List of high commissioners of Australia to India

Last updated

High Commissioner of Australia to India
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Philip Green (1).jpg
Incumbent
Philip Green
since 1 July 2023 (2023-07-01)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style His Excellency
Reports to Minister for Foreign Affairs
Seat New Delhi
Nominator Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder Iven Mackay
Formation2 November 1943
Website Australian High Commission, New Delhi – India, Bhutan
The Australian High Commission in New Delhi Australian High Commission in New Delhi.jpg
The Australian High Commission in New Delhi
High Commissioner Harinder Sidhu presenting her commission to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, on 4 April 2016. The High Commissioner-designate of Australia, Ms. Harinder Kaur Sidhu presenting her Credential to the President, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on April 04, 2016.jpg
High Commissioner Harinder Sidhu presenting her commission to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, on 4 April 2016.

The high commissioner of Australia to India is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia to India in New Delhi. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Philip Green, since 1 July 2023. The high commissioner also holds non-resident accreditation as Ambassador to Bhutan since diplomatic relations were established on 14 September 2002. [1] [2] On 21 May 2020, O'Farrell presented his commission to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, in India's first-ever virtual credentials ceremony. [3] On 7 October 2022, O'Farrell presented his credentials as ambassador to the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, at Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu. [4]

Contents

History

In December 1939, the federal government appointed Roy Gollan as its first official trade representative in India, based in Calcutta. An assistant trade commissioner was later appointed in New Delhi, while Australian interests were also represented on the Eastern Group Supply Council during World War II, establishing "a firm Australian presence in India in the 1940s". [5]

The Australian Government has offered diplomatic representation in India since 1943. [6] Between 1960 and 1986, the high commissioner also had non-resident accreditation as Ambassador to Nepal. A resident Australian Embassy in Nepal was opened on 27 April 1984, but the first resident ambassador was not appointed until 4 May 1986. [7] [8] [9] The high commission's work is assisted by multiple consulates throughout the country that have visiting and reporting responsibilities, as well as handling consular and trade matters for the high commission.

List of high commissioners

#OfficeholderOther officesTerm start dateTerm end dateTime in officeNotes
1 Iven Mackay n/a2 November 194329 May 19484 years, 209 days [10] [11] [12] [13]
Charles Kevin (Acting)29 May 194815 January 1949231 days [14]
2 Roy Gollan 15 January 1949March 19523 years, 1 month [15] [16] [17] [18]
3 Walter Crocker March 195219 March 19553 years [19] [20]
D. J. Munro (Acting)19 March 195522 April 195534 days [21]
4 Peter Heydon 22 April 195513 November 19583 years, 205 days [22] [23] [24]
5 Walter Crocker A 13 November 195815 March 19623 years, 122 days [25] [26] [27]
Kevin Thomas Kelly (Acting) A 15 March 196210 June 196287 days [28]
Bill Pritchett (Acting) A 10 June 196221 February 1963256 days [29] [30] [31]
6 James Plimsoll A 21 February 196328 January 19651 year, 342 days [32] [33]
7 Arthur Tange A 28 January 196525 January 19704 years, 362 days [34]
Rob Laurie (Acting) A 25 January 19701 March 197035 days [35]
8 Patrick Shaw A 1 March 197026 September 19733 years, 209 days [36] [37] [38]
9 Bruce Grant A 26 September 197315 December 19752 years, 80 days [39] [40]
10 Peter Curtis A 26 February 19765 December 19793 years, 282 days [41]
11 Gordon Upton A 5 December 197931 May 19844 years, 178 days [42]
12 Graham Feakes A 31 May 1984November 19906 years, 5 months [43] [44]
13David Evansn/aNovember 1990February 19943 years, 3 months [45]
14Darren GribbleFebruary 199425 July 19973 years, 5 months [46]
15Rob Laurie257 July 199728 August 20014 years, 34 days [47]
16 Penny Wensley B 28 August 20019 August 20042 years, 347 days [48]
17 John McCarthy B 9 August 20048 June 20094 years, 303 days [49]
18 Peter Varghese B 8 June 200930 December 20123 years, 205 days [50]
19Patrick Suckling B 30 December 201211 February 20163 years, 43 days [51] [52] [53]
20 Harinder Sidhu B 11 February 201618 February 20204 years, 7 days [54]
21 Barry O'Farrell B 21 May 202030 June 20234 years, 99 days [55]
22 Philip Green 1 July 20231 year, 58 days

Notes

^A : Also non-resident Ambassador to Nepal, 1960–1986.
^B : Also non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan, 2002–present.

Consuls-general

LocationOpen Consular district
Consulate-General, Mumbai 1967/1979 Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa
Consulate-General, Chennai 2007 Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry
Consulate-General, Kolkata 1970/2019 West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura
Consulate-General, Bengaluru TBD [56] [57]

Mumbai

The consulate-general was first opened in Bombay on the 21 August 1967, initially with a Deputy High Commissioner in charge until 1973, but was closed on the 30 April 1976 due to financial constraints, [58] before being reopened on 6 February 1979. [59] An Australian Trade Commission had been located in the city since 1939, with Roy Gollan (later high commissioner) serving as trade commissioner from 1939 to 1948. [60] [61]

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
John Melhuish (DHC)21 August 196724 February 1973 [59] [62]
Thomas Venables Holland (DHC)24 February 197313 May 1973 [59]
C. A. Bromwich (DHC)13 May 19736 March 1975 [59]
Eric Hanfield6 March 197530 April 1976 [59]
Consulate closed
Robert Jolly (acting)6 February 19794 October 1979 [59]
John Dalrymple Colquhoun-Denvers4 October 197915 April 1982 [59]
Ian Tricks15 April 198213 December 1984 [59]
G. R. Hawker13 December 198412 December 1986 [59]
Gavan Bromilow12 December 198614 December 1989 [59]
Stephanie Daly14 December 198910 January 1992 [59]
J. N. Elliot10 January 1992May 1993 [59]
Christopher QuirkJune 19931997 [59]
19972006
Peter ForbyJuly 20066 July 2010 [63]
Stephen Waters6 July 2010September 2013 [63]
Mark PierceSeptember 201319 August 2016 [64]
Tony Huber19 August 201625 February 2020 [65]
Greg Wilcock25 February 202014 April 2021 [66]
Peter Truswell14 April 2021date [67]

Kolkata

On 18 June 1970, the post was originally opened as the Deputy High Commission, Calcutta, to replace the Trade Commission which had existed in the city since 1939. Like the Bombay post, the Deputy High Commission was downgraded to a consulate-general on 13 May 1973, before being closed in April 1976 due to budget constraints. [68] [58]

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Douglas Sturkey (DHC)18 June 19706 June 1972 [69]
Brian Meade (DHC/CG)6 June 197212 February 1975
Rodney Hodgson12 February 197530 April 1976
Consulate closed
Andrew Ford10 January 2019April 2021 [70] [71]
Rowan Ainsworth14 April 2021January 2024 [72]
Hugh BoylanJanuary 2024Current [73]

Chennai

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Aminur RahmanJanuary 2007July 2010 [74]
David HollyJuly 2010January 2014 [74]
Sean KellyJanuary 2014November 2017 [75]
Susan GraceNovember 2017March 2021 [76]
Sarah KirlewMarch 2021date [77]

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