The first official Australian presence in Zimbabwe dates back to December 1954, when an Office of the Australian Trade Commission was established in Salisbury, the capital of the British Colony of Southern Rhodesia and the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, as a response to increasing Australian business interest and activity in the region.[2][3][4][5] The Assistant Trade Commissioner in South Africa, Gordon Knight, was appointed the first Trade Commissioner to the Federation in Salisbury.[6][7] The Trade Commission office remained until its closure in December 1965, following Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence on 11 November 1965.
Following the conclusion of the Lancaster House Agreement that would allow for the independence of Zimbabwe in December 1979, an Australian Liaison Office (headed by career diplomat Charles Mott as the Special Representative[8]) was established in Salisbury on 23 December 1979, to "assist the Ceasefire Monitoring Contingent and election observers with political support and advice, and to serve as a direct point of contact between the Australian Government and the British Authorities in Salisbury."[2] With the formal independence of Zimbabwe and the election of a new government under Prime Minister Robert Mugabe, the Australian Liaison Office was formally upgraded to the status of High Commission from 18 April 1980.[2][9] The first Australian high commissioner to Zimbabwe, Jeremy Hearder, presented his letters of commission to the President of Zimbabwe, Canaan Banana, on 15 May 1980.[10] On 13 August 1981, Hearder was appointed as the non-resident high commissioner to Botswana, taking the post over from the Australian Embassy in South Africa.[11] Hearder also received non-resident accreditation as Australia's first ambassador to Mozambique from 7 June 1982.[12]
Relations between the two countries began to sour when the government in Zimbabwe began its controversial land reform programme, occupying farms owned by members of Zimbabwe's white minority, sometimes by force. Following evidence of violence and intimidation in the 2002 Presidential election, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, alongside South African president, Thabo Mbeki, and the Nigerian president, Olusegun Obasanjo, led efforts which resulted in Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations in 2002–2003.[13] With the voluntary departure of Zimbabwe from Commonwealth of Nations on 7 December 2003, the High Commission became an Embassy.
Zambia high commissionEdit
The Australian High Commission to Zambia in Lusaka, was opened on 1 August 1980 with the appointment of Michael Potts as the first acting high commissioner. However, from 18 May 1972 until 24 February 1983 the high commissioner resident in Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania, remained accredited to the country.[14] When the first resident high commissioner in Zambia, Ian James, was appointed in February 1983, responsibility for relations with Malawi, which had been held by the high commissioner to Tanzania since its independence in 1964,[15] was transferred to the new high commission in Lusaka, and he presented credentials as the first high commissioner to Malawi on 1 July 1983.[16][17] On 30 May 1988, the high commissioner Edwin Ride presented his credentials as non-resident ambassador to the President of Angola, José Eduardo dos Santos, marking the establishment of diplomatic relations between Angola and Australia.[18] When the high commission was closed for budgetary reasons on 14 June 1991, responsibility for relations with Zambia, alongside non-resident accreditation for Malawi and Angola, was transferred to the High Commission in Harare.[19]
^CA 7782: Australian High Commission, Zimbabwe [Harare], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 23 January 2016
^ abc"Australia-Zimbabwe". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 51 (4): 84–88. April 1980. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"Trade posts established". The Advocate. Burnie, Tasmania. 21 September 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 17 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"TRADE WITH SOUTH-EAST ASIA". Cairns Post. Queensland, Australia. 6 November 1954. p. 4. Retrieved 17 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"New Trade Commissioner Posts: Statement by the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture, the Rt. Hon. J. McEwen, 20th September, 1954". Current Notes on International Affairs. 25 (9): 647–648. September 1954. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"Reshuffle of Trade Posts". The Age. No. 31, 085. Victoria, Australia. 18 December 1954. p. 3. Retrieved 17 October 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"G. P. H. Knight". Overseas Trading. 7 (4): 10. 30 December 1954. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^ ab"Rhodesia". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 51 (1): 670–671. December 1979. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"Australian representation in Zimbabwe and Zambia". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 51 (3): 78. March 1980. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 51 (5): 176. May 1980. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"Botswana: Australian High Commissioner". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 52 (8): 418. August 1981. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"Australian Ambassador to Mozambique". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 53 (6): 382. June 1982. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^Katwala, Sunder; Oliver, Mark (21 March 2002). "Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
^"Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs. 43 (5): 263. May 1972. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^"Independence of Malawi". Current Notes on International Affairs. Department of External Affairs. 35 (7): 52. July 1964. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ ab"Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. National Library of Australia (Trove): Department of Foreign Affairs. 54 (7): 376. July 1983. Retrieved 10 November 2022.
