016 (2016-09-21)12 March 2019 (2019-03-12)2 years, 167 days
26Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr.13 March 2019 (2019-03-13)19 January 2021 (2021-01-19)1 year, 312 days[19]

See also

References
  1. Legacy.com, Fess Parker obituary
  2. "Robert Butler (1897–1955)". U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  4. William Joseph Sebald at Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State
  5. Daily Progress obituary
  6. Clark, Anne. Australian Adventure. University of Texas Press, 1969, p. 6.
  7. "PHILIP HENRY ALSTON JR. (1911-1988)". U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian.
  8. "United States Ambassador to Australia - Nomination of Philip H. Alston, Jr". The American Presidency Project.
  9. "Reagan's Nomination of Nesen as Ambassador to Australia". Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  10. "L. W. Lane, Jr". Council of American Ambassadors web site. 2004. Archived from the original on January 4, 2007. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  11. "Australia bestows honor on Sembler". St. Petersburg Times. 2000-05-14. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  12. "Edward Perkins". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  13. "Genta Hawkins Holmes". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
  14. "Edward Gnehm". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  15. "John Schieffer". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  16. "Robert McCallum". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  17. "Jeff Bleich". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  18. "John Berry". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  19. "Arthur Culvahouse Jr". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
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