List of high commissioners of Australia to Nauru

High Commissioner of Australia to Nauru
Incumbent
Helen Cheney
since September 2021
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHer Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
ResidenceAiwo District
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderJames Jackson
(Representative)
Formation26 August 1968
WebsiteAustralian High Commission, Republic of Nauru

The high commissioner of Australia to Nauru 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 Nauru. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently by Helen Cheney since September 2021. Australia is one of only two countries to have a resident diplomatic mission in Nauru, the other being the embassy of Taiwan.

Posting history

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See also: Australia–Nauru relations

With the end of the Australian trusteeship administration and the formal independence of Nauru on 31 January 1968, the Australian Government appointed a Representative to the small island nation.[1] With the establishment of a resident Australian High Commission on Nauru's admission to the Commonwealth of Nations in 1972, the position also had responsibility as the Commissioner for the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1972–1976) and the Gilbert Islands (1976–1979), and then as the non-resident accredited high commissioner to Kiribati from 1979. In 1981, The Australian Government announced that it would open a resident High Commission in Kiribati, which was achieved in August 1982.[2]

In January 1975, Alan Fogg was appointed Commissioner in Nauru, and also as non-resident commissioner to the Solomon Islands. With the independence of the Solomon Islands in 1978, the resident Australian High Commission was established on 7 July 1978. In December 1981, career diplomat Rodney Hodgson was announced as the next high commissioner to Nauru. However a few weeks later he was killed in a car accident, before he could take up his appointment.[3][4][5]

When the new Commonwealth government of Prime Minister John Howard cut the budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in 1996–97, forcing the closure of the High Commission in Nauru, in July 1997, accreditation for Nauru was transferred to the high commission in Suva, Fiji.[6] From 1997 to 2009, the position of high commissioner was held by the high commissioner resident in Fiji. A Consulate-General in Nauru was opened in 2002, which was subsequently upgraded to a High Commission on 4 August 2009.[1][7]

Heads of mission

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# Officeholder Title Other offices Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 James Jackson Representative n/a Aiwo District 26 August 1968 (1968-08-26) 10 September 1970 (1970-09-10) 2 years, 15 days [8]
2 Richard Gate 10 September 1970 (1970-09-10) 6 September 1972 (1972-09-06) 1 year, 362 days [9][10]
− K. R. Fraser (Acting) 6 September 1972 (1972-09-06) November 1972 (1972-11) 1 month [11]
3 Leslie Sellars High Commissioner A November 1972 (1972-11) December 1974 (1974-12) 2 years, 1 month [12]
4 Alan Fogg AB January 1975 (1975-01) May 1977 (1977-05) 2 years, 4 months [13]
5 Maris King AB May 1977 (1977-05) July 1979 (1979-07) 2 years, 2 months [14][15][16]
6 Oliver Cordell A July 1979 (1979-07) September 1982 (1982-09) 3 years, 2 months [17]
7 Ross Smith n/a September 1982 (1982-09) July 1984 (1984-07) 1 year, 10 months [18][19]
− David Wadham (Acting) July 1984 (1984-07) September 1985 (1985-09) 1 year, 2 months [1]
8 John Powys January 1986 (1986-01) January 1988 (1988-01) 2 years [20]
9 Beris Gwynne January 1988 (1988-01) January 1990 (1990-01) 2 years [21]
10 Barry Wyborn January 1990 (1990-01) February 1992 (1992-02) 2 years, 1 month [22]
11 Denis Fitzgerald February 1992 (1992-02) March 1995 (1995-03) 3 years, 1 month [23]
12 Tom Sinkovits March 1995 (1995-03) 18 July 1997 (1997-07-18) 2 years, 4 months [24]
13 Greg Urwin Suva, Fiji 18 July 1997 (1997-07-18) July 1999 (1999-07) 1 year, 11 months [25]
14 Susan Boyd July 1999 (1999-07) July 2003 (2003-07) 4 years [26]
15 Jennifer Rawson July 2003 (2003-07) January 2007 (2007-01) 3 years, 6 months [27]
16 James Batley January 2007 (2007-01) 2 August 2009 (2009-08-02) 2 years, 7 months [28][29][30]
17 George Fraser C Aiwo District 2 August 2009 (2009-08-02) November 2010 (2010-11) 1 year, 2 months [31][32]
18 Bruce Cowled n/a November 2010 (2010-11) February 2014 (2014-02) 3 years, 3 months [33]
19 Martin Quinn February 2014 (2014-02) December 2015 (2015-12) 1 year, 10 months [34]
20 John Donnelly December 2015 (2015-12) December 2017 (2017-12) 2 years [35]
21 Angela Tierney December 2017 (2017-12) May 2021 (2021-05) 3 years, 5 months [36]
− Andrew Hodges (Acting) May 2021 (2021-05) September 2021 (2021-09) 4 months
22 Helen Cheney September 2021 (2021-09) Incumbent 3 years, 2 months [37][38]

Notes

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^A Also non-resident Commissioner to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1972–1976), Commissioner to the Gilbert Islands (1976–1979), and as High Commissioner to Kiribati (1979–1982).
^B Also non-resident Commissioner to the Solomon Islands, 1975–1978.
^C Prior to appointment as High Commissioner, served as resident Special Representative and Consul-General from 11 October 2005 until 2 August 2009.

