List of high commissioners of Australia to the Cook Islands explained

Post:High Commissioner of Australia to the Cook Islands
Insignia:Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Department:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Incumbent:Ruth Baird (Acting)
Incumbentsince:August 2022
Residence:Avarua, Rarotonga
Nominator:Prime Minister of Australia
Style:Her Excellency
Appointer:Governor General of Australia
Reports To:Minister for Foreign Affairs
Formation:1994
Inaugural:Ray Greet
(Non-resident High Commissioner)
Website:Australian High Commission, Rarotonga

The high commissioner of Australia to the Cook Islands 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 the Cook Islands. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and the high commissioner resides in Rarotonga. The office of high commissioner is vacant since August 2022.

Posting history

In 1994, Australia formally established diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands, a self-governing state since 1974 in free association with New Zealand, with the high commissioner in Wellington also serving as high commissioner to the Cook Islands. In November 2018, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced an expansion of Australia's diplomatic representation to all members of the Pacific Islands Forum, including opening new high commissions in the Cook Islands and Niue.[1] On 18 December 2019, Foreign Minister Marise Payne. announced the establishment of a resident Australian High Commission in the Cook Islands to "help underscore Australia’s focus on deepening engagement across the region."[2] The first resident high commissioner, Christopher Watkins, took up office in Rarotonga on 17 March 2020.[3]

Heads of mission

Officeholder Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
align=center Ray Greetalign=right years[4]
align=center align=right [5] [6]
align=center Bob Cottonalign=right [7]
align=right
align=center align=right [8]
align=center Frank Ingruber align=right [9]
align=center align=right [10]
align=center align=right [11] [12]
align=center align=right [13]
align=center align=right [14]
align=center Ewen McDonaldalign=right [15]
align=center align=right [16] [17] [18]
align=center Christopher WatkinsRarotongaAugust 2022align=right [19] [20]
align=center –Ruth Baird (Acting)August 2022Incumbent align=right [21]
align=center Phoebe SmithTBDIncomingalign=right

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Morrison . Scott . Address - "Australia and the Pacific: A new chapter" . 27 November 2022 . PM Transcripts . Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet . 8 November 2018.
  2. News: Payne . Marise . New Australian diplomatic missions in Palau and Cook Islands . 27 November 2022 . Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government . 18 December 2019 . Media Release.
  3. Web site: About us . Australian High Commission Cook Islands . Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
  4. News: Gareth . Evans . Diplomatic appointment: New Zealand . 25 November 2022 . Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government . 28 October 1992 . ParlInfo . Media Release.
  5. DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENT: High Commissioner to New Zealand. Gareth. Evans. Gareth Evans (politician). 26 September 1995. https://web.archive.org/web/20140212032322/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1995/m122.html. 12 February 2014 . Australian Government.
  6. Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to New Zealand. https://web.archive.org/web/20140212023930/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1999/fa118_99.html. 12 February 2014. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. 25 October 1999. Australian Government.
  7. Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to New Zealand. https://web.archive.org/web/20140212015849/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2003/fa044_03.html. 12 February 2014. 2 May 2003. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. Australian Government.
  8. Diplomatic Appointment – High Commissioner to New Zealand. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. 20 January 2006. 13 April 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150413093605/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2006/fa011_06.html. Australian Government.
  9. Web site: Mr F Ingruber (Acting) High Commissioner to New Zealand . Heads of missions . Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade . 25 November 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090425001329/http://www.dfat.gov.au:80/homs/nz.html . 25 April 2009.
  10. Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to New Zealand. https://web.archive.org/web/20150404071554/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2009/fa-s026_09.html. 4 April 2015. Stephen. Smith. Stephen Smith (Australian politician). 25 February 2009. Australian Government.
  11. High Commissioner to New Zealand. Australian Government. 25 June 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20160202035858/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2012/bc_mr_120625b.aspx?ministerid=1. 2 February 2016. Bob. Carr. Bob Carr.
  12. News: New envoys to present their credentials . 1 July 2014 . . 17 July 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714174933/http://gg.govt.nz/content/new-envoys-present-their-credentials-0 . 14 July 2014 . dead .
  13. High Commissioner to New Zealand . Julie . Bishop . Julie Bishop . Australian Government . 28 January 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160128112656/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2016/jb_mr_160128.aspx?w=tb1CaGpkPX%2FlS0K%2Bg9ZKEg%3D%3D . 28 January 2016 . dead .
  14. Web site: First Australians to learn from Māori Newshub. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20180127185943/http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2018/01/first-australians-to-learn-from-maori.html. 2018-01-27.
  15. High Commissioner to New Zealand. 11 January 2018. Julie. Bishop. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. https://web.archive.org/web/20190324114118/https://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2018/jb_mr_180111.aspx?w=tb1CaGpkPX%2FlS0K%2Bg9ZKEg%3D%3D. 24 March 2019.
  16. Web site: Patricia Forsythe announced as Australia's High Commissioner to New Zealand. www.msn.com. 2020-02-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20200218032850/https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/patricia-forsythe-announced-as-australias-high-commissioner-to-new-zealand/ar-BBUhh2F. 18 February 2020. dead.
  17. Web site: Wroe. David. 2019-03-01. Foreign Minister Marise Payne appoints friend and ally to plum diplomatic post. 2020-07-24. The Sydney Morning Herald. en.
  18. High Commissioner to New Zealand. 2 March 2019. Marise. Payne. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. https://web.archive.org/web/20220317090316/https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/high-commissioner-new-zealand. 17 March 2022.
  19. News: Kumar . Rashneel . Aussie emissary: ‘We want to hear the singing start again’ . 27 November 2022 . Cook Islands News . 28 March 2020.
  20. News: Solomon . Sian . Australian High Commissioner returns to Raro . 27 November 2022 . Cook Islands News . 20 January 2022.
  21. News: Wong . Penny . High Commissioner to the Cook Islands . 25 December 2022 . Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government . 20 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221225005348/https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/high-commissioner-cook-islands . 25 December 2022 . Media Release.

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