^"Australia and Africa". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs. 53 (11): 663. November 1982. Retrieved 31 October 2022. Our mission in Lusaka has been operating under an Acting High Commissioner, but is soon to be upgraded to a full High Commission. It will then take over responsibility for Malawi. It currently has visiting and reporting responsibilities for Angola and we anticipate it will be responsible for Namibia once that country achieves independence. Our post in Harare has accreditation to Botswana and Mozambique.
^"Australia establishes formal diplomatic relations with Angola". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 59 (6): 257. June 1988. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ abcCA 7590: Australian High Commission, Zambia [Lusaka], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 23 January 2016
^Fraser, Malcolm (18 April 1980). (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 March 2015.
^"New post for envoy". The Sydney Morning Herald. 27 February 1984. p. 5.
^Hayden, Bill (26 February 1984). "Diplomatic appointment: Zimbabwe" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^Hayden, Bill (15 November 1987). "Diplomatic appointment - Zimbabwe" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"New Ambassador to Turkey named". The Canberra Times. 17 November 1987. p. 3.
^Evans, Gareth (4 April 1990). "Diplomatic appointment - Zimbabwe" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^Evans, Gareth (1 February 1994). "Diplomatic appointment: Southern Africa" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^Downer, Alexander (24 February 1998). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to Zimbabwe" (Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^Downer, Alexander (24 February 1998). (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
^Downer, Alexander (2 March 2001). (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
^Downer, Alexander (17 June 2004). (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
^Downer, Alexander (8 August 2007). (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
^Rudd, Kevin (22 October 2010). (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 1 March 2015.
^Bishop, Julie (6 March 2015). (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015.
^Bishop, Julie (8 January 2018). (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 16 March 2018.
^Machivenyika, Firarai (13 April 2018). "6 envoys present credentials". The Herald. Zimbabwe. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
^Wong, Penny (20 December 2022). . Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original (Media Release) on 20 December 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
^"Zambia: Resident High Commissioner Appointed". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 54 (1): 48–49. January 1983. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"High Commissioner to Zambia". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 57 (10): 968. October 1986. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
^"Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 58 (1): 36. January 1987. Retrieved 9 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^"High Commissioner to Zambia". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 59 (9): 391. September 1988. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
External linksEdit
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Australian Embassy Zimbabwe
October 18, 2023
list, ambassadors, australia, zimbabwe, ambassador, australia, zimbabwe, known, from, 1980, 2003, high, commissioner, australia, zimbabwe, officer, australian, department, foreign, affairs, trade, head, embassy, commonwealth, australia, republic, zimbabwe, pos. The ambassador of Australia to Zimbabwe known from 1980 to 2003 as the high commissioner of Australia to Zimbabwe is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Republic of Zimbabwe The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Bronte Moules since 8 January 2018 The ambassador also holds non resident accreditation as high commissioner to Zambia and Malawi since 1991 and as ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo since 1998 and the Republic of the Congo since 2015 1 Non resident accreditation has also previously been held for Botswana 1981 2004 Mozambique 1982 2004 Angola 1990 2010 and Namibia 1990 2004 Ambassador of Australia to ZimbabweIncumbentBronte Moulessince 8 January 2018Department of Foreign Affairs