The ability to practise diplomacy is one of the defining elements of a state, and diplomacy has been practised since the formation of the first city-states.
The world’s ambassadors to Australia reside at the foothills of Parliament House, primarily in the leafy suburbs of Deakin, Yarralumla and O’Malley. Australia’s embassies are, without question, integral to our international strategic priorities and relations. They facilitate and coordinate economic activities relating to trade, the provision of security to citizens, and when necessary, key negotiations.
As such, the team at Nexus APAC has compiled what you need to know about Australia’s diplomatic missions – plus, a profile of four Ambassadors that play critical roles in Australian diplomatic relations, each for different reasons.
Consulates, Embassies… What’s the Difference?
A diplomatic mission is a representative office of a national government located in another nation’s territory. Diplomatic missions can generally be categorised as embassies and consulates.
An embassy, usually located in a nation’s capital, is tasked with handling government-to-government issues. For example, if there are trade negotiations to be done, or if one government wants to discuss activity undertaken by another, the embassy handles that. If an official delegation from one country plans to visit another, the embassies will make the arrangements. High commissions are essentially embassies but between Commonwealth countries.
A consulate can be located in any (usually major) city and provides consular services for individuals or businesses. Lost your passport? Need a visa? These are some services that consulates provide, along with birth and marriage registrations, emergency assistance and more.
Many embassies also provide consular services. One that does not, however, is the Embassy of the United States of America in Canberra – instead, the U.S. has consulates in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.
A Brief History of Diplomatic Missions in Australia
Consulates were operating in Australian cities long before the Commonwealth of Australia was founded in 1901. The United States of America opened a consulate in Sydney in 1836, with other countries later following – Switzerland in 1855, Germany in 1879 and Japan in 1896.
The diplomatic corps was first established in Canberra in 1936 when the United Kingdom appointed its first High Commissioner to Australia. The Second World War saw wartime allies in the U.S., China, the U.S.S.R, France and the Netherlands open legations in our capital. By the late 1960s, all existing legations in Canberra had been upgraded to Embassies and High Commissions. Today, there are 110 countries represented in Canberra, according to the National Capital Authority.
Ambassador Profiles
Her Excellency Ms Caroline Kennedy, United States Ambassador to Australia
Ambassador Kennedy was appointed as Ambassador to Australia on 25 July 2022. Her Excellency is no stranger to the strategic complexities of the Indo-Pacific. During her time as U.S. Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017, she advanced the realignment of the U.S. forces in Okinawa, promoted women’s empowerment and played a critical role in the commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, culminating in the historic visits of President Obama to Hiroshima and Prime Minister Abe to Pearl Harbor.
Despite the robust nature of the U.S.–Australia alliance, Ambassador Kennedy has work to do. For example, Her Excellency’s priority as of late has been preparing for President Biden’s upcoming visit to Australia. The other big-ticket item is the AUKUS partnership between Australia, Britain and the U.S. to build nuclear submarines.
His Excellency Mr John Ma’o Kali CMG OBE, High Commissioner for Papua New Guinea
Just 3.75 kilometres separate Papua New Guinea (PNG) and Australia, making PNG our closest neighbour. It’s no surprise then, that the High Commission of Papua New Guinea is the closest diplomatic mission to Parliament House. His Excellency Kali was appointed as High Commissioner to Australia in 2017, having served in the PNG public service for almost four decades.
Prominent focuses at the High Commission include defence, infrastructure, and climate action. His Excellency is committed to Australia’s defence pact with Port Moresby as geopolitical tensions grow in the Pacific. Earlier this year, Prime Minister the Hon Anthony Albanese visited PNG to facilitate a bilateral security treaty, which the two countries committed to signing off in June.
His Excellency Mr Manpreet Vohra, High Commissioner for India
The Australia-India relationship is at a high point, underpinned by the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership announced in 2020 and the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement in April 2022. Australia’s relationship with India is our oldest continuous formal diplomatic relations with any Asian country.
Ambassador Vohra began his role as High Commissioner in April 2021. He joined the Indian foreign service in 1988 and has served as Ambassador to Mexico, Afghanistan, Belize, Peru and Bolivia. A key focus of Ambassador Vohra is to encourage Australian businesses to build economic ties with India.
“European countries, North America, the Middle East, they are really on the Indian growth story and benefiting from it – Australian businesses, not so much,” His Excellency said late last year.
Her Excellency Ms Victoria Treadell CMG MVO, High Commissioner for the United Kingdom
As the UK’s first female High Commissioner of Asian heritage, and with professional expertise and knowledge from postings spanning from South Asia to the South Pacific, Her Excellency Treadell has brought an Indo-Pacific perspective to her work at the High Commission since she took up her appointment in March 2019.
When Her Excellency addressed the National Press Club in March on International Women’s Day, she described the Australia-Britain relationship as “the best of mates”. The team at Nexus APAC notes that Her Excellency intends to facilitate the transformation of bilateral trade between the two countries. She has also stressed the importance of an increased presence in Pacific Island countries and a commitment to the AUKUS trilateral partnership.
Song of the Week:
Carole King’s ‘You’ve Got a Friend‘ was chosen by the Nexus Team to be the song of the week as embassies are all about establishing and developing international friendships.
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