List of ambassadors of Australia to East Timor

Last updated

Ambassador of Australia to
Timor-Leste
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Incumbent
Peter Roberts OAM
since 4 January 2018
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style His Excellency
Reports to Minister for Foreign Affairs
Residence Dili
Nominator Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer Governor-General of Australia
Inaugural holderJames Batley
Formation
  • 8 June 1999 (Consulate)
  • 30 May 2002 (Embassy)
Website Australian Embassy in Timor-Leste

The ambassador of Australia to Timor-Leste is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to Timor-Leste. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and the embassy in Dili has been operating since 1999 when a consulate was established in the Indonesian Province of Timor Timur and upgraded in May 2002. [1]

Contents

Posting history

Representation in Portuguese Timor

The Australian diplomatic presence in East Timor dates back to 13 April 1941, when Group Captain David Ross, was officially appointed as a Technical Representative of the Australian Department of Civil Aviation in Dili, the capital of Portuguese Timor, officially tasked with managing the Qantas Empire Airways Flying boat route to Dili, which had been established in January 1941. Ross had also been secretly tasked by the Australian Government from 5 November 1941 to act as Australia's representative in the colony to report on any matters relating to the political situation there. At the instigation of Herbert Evatt, Minister for External Affairs, Ross was also serving as the British Consul in Dili and was later arrested when Japanese forces invaded the colony in February 1942. [2] The establishment of a consulate with Ross as its head had been mooted prior to the Japanese invasion. [3]

With the end of the war and the return of Portuguese authority to Timor, the Australian Government established a consulate in Dili, commencing operations on 1 January 1946 with the appointment of Charles Eaton as consul. [4] Australia had been approached by the Portuguese Government of António de Oliveira Salazar to accept the establishment of an embassy in Canberra, but this was not approved, with Australia citing that it was unable to reciprocate owing to a lack of resources, instead suggesting an Australian consulate in Dili, which was agreed to. [5] Prior to the establishment of an Australian Embassy in Portugal in 1970, the consulate dealt with various matters relating to Australia's relations with Portugal. Following the establishment of the embassy in Lisbon, the consulate became much less important and on 3 May 1971, the Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs, Reginald Swartz, announced the consulate's closure, which took effect on 31 August 1971. [2]

In August 1975, the Foreign Affairs Caucus Committee of the Australian Labor Party visited Timor and produced a report noting that Governor Mário Lemos Pires had made several requests for the consulate to be reopened: "We asked for a consul in November [1974] and have asked about ten times since. Mr Taylor of the Australian Embassy [in Jakarta] was asked last week. [Australian Ambassador] Mr Woolcott was asked this week. We have asked Lisbon and I believe Dr Matias, Portuguese Ambassador in Canberra, has, or will be, asking again in Australia." Governor Pires also noted to the committee that these requests were made in order to make Australia more able to engage with the increasingly unstable situation in the colony prior to the Indonesian invasion of East Timor: "At present Australia cannot compensate for Indonesian propaganda or understand the day-to-day happenings in the colony." [6]

Indonesian Timor and independence

Graffiti on the outside wall of the Australian Embassy in Dili Timor Oil Graffiti.jpg
Graffiti on the outside wall of the Australian Embassy in Dili

In early April 1999 Prime Minister John Howard and Indonesian President B. J. Habibie met in Bali to discuss matters relating to the unrest in the Province of Timor, which had Indonesian-occupied since Timor's brief independence from Portugal in 1975. Howard initially requested Habibie to agree to a peacekeeping force in the province, which was refused, but Habibie agreed to allowing the establishment of an Australian Consulate in Dili. [7] On 4 June 1999 Foreign Minister Alexander Downer announced the appointment of James Batley as consul in Dili, noting that the consulate "will allow us to service the consular needs of the increasing number of Australians in East Timor, and will facilitate Australia's considerable support to the United Nations Assistance Mission in East Timor." [8] However, with the establishment of the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) on 25 October 1999, Batley's role was changed to be Australia's Head of Mission to the UNTAET and following independence was appointed as Australia's first ambassador on 20 May 2002, the first foreign diplomatic appointment to the new Republic of Timor-Leste. [9]

Lists of officeholders

Consuls in Portuguese Timor

#NameTerm start dateTerm end dateTime in officeNotes
1 Charles Eaton 1 January 194618 October 19471 year, 290 days [10]
2Doug White18 October 194724 June 19502 years, 249 days
3N. Elliot (Vice Consul)7 January 195126 February 19521 year, 50 days [10]
4Francis Whittaker4 November 195327 November 19596 years, 23 days [10]
5W. A. Luscombe27 November 195924 January 19622 years, 58 days
6 James Dunn 24 January 196212 August 19642 years, 201 days
D. W. Milton (Acting)12 August 196416 December 19651 year, 126 days
7John Colquhoun-Denvers16 December 196527 November 19682 years, 347 days
8Max Berman27 November 196820 January 19701 year, 54 days
9G. W. Shannon20 January 197014 January 1971359 days
10D. W. Milton14 January 197131 August 1971229 days
Closure of consulate