and TradeStyleHer ExcellencyReports toMinister for Foreign AffairsResidence1 Green Close Borrowdale HarareNominatorPrime Minister of AustraliaAppointerGovernor General of AustraliaInaugural holderCharles Mott Special Representative Jeremy Hearder High Commissioner Formation18 April 1980WebsiteAustralian Embassy Zimbabwe Contents 1 Posting history 1 1 Zambia high commission 2 Heads of mission 2 1 Resident High Commissioners to Zambia 2 2 Notes 3 See also 4 References 5 External linksPosting history EditMain article Australia Zimbabwe relations The first official Australian presence in Zimbabwe dates back to December 1954 when an Office of the Australian Trade Commission was established in Salisbury the capital of the British Colony of Southern Rhodesia and the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland as a response to increasing Australian business interest and activity in the region 2 3 4 5 The Assistant Trade Commissioner in South Africa Gordon Knight was appointed the first Trade Commissioner to the Federation in Salisbury 6 7 The Trade Commission office remained until its closure in December 1965 following Rhodesia s Unilateral Declaration of Independence on 11 November 1965 Following the conclusion of the Lancaster House Agreement that would allow for the independence of Zimbabwe in December 1979 an Australian Liaison Office headed by career diplomat Charles Mott as the Special Representative 8 was established in Salisbury on 23 December 1979 to assist the Ceasefire Monitoring Contingent and election observers with political support and advice and to serve as a direct point of contact between the Australian Government and the British Authorities in Salisbury 2 With the formal independence of Zimbabwe and the election of a new government under Prime Minister Robert Mugabe the Australian Liaison Office was formally upgraded to the status of High Commission from 18 April 1980 2 9 The first Australian high commissioner to Zimbabwe Jeremy Hearder presented his letters of commission to the President of Zimbabwe Canaan Banana on 15 May 1980 10 On 13 August 1981 Hearder was appointed as the non resident high commissioner to Botswana taking the post over from the Australian Embassy in South Africa 11 Hearder also received non resident accreditation as Australia s first ambassador to Mozambique from 7 June 1982 12 Relations between the two countries began to sour when the government in Zimbabwe began its controversial land reform programme occupying farms owned by members of Zimbabwe s white minority sometimes by force Following evidence of violence and intimidation in the 2002 Presidential election Australian Prime Minister John Howard alongside South African president Thabo Mbeki and the Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo led efforts which resulted in Zimbabwe s suspension from the Commonwealth of Nations in 2002 2003 13 With the voluntary departure of Zimbabwe from Commonwealth of Nations on 7 December 2003 the High Commission became an Embassy Zambia high commission Edit The Australian High Commission to Zambia in Lusaka was opened on 1 August 1980 with the appointment of Michael Potts as the first acting high commissioner However from 18 May 1972 until 24 February 1983 the high commissioner resident in Dar Es Salaam Tanzania remained accredited to the country 14 When the first resident high commissioner in Zambia Ian James was appointed in February 1983 responsibility for relations with Malawi which had been held by the high commissioner to Tanzania since its independence in 1964 15 was transferred to the new high commission in Lusaka and he presented credentials as the first high commissioner to Malawi on 1 July 1983 16 17 On 30 May 1988 the high commissioner Edwin Ride presented his credentials as non resident ambassador to the President of Angola Jose Eduardo dos Santos marking the establishment of diplomatic relations between Angola and Australia 18 When the high commission was closed for budgetary reasons on 14 June 1991 responsibility for relations with Zambia alongside non resident accreditation for Malawi and Angola was transferred to the High Commission in Harare 19 Heads of mission Edit Officeholder Title Other offices Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes Charles Mott Special Representative 23 December 1979 1979 12 23 18 April 1980 1980 04 18 117 days 8 1 Jeremy Hearder High Commissioner AB 18 April 1980 1980 04 18 26 February 1984 1984 02 26 3 years 314 days 20 2 Alan Edwards AB 26 February 1984 