List of high commissioners of Australia to Ghana

Last updated

High Commissioner of Australia to Ghana
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Berenice Owen-Jones, official portrait as Australian High Commissioner to Ghana (2022).jpg
since 6 July 2022 (2022-07-06)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style Her Excellency
Reports to Minister for Foreign Affairs
Residence Accra
Nominator Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder Stewart Wolfe Jamieson
Formation21 February 1958
Website Australian High Commission, Ghana

The high commissioner of Australia to Ghana 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 Accra, Ghana. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Berenice Owen-Jones since 6 July 2022. The ambassador also holds non-resident accreditation as high commissioner to Sierra Leone (1981–1985, since 2004), and Togo (since 2009), and as ambassador to Burkina Faso (since 2008), Côte d'Ivoire (1974–1985, since 2004), Mali (since 2004), Senegal (1974–1985, since 2004), Liberia (since 2008), and Guinea (since 2008). Non-resident accreditation as high commissioner to The Gambia was also held from 1982 to 1985, and from 2004 to 2008. Australia maintained a High Commission in Accra from 1957 to 1985, at which point accreditation was held by the high commissioner in Nigeria. The High Commission was re-established in 2004. [1]

Contents

Posting history

Australia was one of the first countries to recognise Ghana on its independence from 6 March 1957. The Australian Government sent Frederick Osborne, the Minister for Air, and Keith Brennan from the Department of External Affairs, as well as three RAAF Lockheed P-2 Neptune aircraft, to attend and participate in the independence celebrations from 2–10 March. [2] On 27 August 1957, the Minister for External Affairs, Richard Casey, announced the establishment of an Australian High Commission in Accra. [3] On 16 October 1957, Stewart Wolfe Jamieson was announced as the first high commissioner, who assumed duty on 21 February 1958 based in the Ambassador Hotel Accra. [4] [5] [6]

On 19 August 1974, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Don Willesee, announced the appointment of the high commissioner in Ghana, David Evans, as Australia's first ambassador to Senegal and Ivory Coast, marking the establishment of diplomatic relations with these countries. [7] In October 1981, the high commissioner received non-resident accreditation as the first high commissioner to Sierra Leone. [8] In February 1982, high commissioner Anthony Dingle, presented his commission as Australia's first high commissioner to The Gambia. [9] However, in March 1985 the Foreign Minister, Bill Hayden, announced that due to budgetary pressures and as part of a rearrangement of Australian diplomatic representation in Africa, the high commission in Accra would be closed, with accreditation transferred to High Commission in Nigeria. [10] On his decision, Hayden noted the following to the Australian Parliament's Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence: "The decision to close the High Commission in Accra was not easy. Australia values its good relationship with Ghana and has no wish to give the impression that it is not concerned with or interested in the issues of the area. I have assured the Ghanaian Government that Australia looks forward to maintaining close relations through the accreditation of a non-resident high commissioner." [11]

On 30 June 2004, Foreign Minister Alexander Downer announced the official reopening of the Australian High Commission in Accra, with non-resident accreditation for Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Senegal and Sierra Leone being transferred from the High Commission in Nigeria. [12] In September 2008 the governments of Australia and Liberia agreed to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassador level, with high commissioner Billy Williams becoming Australia's first Ambassador to Liberia from February 2009. [13] [14]

Heads of mission

#OfficeholderOther officesResidencyTerm start dateTerm end dateTime in officeNotes
1 Stewart Wolfe Jamieson n/a Accra 21 February 195819 February 19601 year, 363 days [4] [5]
Murray Bourchier (Acting)19 February 19605 May 19602 months [15]
2 Bertram Ballard 9 May 196017 April 19621 year, 343 days [16] [17] [18]
Nick Evers (Acting)17 April 19623 March 1963320 days [19]
Barrie Dexter (Acting)3 March 1963July 19652 years, 3 months [20] [21]
3 John Ryan July 1965October 19672 years, 3 months [22] [23] [24]
4 Richard Woolcott 31 October 19673 October 19702 years, 337 days [25] [26] [27]
5 John McMillan 3 October 1970June 19732 years, 7 months [28] [29] [30]
6R. J. PercivalJune 1973June 19741 year [31] [32]
7David Evans A B June 1974August 19773 years, 2 months [33] [34] [7] [35]
8John McCredie A B August 1977July 19802 years, 11 months [36] [37]
9Anthony Dingle A B C D July 1980July 19833 years [38] [8] [9]
10Geoffrey Allen A B C D July 198320 March 19851 year, 8 months [39] [40]
11 Allan Taylor n/a Abuja, Nigeria 20 March 1985June 19861 year, 2 months [41]
12Hugh Wyndham11 June 1986June 19892 years, 11 months [42] [43]
13Oliver Cordell20 June 1989April 19933 years, 9 months [44] [45]
14Howard BrownApril 1993September 19974 years, 5 months [46] [47]
15 Matthew Neuhaus October 1997January 20013 years, 3 months [48]
16Bob WhittyJanuary 2001February 20043 years, 1 month [49]
17Iain DickeFebruary 200430 June 20044 months [50]
18Jon Richardson A B C D E F Accra30 June 2004February 20083 years, 7 months [51] [12] [52]
19Billy Williams A B C E F G H I February 2008December 20124 years, 10 months [53] [54]
20Joanna Adamson A B C E F G H I January 2013June 20163 years, 5 months [55] [56] [57]
21Andrew Barnes A B C E F G H I June 2016June 20204 years [58] [59]
22Gregory Andrews A B C E F G H I July 202020 December 20211 year, 5 months [60] [61] [62] [63] [64]
23 Berenice Owen-Jones A B C E F G H I 6 July 2022Incumbent2 years, 53 days [65]

Notes

^A : Also non-resident Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, 1974–1985 and 2004–present.
^B : Also non-resident Ambassador to Senegal, 1974–1985 and 2004–present.
^C : Also non-resident High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, 1981–1985 and 2004–present.
^D : Also non-resident High Commissioner to The Gambia, 1982–1985, 2004–2008.
^E : Also non-resident Ambassador to Mali, 2004–present.
^F : Also non-resident Ambassador (2009–2022) and High Commissioner (2022–present) to Togo.
^G : Also non-resident Ambassador to Burkina Faso, 2008–present.
^H : Also non-resident Ambassador to Liberia, 2008–present.
^I : Also non-resident Ambassador to Guinea, 2008–present.

References

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