List of Australian High Commissioners to Cyprus

Last updated

High Commissioner of Australia to Cyprus
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Fiona McKergow, official portrait as Australian High Commissioner to Cyprus (2021).jpg
Incumbent
Fiona McKergow
since January 2022
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style Her Excellency
Reports to Minister for Foreign Affairs
Residence Nicosia
Nominator Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holderFrancis Hall (resident in Athens)
Formation19 April 1973
Website Australian High Commission, Cyprus

The high commissioner of Australia to Cyprus is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia in Nicosia, with responsibility for both the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and the unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Fiona McKergow since January 2022. There has been a resident Australian high commissioner in Cyprus since 1982, from 1973 to 1982 the Ambassador to Greece held non-resident accreditation for Cyprus. [1]

Contents

Posting history

Following the independence of Cyprus on 16 August 1960, Australia maintained low level relations and contacts with the new Cypriot Government, with the Australian Embassy in Athens, Greece, having reporting responsibility for Cyprus. In response to a question on the status of Australia's relations with Cyprus from the Leader of the Opposition, Gough Whitlam, in the House of Representatives, on 28 March 1972 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nigel Bowen, noted to the Parliament: "Australia’s bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus have not been considered sufficiently substantial at this stage to justify the dual accreditation of an Australian high commissioner to Cyprus from another post. However, the Australian Embassy in Athens has a general responsibility for reporting on Cyprus and the staff of the Embassy visit Cyprus at regular intervals." [2] However, not longer after this response, the Australian Government appointed the serving Ambassador to Greece, Francis Hall, as the non-resident accredited high commissioner to Cyprus from 19 April 1973. [3] In July 1975, the Australian Government announced the establishment of a resident High Commission in Nicosia, initially under an acting high commissioner. [4] The first resident high commissioner, Mary McPherson, commenced office from 9 February 1982. [5]

Heads of mission

High commissioners resident in Athens, Greece

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Francis Hall19 April 1973July 1974 [6] [3]
Donald HorneJuly 1974June 1976 [7] [8]
Sir Les Johnson June 1976June 1980 [9] [10]
Marshall Johnston June 19809 February 1982 [11] [12] [13]

Resident high commissioners

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Alister William Savage (Acting)12 August 1975December 1977 [4]
Erica Fielding Grimwade (Acting)December 19779 February 1982 [5]
Mary McPherson 9 February 19824 October 1985 [5]
David Wadham4 October 1985October 1988 [14] [15]
Edward StevensNovember 1988December 1994 [16]
John SullivanJanuary 1995December 1997 [17]
Howard Craig BrownJanuary 1998April 2000 [18]
Franz IngruberApril 2000March 2004 [19]
Garth HuntMarch 2004June 2008 [20]
Evan Williams June 2008August 2011 [21]
Trevor PeacockSeptember 2011September 2015 [22]
Alan SweetmanSeptember 2015September 2018 [23]
Samuel BeeverSeptember 2018December 2021 [24] [25]
Fiona McKergowJanuary 2022present [26] [27]

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References

  1. ↑ CA 8016: Australian High Commission, Cyprus [Nicosia], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 7 January 2016
  2. ↑ "Australian Representation in Cyprus". Current Notes on International Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs. 43 (3): 134–135. March 1972. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 44 (4): 291. April 1973. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  4. 1 2 "High Commission in Cyprus". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 46 (7): 419. July 1975. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 "Diplomatic appointments". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 52 (10): 520. October 1981. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "Foreign Affairs changes". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 12 June 1972. p. 8. Retrieved 6 November 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "High Commissioner to Cyprus". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 45 (4): 288. April 1974. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "Envoy to Greece to change". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 12 April 1974. p. 4. Retrieved 6 November 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Ambassador to Greece". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 47 (4): 221. April 1976. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  10. ↑ "Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 47 (7): 398. July 1976. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  11. ↑ "Ambassadors". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 28 March 1980. p. 3. Retrieved 6 November 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  12. ↑ "Diplomatic appointments". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 51 (3): 79. March 1980. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  13. ↑ "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 51 (7): 264. July 1980. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  14. ↑ "High Commissioner to Cyprus". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 56 (10): 1017. October 1985. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  15. ↑ "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 56 (11): 1160. November 1985. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  16. ↑ "High Commissioner to Cyprus". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 59 (8): 339–340. August 1988. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  17. ↑ Evans, Gareth (1 November 1994). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Downer, Alexander (5 August 1997). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus" (Press release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  19. ↑ Downer, Alexander (31 January 2000). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Comissioner to Cyprus" (Press release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  20. ↑ Downer, Alexander (29 January 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Cyprus" (Press release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  21. ↑ Smith, Stephen (30 April 2008). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Cyprus" (Press release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015.
  22. ↑ Rudd, Kevin (13 June 2011). "Diplomatic appointment - High Commissioner to Cyprus". Minister for Foreign Affairs (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016.
  23. ↑ Bishop, Julie (4 August 2015). "High Commissioner to Cyprus". Minister for Foreign Affairs (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016.
  24. ↑ Payne, Marise (3 September 2018). "High Commissioner to Cyprus" (Press release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  25. ↑ "Australian High Commissioner Sam Beever has paid his farewell visit to President Tatar" (Media Release). Presidency of the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. TRNC Public Information Office. 15 December 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  26. ↑ Payne, Marise (19 October 2021). "High Commissioner to Cyprus" (Press release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original (Media Release) on 29 November 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  27. ↑ "High Commissioner to Cyprus - Ms Fiona McKergow". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
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