British High Commission, Canberra

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British High Commission Canberra British High Commission in Canberra.jpg
Location Flag of Australia (converted).svg Yarralumla, Canberra
Address130 Commonwealth Avenue, Yarralumla, Canberra
Coordinates 35°18′05″S149°07′30″E / 35.3013°S 149.1250°E / -35.3013; 149.1250 Coordinates: 35°18′05″S149°07′30″E / 35.3013°S 149.1250°E / -35.3013; 149.1250
High Commissioner HE Vicki Treadell CMG ,
British High Commissioner
Website Official website

The British High Commission Canberra is the diplomatic mission of the Government of the United Kingdom to Australia, representing the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom's interests. [1] It is located on Commonwealth Avenue along with the High Commissions of New Zealand and Canada in the Canberra suburb of Yarralumla. The current British High Commissioner is Vicki Treadell who was appointed in 2019.

Diplomatic mission group of people from one state present in another state to represent the sending state

A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from one state or an organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation officially in the receiving state. In practice, the phrase diplomatic mission usually denotes the resident mission, namely the embassy, which is the main office of a country's diplomatic representatives to another country; this is usually, but not necessarily, in the receiving state's capital city. Consulates, on the other hand, are smaller diplomatic missions which are normally located in major cities of the receiving state. As well as being a diplomatic mission to the country in which it is situated, it may also be a non-resident permanent mission to one or more other countries. There are thus resident and non-resident embassies.

Government of the United Kingdom Central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

The Government of the United Kingdom, formally referred to as Her Majesty's Government, is the central government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is also commonly referred to as simply the UK Government or the British Government.

Australia Country in Oceania

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is the largest country in Oceania and the world's sixth-largest country by total area. The neighbouring countries are Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and East Timor to the north; the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu to the north-east; and New Zealand to the south-east. The population of 26 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Australia's capital is Canberra, and its largest city is Sydney. The country's other major metropolitan areas are Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.

Contents

History

Prior to the establishment the post of the British High Commissioner to [the Commonwealth of] Australia in 1936, the Governor-General of Australia acted and served as both the chief official intergovernmental representative of the British Government to the Government of Australia, as well as the personal official representative of the Crown, acting in his or her capacity as Australia's head of state.

Governor-General of Australia Representative of the monarch of Australia

The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative of the Australian monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. As the Queen is concurrently the monarch of 15 other Commonwealth realms, and resides in the United Kingdom, she, on the advice of her prime minister, appoints a governor-general to carry out constitutional duties within the Commonwealth of Australia. The governor-general has formal presidency over the Federal Executive Council and is commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force. The functions of the governor-general include appointing ministers, judges, and ambassadors; giving royal assent to legislation passed by parliament; issuing writs for election; and bestowing Australian honours.

Government of Australia federal democratic administrative authority of Australia

The Government of Australia is the government of the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. It is also commonly referred to as the Australian Government, the Commonwealth Government, Her Majesty's Government, or the Federal Government.

In the early years, the British High Commissioners rented buildings for themselves as their residence as well as the buildings for the British High Commission offices. The British High Commission Chancery building was built in 1952 at the same time as Westminster House, the High Commissioner's official residence at 76 Empire Circuit, Deakin. The northern wing extension to the High Commission was completed in 1960. The chancery and residence cost a quarter of a million pounds – an enormous amount in those days. The British High Commission building may seem comparatively modest when compared with some of the more lavish Embassy buildings in Canberra. However, at the time it was built, Britain was recovering from the devastating economic burden of World War II and needed to restore its own bomb-ravaged cities. [2]

Deakin, Australian Capital Territory Suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory

Deakin is a suburb of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia. Development began in the 1920s, although the vast majority of the suburb was built after 1945. It is a largely residential suburb. It includes the official residence of the Prime Minister, The Lodge, and the Royal Australian Mint.

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 70 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

In late 1995 through until early 1997, the High Commission underwent a major refurbishment programme. A well-known local firm, Mitchell/Guirgola & Thorp Architects, was engaged to undertake the design work associated with the refurbishment work. The architects previously won the competition to design the New Parliament House in Canberra. Although the interior of the building was almost entirely refurbished, the building's white rendered walls and regular window spacing were retained.

Parliament House, Canberra house of parliament for Australia

Parliament House is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp Architects and built by a Concrete Constructions and John Holland joint venture. It was opened on 9 May 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. It cost more than A$1.1 billion to build.

Functions

The High Commissioner's tasks are to present British policies to the Australian Government and to Australians, to report and explain Australian policies and views to the British Government in London, and to promote British interests. The High Commissioner coordinates the political, commercial and public affairs activities of the British Government in Australia and is in daily contact with Australian Ministers and officials.

Apart from the British High Commission Canberra, there are British Consulates-General in Sydney and Melbourne headed by British Consuls-General. There are also British Consulates in Perth and Brisbane headed by British Consuls. The duties of the British Consuls-General and the British Consuls relate to the promotion of trade and investment between Britain and Australia. They also keep the British High Commissioner in touch with political, economic and other developments in the Australian States and Territories. In addition, the British Consulates-General (but not the (smaller) British Consulates) provide consular assistance to British citizens and British nationals who live in, or are visiting, places which fall within their respective consular districts. [3]

Sydney Metropolis in Australia

Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and Oceania and the capital of the state of New South Wales. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Port Jackson and extends about 70 km (43.5 mi) on its periphery towards the Blue Mountains to the west, Hawkesbury to the north, the Royal National Park to the south and Macarthur to the south-west. Sydney is made up of 658 suburbs, 40 local government areas and 15 contiguous regions. Residents of the city are known as "Sydneysiders". As of June 2017, Sydney's estimated metropolitan population was 5,230,330 and is home to approximately 65% of the state's population.

Melbourne City in Victoria, Australia

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia and Oceania. Its name refers to an urban agglomeration of 2,080 km2 (800 sq mi), comprising a metropolitan area with 31 municipalities, and is also the common name for its city centre. The city occupies much of the coastline of Port Phillip bay and spreads into the hinterlands towards the Dandenong and Macedon ranges, Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley. It has a population of 5 million, and its inhabitants are referred to as "Melburnians".

Perth City in Western Australia

Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia (WA). It is named after the city of Perth, Scotland and is the fourth-most populous city in Australia, with a population of 2.06 million living in Greater Perth. Perth is part of the South West Land Division of Western Australia, with the majority of the metropolitan area located on the Swan Coastal Plain, a narrow strip between the Indian Ocean and the Darling Scarp. The first areas settled were on the Swan River at Guildford, with the city's central business district and port (Fremantle) both later founded downriver.

See also

Australia–United Kingdom relations Diplomatic relations between Australia and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Australia–United Kingdom relations, also referred to as Anglo–Australian relations, are the relations between the commonwealth realms of Australia and the United Kingdom, marked by historical, cultural, institutional and language ties, extensive people-to-people links, aligned security interests, sporting tournaments, and significant trade and investment co-operation.

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References

  1. ↑ "British High Commission Canberra". Gov.uk. British Government. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "History of the High Commission". Internet Archive - UkinAustralia. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
  3. ↑ "History of the High Commission". Internet Archive - UkinAustralia. Archived from the original on 12 September 2008. Retrieved 20 November 2014.
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