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List of high commissioners of Australia to Kiribati

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High Commissioner of Australia to Kiribati
Incumbent
David Yardley
since 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHis Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
ResidenceTarawa
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderJohn Mahoney[1]
Formation6 August 1982
WebsiteAustralian High Commission, Kiribati

The high commissioner of Australia to Kiribati 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 Kiribati, located in Tarawa.[2] The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by David Yardley. As fellow members of the Commonwealth of Nations, diplomatic relations between Australia and Kiribati are between high commissioners rather than ambassadors. The High Commission is one of four diplomatic missions in Kiribati, alongside New Zealand, Taiwan and Cuba. The High Commission supports and manages Australia's extensive Official Development Assistance program to Kiribati, which constitutes 31% of all ODA to the country (15% of Kiribati's GDP).[3]

Posting history

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Australia formally recognised Kiribati on its independence from the United Kingdom in 1979, but diplomatic contacts were much earlier with the high commissioner in Nauru dual-accredited as Commissioner to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1972–1976) and the Gilbert Islands (1976–1979), and then 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 in recognition of "the importance which Australia attached to relations with not only Kiribati but to its regional neighbours in the South Pacific."[4]

On 7 November 2003, Kiribati established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan), but it was alleged later on that the Australian high commissioner, Jurek Juszczyk, had urged President Anote Tong not to recognise Taiwan, as this would inevitably sever relations with China. Although Kiribati did not sever ties with the PRC, Beijing suspended ties on 29 November after failed attempts to lobby President Tong to change his mind.[5]

High commissioners

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# Officeholder Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 Leslie Sellars (Commissioner) Yaren, Nauru January 1973 (1973-01) December 1974 (1974-12) 1 year, 11 months [6]
2 Alan Fogg (Commissioner) January 1975 (1975-01) May 1977 (1977-05) 2 years, 4 months [7]
3 Maris King (Commissioner) May 1977 (1977-05) July 1979 (1979-07) 2 years, 2 months [8][9]
4 Oliver Cordell July 1979 (1979-07) 6 August 1982 (1982-08-06) 3 years, 1 month [10]
5 John Mahoney Tarawa 6 August 1982 (1982-08-06) March 1985 (1985-03) 2 years, 6 months [1]
6 William Rowe March 1985 (1985-03) August 1987 (1987-08) 2 years, 5 months [11][12]
7 Peter Bassett August 1987 (1987-08) September 1990 (1990-09) 3 years, 1 month [13][14]
8 Laurie Maher September 1990 (1990-09) February 1994 (1994-02) 3 years, 5 months [15]
9 Stewart Brooks February 1994 (1994-02) February 1997 (1997-02) 3 years [16][17]
10 Phillip Allars February 1997 (1997-02) February 2000 (2000-02) 3 years [18]
11 Colin Hill February 2000 (2000-02) February 2003 (2003-02) 3 years [19][20]
12 Jurek Juszczyk February 2003 (2003-02) April 2006 (2006-04) 3 years, 2 months [21][22]
13 Anne Quinane April 2006 (2006-04) April 2009 (2009-04) 3 years [23][24]
14 Brett Aldam April 2009 (2009-04) June 2012 (2012-06) 3 years, 2 months [25][26][27]
15 George Fraser June 2012 (2012-06) December 2015 (2015-12) 3 years, 6 months [28][29]
16 Bruce Cowled January 2016 (2016-01) 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) 5 years, 2 months [30][31]
17 David Yardley 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) Incumbent 3 years, 249 days [32][33]

References

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  1. ^ a b Street, Tony (5 August 1982). "DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT: KIRIBATI" (Press release). Australian Government.
  2. ^ CA 8038: Australian High Commission, Kiribati [Tarawa], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 7 January 2016
  3. ^ "Australia's Relationship with Developing Countries - Kiribati" (PDF). DFAT. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  4. ^ Street, Tony (16 August 1981). "HIGH COMMISSION IN KIRIBATI" (Press release). Australian Government.
  5. ^ Atkinson, Joel (2013). Australia and Taiwan: Bilateral Relations, China, the United States, and the South Pacific. Leiden: BRILL. p. 174.
  6. ^ "Australian Representation—Nauru". Current Notes on International Affairs. 43 (11). Department of Foreign Affairs: 585. November 1972. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  7. ^ "New Man in Nauru". Pacific Islands Monthly. 46 (2): 13. February 1975. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  8. ^ "Diplomatic Appointments". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (1). Department of Foreign Affairs: 51. January 1977. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  9. ^ "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (5). Department of Foreign Affairs: 276. May 1977. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  10. ^ "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 50 (7). Department of Foreign Affairs: 452. July 1979. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  11. ^ Hayden, Bill (24 March 1985). "DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT: KIRIBATI" (Press release). Australian Government.
  12. ^ "Diplomatic appointments". The Canberra Times. 25 March 1985. p. 3.
  13. ^ Hayden, Bill (24 August 1987). "DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT: KIRIBATI" (Press release). Australian Government.
  14. ^ "Hayden names 7 envoys". The Canberra Times. 25 August 1987. p. 3.
  15. ^ Blewett, Neal (29 August 1990). "Diplomatic appointment- Kiribati" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  16. ^ "New diplomatic assignments". The Canberra Times. 14 December 1993. p. 12.
  17. ^ Evans, Gareth (13 December 1993). "Diplomatic appointment: Kiribati" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  18. ^ Downer, Alexander (17 December 1996). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to Kiribati" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  19. ^ Downer, Alexander (20 October 1999). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner To Kiribati" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  20. ^ "Australia a good friend of Kiribati". Radio Australia. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016.
  21. ^ Downer, Alexander (30 September 2002). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner To Kiribati" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  22. ^ "Australia announces next diplomat in Kiribati". Radio Australia. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 30 September 2002. Archived from the original on 24 May 2016.
  23. ^ Downer, Alexander (16 January 2006). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner To Kiribati" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 13 April 2015.
  24. ^ "Australia appoints new representative in Kiribati". Radio New Zealand. 17 January 2006.
  25. ^ Smith, Stephen (4 February 2009). "Diplomatic Appointment - High Commissioner to Kiribati" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015.
  26. ^ "Australia appoints new Kiribati High Commissioner". Australian Broadcasting Commission. 4 February 2009. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016.
  27. ^ "Australia appoints new Kiribati High Commissioner". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 December 2009. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016.
  28. ^ Carr, Bob (29 April 2012). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to Kiribati" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 April 2015.
  29. ^ "Australia Announces New High Commissioner To Kiribati", Pacific Islands Development Program, Radio Australia, archived from the original on 24 May 2016
  30. ^ Bishop, Julie (8 December 2015). "High Commissioner to Kiribati" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016.
  31. ^ "Senior Appointments: Cowled to Kiribati", PS News (485 ed.), 8 December 2015
  32. ^ Payne, Marise (19 March 2021). "High Commissioner to Kiribati". Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
  33. ^ "High Commissioner to Kiribati". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original on 22 October 2021. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
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