1984 02 26 15 November 1987 1987 11 15 3 years 262 days 21 22 3 Philip Peters ABC 15 November 1987 1987 11 15 4 April 1990 1990 04 04 2 years 140 days 23 24 4 Jonathon Thwaites ABCDEF 4 April 1990 1990 04 04 1 February 1994 1994 02 01 3 years 303 days 25 5 Kerry Sibraa ABCDEFG 1 February 1994 1994 02 01 24 February 1998 1998 02 24 4 years 23 days 26 6 Denise Fisher ABCDEFG 24 February 1998 1998 02 24 2 March 2001 2001 03 02 3 years 6 days 27 28 7 Jonathan Brown ABCDEFG 2 March 2001 2001 03 02 7 December 2003 2003 12 07 3 years 107 days 29 Ambassador ABCDEFG 7 December 2003 2003 12 07 17 June 2004 2004 06 17 8 Jon Sheppard DEFG 17 June 2004 2004 06 17 8 August 2007 2007 08 08 3 years 52 days 30 9 John Courtney DEFG 8 August 2007 2007 08 08 22 October 2010 2010 10 22 3 years 75 days 31 10 Matthew Neuhaus DEG 22 October 2010 2010 10 22 6 March 2015 2015 03 06 4 years 135 days 32 11 Suzanne McCourt DEGH 6 March 2015 2015 03 06 8 January 2018 2018 01 08 2 years 308 days 33 12 Bronte Moules DEGH 12 April 2018 2018 04 12 Incumbent 5 years 182 days 34 35 36 13 Minoli Perera DEGH TBD Incoming 37 Resident High Commissioners to Zambia Edit For the non resident accredited high commissioners to Zambia resident in Tanzania from 1972 to 1983 see Australian High Commissioners to Kenya Officeholder Other offices Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes Michael Potts Acting 1 August 1980 1980 08 01 24 February 1983 1983 02 24 2 years 207 days 19 5 Ian James E 7 January 1983 1983 01 07 3 October 1986 1986 10 03 3 years 269 days 38 16 6 Edwin Ride EF 3 October 1986 1986 10 03 29 September 1988 1988 09 29 1 year 362 days 39 40 7 Helen Ware EF 29 September 1988 1988 09 29 May 1991 1991 05 2 years 7 months 41 8 D L Holt EF May 1991 1991 05 14 June 1991 1991 06 14 1 month 19 Notes Edit A Also non resident High Commissioner to Botswana 1981 2004 B Also non resident Ambassador 1982 1995 and High Commissioner 1995 2004 to Mozambique C Also non resident High Commissioner to Namibia 1990 2004 D Also non resident High Commissioner to Zambia 1991 present E Also non resident High Commissioner to Malawi 1983 1991 Lusaka 1991 present Harare F Also non resident Ambassador to Angola 1988 1991 Lusaka 1991 2010 Harare G Also non resident Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of the Congo 1998 present H Also non resident Ambassador to the Republic of the Congo 2015 present See also EditAustralia Zimbabwe relationsReferences Edit CA 7782 Australian High Commission Zimbabwe Harare National Archives of Australia retrieved 23 January 2016 a b c Australia Zimbabwe Australian Foreign Affairs Record 51 4 84 88 April 1980 Retrieved 17 October 2022 Trade posts established The Advocate Burnie Tasmania 21 September 1954 p 4 Retrieved 17 October 2022 via National Library of Australia TRADE WITH SOUTH EAST ASIA Cairns Post Queensland Australia 6 November 1954 p 4 Retrieved 17 October 2022 via National Library of Australia New Trade Commissioner Posts Statement by the Minister for Commerce and Agriculture the Rt Hon J McEwen 20th September 1954 Current Notes on International Affairs 25 9 647 648 September 1954 Retrieved 17 October 2022 Reshuffle of Trade Posts The Age No 31 085 Victoria Australia 18 December 1954 p 3 Retrieved 17 October 2022 via National Library of Australia G P H Knight Overseas Trading 7 4 10 30 December 1954 Retrieved 17 October 2022 a b Rhodesia Australian Foreign Affairs Record 51 1 670 671 December 1979 Retrieved 17 October 2022 Australian representation in Zimbabwe and Zambia Australian Foreign Affairs Record 51 3 78 March 1980 Retrieved 17 October 2022 Australian Representation Overseas Australian Foreign Affairs Record 51 5 176 May 1980 Retrieved 17 October 2022 Botswana Australian High Commissioner Australian Foreign Affairs Record 52 8 418 August 1981 Retrieved 17 October 2022 Australian Ambassador to Mozambique Australian Foreign Affairs Record 53 6 382 June 1982 Retrieved 17 October 2022 Katwala Sunder Oliver Mark 21 March 2002 Zimbabwe and the Commonwealth The Guardian Retrieved 12 January 2018 Representation Australian Representation Overseas Current Notes on International Affairs Department of Foreign Affairs 43 5 263 May 1972 Retrieved 31 October 2022 Independence of Malawi Current Notes on International Affairs Department of External Affairs 35 7 52 July 1964 Retrieved 31 October 2022 a b Australian Representation Overseas Australian Foreign Affairs Record National Library of Australia Trove Department of Foreign Affairs 54 7 376 July 1983 