List of ambassadors of Australia to China

The Australian Ambassador to China 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 People's Republic of China (PRC). The position has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and has lived in Beijing since 1973.[1] The incumbent ambassador is Graham Fletcher who took up the appointment in August 2019. The ambassador'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 embassy.

Ambassador of Australia to China
Incumbent
Graham Fletcher
since August 2019
StyleHis Excellency
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor-General of Australia
Inaugural holderFrederic Eggleston
Formation1941
WebsiteAustralian Embassy, China

Posting history

Australia's legation was first accredited to the Republic of China and was located in Chungking (Chongqing) from 1941 to 1946, with the first Minister, Sir Frederic Eggleston, presenting his credentials to President Lin Sen on 30 October 1941. The legation later moved to Nanking (Nanjing) from June 1946 to 1949, initially located at 34 Peiping Road and then 26 Yihe Road.[2] Following the Proclamation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the Australian Government recalled its Ambassador from China to discuss recognition of the Communist Government.[3] The Government of the Republic of China, having retreated to Taipei, Taiwan, maintained its embassy in Australia until December 1972. In 1966 Australia opened an Embassy in Taipei.[4] In 1972, diplomatic relations ceased following the decision of the government of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam to recognise the People's Republic of China, and the Taipei Embassy closed in 1973.[5] As a result of Australia's recognition of the PRC in 1973, Australia has no diplomatic representation in Taiwan and continues economic, trade and cultural relations through the Australian Office in Taipei.

After diplomatic recognition of the PRC in 1972, Australia established an Embassy in Beijing in 1973,[6] followed by Consulates-General in Shanghai (1984), Guangzhou (1992) and Chengdu (2013). The latter was opened following release of the Asian Century White Paper by the Gillard government, and calls for an expanded diplomatic footprint in China.[7] On 9 November 2014 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, formally opened the Australian Consulate-General in Chengdu.[8] In March 2017, an agreement was signed to establish a fifth Australian Consulate-General in 2018, to be located in the northern city of Shenyang.[9] From 1991 to 2008, the Ambassador to China was also accredited to Mongolia.

Office-holders
Building of the former Australian Legation in Chongqing, 1941–1946.

Ministers to the Republic of China
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Frederic Eggleston28 October 194125 February 1944[10]
Keith Officer (Chargé d'affaires)25 February 194415 October 1945
Douglas Copland1 January 19467 June 1948

Ambassador to the Republic of China
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Osmond Charles Fuhrman (Chargé d'affaires)7 June 194814 November 1948
Keith Officer15 November 194817 October 1949[3][11]

Ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan)
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Walter Handmer (Chargé d'Affaires)19661966[12]
Frank Bell Cooper19661969[13]
Hugh Dunn19691972[14][15]
Tony Godfrey-Smith (Chargé d'Affaires)19721973[15]

Ambassadors to the People's Republic of China
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Stephen FitzGerald19731976[6]
Garry Woodard19761980[16]
Hugh Dunn19801984[17]
Dennis Argall19841985[18]
Ross Garnaut19851988
David Sadleir19881991
Michael Lightowler19911996[19]
Ric Smith19962000[20]
David Irvine20002003[21]
Alan Thomas20032007[22]
Geoff Raby20072011[23]
Frances Adamson20112015[24]
Jan Adams20162019[25]
Graham Fletcher2019present[26][27]

Deputy Heads of Mission to the People's Republic of China
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Colin S. Heseltine 1982 1985 [28]
David Ambrose 1985 1988 [29]
Colin S. Heseltine 1988 1992 Second tour[28]
Sam Gerovich 1992 1997 [30]
Penny Richards 1997 [31]
Lydia Morton 2000 2003 [32]
Graham Fletcher 2003 2008 [33][27]
Graeme Meehan 2008 2012 [34]
Justin Hayhurst 2012 2016 [35][36]
Gerald Thomson 2016 [36]
Jason Robertson present [37]

Consuls-General
LocationOpenConsular district
Consulate-General, Hong Kong1972Hong Kong SAR, Macau SAR
Consulate-General, Shanghai1984Shanghai Municipality, Anhui, Hubei, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang
Consulate-General, Guangzhou1992Guangdong, Hainan, Fujian, Hunan, Guangxi Zhuang AR
Consulate-General, Chengdu2013Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Municipality of Chongqing
Consulate-General, Shenyang2019Jilin, Liaoning, Heilongjiang

Chengdu
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Nancy Gordon30 May 20137 November 2016[7]
Christopher Lim7 November 20164 May 2021[38]
Adelle Neary4 May 2021date[39]

Guangzhou
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Maurine ChongNovember 199231 May 1996[40]
Zena Armstrong31 May 199628 September 1999[40]
John Courtney28 September 199911 September 2003[41]
Kevin Magee11 September 200325 October 2006[42]
Sean Kelly26 January 200720 November 2009[43][44]
Grant Dooley20 November 200925 June 2012[45]
Jill Collins25 June 201211 February 2014[46]
Dominic Trindade11 February 20145 January 2018[47]
Jason Robertson5 January 2018date[48]