References

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  1. ^ a b c CA 7160: Australian High Commission, Nauru, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 9 May 2015
  2. ^ Street, Tony (16 August 1981). "HIGH COMMISSION IN KIRIBATI" (Press release). Australian Government.
  3. ^ "Envoys appointed". The Canberra Times. 2 December 1981. p. 3.
  4. ^ "Diplomat killed". The Sydney Morning Herald. 21 December 1981. p. 1.
  5. ^ "Woman cricketer, father killed". The Canberra Times. 20 December 1981. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Corporate Overview - Overseas Posts". Annual Report 1996/1997 (259). Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: 21. 1997. Retrieved 22 July 2022.
  7. ^ Downer, Alexander (13 May 2003). "Continuation of Australia's Temporary Presence in Nauru". Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original (Media Release) on 13 October 2003. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. 39 (8). Department of External Affairs: 358. August 1968. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
  9. ^ "Diplomatic appointments". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (8). Department of External Affairs: 442. August 1970. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
  10. ^ "Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (9). Department of External Affairs: 513. September 1970. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
  11. ^ "Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. 43 (9). Department of Foreign Affairs: 481. September 1972. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
  12. ^ "Australian Representation—Nauru". Current Notes on International Affairs. 43 (11). Department of Foreign Affairs: 585. November 1972. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  13. ^ "New Man in Nauru". Pacific Islands Monthly. 46 (2): 13. February 1975. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  14. ^ "Diplomatic Appointments". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (1). Department of Foreign Affairs: 51. January 1977. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  15. ^ "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (5). Department of Foreign Affairs: 276. May 1977. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  16. ^ "Foreign Affairs posting". The Canberra Times. 17 January 1977. p. 3.
  17. ^ "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 50 (7). Department of Foreign Affairs: 452. July 1979. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  18. ^ "Commissioner to Nauru appointed". The Canberra Times. 24 August 1982. p. 3.
  19. ^ Street, Tony (23 August 1982). "Diplomatic appointment: Nauru" (Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
  20. ^ Hayden, Bill (31 December 1985). "Diplomatic appointment - Nauru" (Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
  21. ^ Duffy, Michael (14 April 1988). "Diplomatic appointment - Nauru" (Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
  22. ^ Evans, Gareth (30 November 1989). "Diplomatic Appointment: Nauru" (Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
  23. ^ Blewett, Neal (19 December 1991). "Diplomatic appointment: Nauru" (Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
  24. ^ Evans, Gareth (3 February 1995). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to the Republic of Nauru" (Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 24 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
  25. ^ Evans, Gareth (10 March 1995). "Diplomatic appointment: Fiji and Tuvalu" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  26. ^ Downer, Alexander (8 June 1999). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to Fiji" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  27. ^ Downer, Alexander (29 May 2003). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to Fiji" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  28. ^ Downer, Alexander (9 January 2007). "Diplomatic appointment – High Commissioner to Fiji" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  29. ^ Hayward-Jones, Jenny (4 November 2009). "Another diplomatic spat with Fiji". Lowy Interpreter. Lowy Institute for International Policy.
  30. ^ Merritt, Chris (4 November 2009). "Fiji expels high commissioner". The Australian. News Ltd. Retrieved 27 February 2015.
  31. ^ Smith, Stephen (12 January 2010). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Nauru" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  32. ^ "APPOINTMENT OF CONSUL-GENERAL AND SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AUSTRALIA IN NAURU" (Media Release). Republic of Nauru Government Gazette. 12 October 2005. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  33. ^ Smith, Stephen (8 September 2010). "Diplomatic Appointment – High Commissioner to Nauru" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015.
  34. ^ Bishop, Julie (13 February 2014). "High Commissioner to Nauru" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015.
  35. ^ Bishop, Julie (26 November 2015). "High Commissioner to Nauru" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016.
  36. ^ Bishop, Julie (27 November 2017). "High Commissioner to Nauru" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019.
  37. ^ "Australian High Commissioner to Nauru presents credentials" (Press release). Australian Government. 7 October 2021.
  38. ^ Payne, Marise (25 June 2021). "High Commissioner to Nauru". Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original (Media Release) on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
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