Heads of mission

#NameOfficeTerm startTerm endTime in officeNotes
1James BatleyConsul/Head of Mission8 June 199920 May 20022 years, 356 days [8] [11]
Ambassador20 May 200230 May 2002
2Paul Foley30 May 20027 April 20041 year, 313 days [1]
3 Margaret Twomey 7 April 200420083–4 years [12]
4Peter Heyward200820112–3 years [13]
5Miles Armitage201120142–3 years [14] [15]
6Peter Doyle12 February 20144 January 20183 years, 326 days [16] [17]
7Peter Roberts OAM 4 January 2018incumbent5 years, 217 days [18]
7Bill CostelloApril 2021incumbentError: Need valid year, month, day
7Bryce Hutchesson, Charge d’affairesSeptember 2022Error: Need valid year, month, day
7John Feakes, charge D’affairesDecember 2022incumbentError: Need valid year, month, day
7Caitlin Wilson, Charge d’affairesApril 2023incumbentError: Need valid year, month, day

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of East Timor</span> Account of the country of East Timor

East Timor, officially the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The country comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor and the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco. The first inhabitants are thought to be descendant of Australoid and Melanesian peoples. The Portuguese began to trade with Timor by the early 16th century and colonised it throughout the mid-century. Skirmishing with the Dutch in the region eventually resulted in an 1859 treaty for which Portugal ceded the western half of the island. Imperial Japan occupied East Timor during World War II, but Portugal resumed colonial authority after the Japanese surrender.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1999 East Timorese crisis</span> Pro-Indonesian attacks in East Timor after an independence referendum

The 1999 East Timorese crisis began with attacks by pro-Indonesia militia groups on civilians, and expanded to general violence throughout the country, centred in the capital Dili. The violence intensified after a majority of eligible East Timorese voters chose independence from Indonesia. Some 1,400 civilians are believed to have died. A UN-authorized force (INTERFET) consisting mainly of Australian Defence Force personnel was deployed to East Timor to establish and maintain peace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Timor–Indonesia relations</span> Bilateral relations

East Timor and Indonesia established diplomatic relations in 2002. Both share the island of Timor. Indonesia invaded the former Portuguese colony in 1975 and annexed East Timor in 1976, maintaining East Timor as its 27th province until a United Nations-sponsored referendum in 1999, in which the people of East Timor chose independence. Following a United Nations interim administration, East Timor gained independence in 2002. Indonesia has an embassy in Dili. East Timor has an embassy in Jakarta and consulates in Denpasar and Kupang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Consulate General of Australia, Hong Kong</span> Consular representation of Australia in the Peoples Republic of China

The Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong and Macao represents the Commonwealth of Australia in Hong Kong, and is also accredited to Macau. As Hong Kong was linked to the Commonwealth during British administration, Australia's diplomatic presence was exercised by an Australian Commission, until 1 January 1986, when it was renamed the Australian Consulate-General. From 1946 to 1972, Australia was represented by the Australian Trade Commission.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Consulate-General, Noumea</span>

The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea, New Caledonia represents the Commonwealth of Australia in New Caledonia, a special collectivity of France, and is also accredited to the Pacific French Overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna. The Consul-General also serves as Australia's representative to the Noumea-based Pacific Community. The Consulate-General, one of four in New Caledonia, has since 1976 had its offices at 19 avenue du Maréchal Foch, Nouméa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Timor independence</span> Milestone in the history of East Timor

East Timor independence formally occurred on 20 May 2002.

References

  1. 1 2 Downer, Alexander (30 May 2002). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to East Timor" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  2. 1 2 Metcalf, Karl (2001), "Chapter 2: External Affairs records", Near Neighbours: Records on Australia's Relations with Indonesia, Canberra: National Archives of Australia, archived from the original on 30 August 2014
  3. "REPRESENTATION IN TIMOR". The Advertiser (Adelaide) . South Australia. 25 November 1941. p. 8. Retrieved 25 June 2016 via National Library of Australia.
  4. "CONSUL IN TIMOR". Tweed Daily . Vol. XXXIII, no. 23. New South Wales, Australia. 26 January 1946. p. 3. Retrieved 25 June 2016 via National Library of Australia.
  5. NAA: A1838, 377/1/1 Part 4.
  6. Mário Lemos Pires quoted in Scott, David, 'Last Flight Out of Dili: Memoirs of an Accidental Activist in the Triumph of East Timor', Melbourne: Pluto Press, 2005, p.305.
  7. Cotton, James (2004). East Timor, Australia and Regional Order: Intervention and Its Aftermath in Southeast Asia. Routledge. p. 119.
  8. 1 2 Downer, Alexander (4 June 1999). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul in Dili" (Press release). Australian Government.
  9. AAP (20 May 2002). "Downer announces new ambassador to East Timor". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  10. 1 2 3 Latham, Mark; Downer, Alexander (30 March 1999). "Questions: Australian Consulate, Dili: Closure" (Hansard). Australian House of Representatives . Parliament of Australia . Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  11. Downer, Alexander (20 May 2002). "Diplomatic Appointment: First Ambassador to East Timor" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  12. Downer, Alexander (7 April 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to East Timor" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  13. Downer, Alexander (4 October 2007). "Diplomatic Appointment - Ambassador to East Timor" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  14. Rudd, Kevin (17 November 2010). "Diplomatic Appointment - Ambassador to East Timor" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  15. Dodd, Mark (18 November 2010). "Miles Armitage new Australian ambassador to East Timor". The Australian. News Ltd.
  16. Bishop, Julie (12 February 2014). "Ambassador To Timor-Leste" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 August 2014.
  17. "Tough times for new East Timor ambassador". News.com.au. News Ltd. 12 February 2014. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014.
  18. Bishop, Julie (4 January 2018). "Ambassador To Timor-Leste" (Press release). Australian Government.

Further reading