Retrieved 10 November 2022 Australia and Africa Australian Foreign Affairs Record Department of Foreign Affairs 53 11 663 November 1982 Retrieved 31 October 2022 Our mission in Lusaka has been operating under an Acting High Commissioner but is soon to be upgraded to a full High Commission It will then take over responsibility for Malawi It currently has visiting and reporting responsibilities for Angola and we anticipate it will be responsible for Namibia once that country achieves independence Our post in Harare has accreditation to Botswana and Mozambique Australia establishes formal diplomatic relations with Angola Australian Foreign Affairs Record Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 59 6 257 June 1988 Retrieved 31 October 2022 a b c CA 7590 Australian High Commission Zambia Lusaka National Archives of Australia retrieved 23 January 2016 Fraser Malcolm 18 April 1980 Zimbabwe Independence Press release Australian Government Archived from the original on 3 March 2015 New post for envoy The Sydney Morning Herald 27 February 1984 p 5 Hayden Bill 26 February 1984 Diplomatic appointment Zimbabwe Media Release ParlInfo Minister for Foreign Affairs Australian Government Retrieved 17 October 2022 Hayden Bill 15 November 1987 Diplomatic appointment Zimbabwe Media Release ParlInfo Minister for Foreign Affairs Australian Government Retrieved 17 October 2022 New Ambassador to Turkey named The Canberra Times 17 November 1987 p 3 Evans Gareth 4 April 1990 Diplomatic appointment Zimbabwe Media Release ParlInfo Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Australian Government Retrieved 17 October 2022 Evans Gareth 1 February 1994 Diplomatic appointment Southern Africa Media Release ParlInfo Minister for Foreign Affairs Australian Government Retrieved 17 October 2022 Downer Alexander 24 February 1998 Diplomatic appointment High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Media Release Minister for Foreign Affairs Australian Government Retrieved 17 October 2022 Downer Alexander 24 February 1998 Diplomatic appointment High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Press release Australian Government Archived from the original on 12 February 2014 Downer Alexander 2 March 2001 Diplomatic appointment High Commissioner to Zimbabwe Press release Australian Government Archived from the original on 12 February 2014 Downer Alexander 17 June 2004 Diplomatic appointment Ambassador to Zimbabwe Press release Australian Government Archived from the original on 12 February 2014 Downer Alexander 8 August 2007 Diplomatic appointment Ambassador to Zimbabwe Press release Australian Government Archived from the original on 12 February 2014 Rudd Kevin 22 October 2010 Diplomatic appointment Ambassador to Zimbabwe Press release Australian Government Archived from the original on 1 March 2015 Bishop Julie 6 March 2015 Diplomatic appointment Ambassador to Zimbabwe Press release Australian Government Archived from the original on 3 April 2015 Bishop Julie 8 January 2018 Ambassador to Zimbabwe Press release Australian Government Archived from the original on 16 March 2018 Payne Marise 2019 Alex Gallacher Australian Ambassador inquiry Question No 1209 Hansard Australian Senate Parliament of Australia Retrieved 15 November 2022 Machivenyika Firarai 13 April 2018 6 envoys present credentials The Herald Zimbabwe Retrieved 1 December 2022 Wong Penny 20 December 2022 Ambassador to Zimbabwe Minister for Foreign Affairs Australian Government Archived from the original Media Release on 20 December 2022 Retrieved 26 December 2022 Zambia Resident High Commissioner Appointed Australian Foreign Affairs Record 54 1 48 49 January 1983 Retrieved 17 October 2022 High Commissioner to Zambia Australian Foreign Affairs Record 57 10 968 October 1986 Retrieved 17 October 2022 Australian Representation Overseas Australian Foreign Affairs Record Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade 58 1 36 January 1987 Retrieved 9 November 2022 via National Library of Australia Trove High Commissioner to Zambia Australian Foreign Affairs Record 59 9 391 September 1988 Retrieved 17 October 2022 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to High Commissioners of Australia to Zimbabwe nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ambassadors of Australia to Zimbabwe Australian Embassy Zimbabwe Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title List of ambassadors of Australia to Zimbabwe amp oldid 1169339996, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