Shenyang
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Broughton Robertson2 March 2019date[49]

See also

References
  1. CA 1977: Australian Embassy, People's Republic of China [Peking/Beijing], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 26 April 2015
  2. CA 1979: Australian Embassy, People's Republic of China [Nanking], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 26 April 2015
  3. "Ambassador to China Returning". The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 November 1949. p. 3.
  4. Whitlam hasn't dumped Taiwan, Bruce Grant, The Age, July 14, 1971, page 5
  5. Taiwan country brief, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
  6. Jacobs, Michael (8 January 1973). "China accepts Ambassador". The Canberra Times. p. 3.
  7. Carr, Bob (30 May 2013). "First Australian Consul General in Chengdu" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  8. Bishop, Julie (9 November 2014). "Address to opening of Australian Consulate-General, Chengdu, China" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  9. Yongqi, Hu (24 March 2017). "New Australian consulate general planned to facilitate appliers in Northeast China". China Daily. Retrieved 25 November 2017.
  10. "Sir F. Eggleston Appointed. Australian Minister to China". Queensland Times. Ipswisch, Queensland. 7 July 1941. p. 3.
  11. "Diplomat for China". Recorder. Port Pirie, South Australia. 18 June 1948. p. 1.
  12. "Taiwan awaits ambassador". The Canberra Times. Vol. 41, no. 11, 491. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 24 September 1966. p. 5. Retrieved 12 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Envoy's term finished". The Canberra Times. Vol. 43, no. 12, 375. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 28 July 1969. p. 1. Retrieved 12 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  14. "Envoy to China named". The Canberra Times. Vol. 43, no. 12, 390. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 14 August 1969. p. 11. Retrieved 12 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  15. "Not to be replaced". The Canberra Times. Vol. 47, no. 13, 300. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 7 December 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 12 April 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  16. "New Ambassador to China announced". The Canberra Times. 23 October 1976. p. 1.
  17. "New envoy to China". The Canberra Times. 16 November 1979. p. 9.
  18. "Argall new envoy to China". The Canberra Times. 17 February 1984. p. 3.
  19. "Ambassador for China named". The Canberra Times. 18 April 1991. p. 4.
  20. Evans, Gareth (23 November 1995). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  21. Downer, Alexander (8 November 1999). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China" (Press release). Australian Government.
  22. Downer, Alexander (17 December 2002). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012.
  23. Downer, Alexander (23 November 2006). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 22 February 2015. Retrieved 22 February 2015.
  24. Rudd, Kevin. "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to China" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  25. Bishop, Julie. "Ambassador to China" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  26. "Ambassador to China". 29 March 2019. Archived from the original on 2 December 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  27. "Australian Ambassador to China". Australian Embassy China. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021.
  28. Downer, Alexander (19 March 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Republic of Korea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  29. Downer, Alexander (10 October 1997). "DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT: CONSUL-GENERAL IN SHANGHAI" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 20 July 2008.
  30. "Mr Sam Gerovich, Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Archived from the original on 14 August 2015.
  31. "The Role of the Embassy & Consulates". Australian Embassy in Beijing PRC. Archived from the original on 9 January 2001.
  32. Smith, Stephen (8 February 2008). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Netherlands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 17 March 2014.
  33. "The Role of the Embassy & Consulates". Australian Embassy in Beijing PRC. Archived from the original on 25 May 2006.
  34. "Consul-General in Shanghai, China (People's Republic of): Mr Graeme Meehan". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Archived from the original on 8 September 2008.
  35. "Deputy Head of Mission to China (People's Republic of): Mr Gerald Thomson". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Archived from the original on 9 November 2016.
  36. "Deputy Head of Mission to China (People's Republic of): Mr Gerald Thomson". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Archived from the original on 8 September 2018.
  37. "Deputy Head of Mission to China (People's Republic of): Mr Jason Robertson". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT). Archived from the original on 21 November 2021.
  38. Bishop, Julie (7 November 2016). "Consul-General in Chengdu" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  39. Payne, Marise (4 May 2021). "Consul-General in Chengdu" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  40. Evans, Gareth (31 May 1996). "Appointment of Australian Consul-General, Guangzhou" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  41. Downer, Alexander (28 September 1999). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Guangzhou" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  42. Downer, Alexander (11 September 2003). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Guangzhou" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  43. "Australian Consul-General arriving Guangzhou" (Media release). Australian Consulate-General, Guangzhou. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. 29 January 2007. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  44. Downer, Alexander (25 October 2006). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Guangzhou" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  45. Smith, Stephen (20 November 2009). "Diplomatic Appointment - Consul-General in Guangzhou" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  46. Carr, Bob (25 June 2012). "Consul-General in Guangzhou" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  47. Bishop, Julie (11 February 2014). "Consul-General in Guangzhou" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2017.
  48. Bishop, Julie (5 January 2018). "Consul-General in Guangzhou" (Press release). Australian Government.
  49. Payne, Marise (2 March 2019). "Consul-General in Shenyang" (Press release). Australian Government.
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