List of ambassadors of Australia to Japan explained

Post:Ambassador of Australia to Japan
Insignia:Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Insigniasize:120px
Department:Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Reports To:Minister for Foreign Affairs
Incumbent:Justin Hayhurst
Incumbentsince:24 April 2023
Nominator:Prime Minister of Australia
Style:His Excellency
Appointer:Governor General of Australia
Formation:17 August 1940
Inaugural:Sir John Latham
Website:Australian Embassy, Tokyo

The ambassador of Australia to Japan is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to Japan. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is based in the Australian Embassy in Tokyo. Peter Roberts is currently filling in as chargé d’affaires.

Posting history

Japan and Australia have enjoyed full diplomatic relations since 1940 when the Australian Legation opened and the first Minister, Sir John Latham, presented credentials to Emperor Showa in January 1941.[1] The legation in Japan is one of Australia's earliest independent diplomatic missions outside the British Empire, closely following the legation in the United States established on 1 March 1940. Latham's appointment replaced the semi-diplomatic work of the Australian Trade Commission in Tokyo, headed by trade commissioner Eric Longfield Lloyd, who was appointed in June 1935.[2]

Longfield Lloyd's work, notwithstanding his limited ability to engage with matters outside of trade, was complicated by his vague status as a 'Trade Commissioner', a title that had no formal recognition of diplomatic status. As Australia was the only nation present in Japan that was represented by someone other than an ambassador, minister or consul, it gradually became clear that a higher-ranked appointment was needed. In November 1937, in order to help clarify his position, the term 'Trade' was removed from Longfield Lloyd's title to become the Australian 'Commissioner' in Tokyo.[3] This did not change his diplomatic status however and Latham's appointment in August 1940 was praised as solving this issue: "[Longfield Lloyd] has been confined almost exclusively to trade matters. In this respect he has rendered excellent service to both countries. The appointment of Sir John Latham, however, to a diplomatic post in Japan is something of far more importance."[4]

Full diplomatic relations were severed between December 1941 and 1952 on account of the declaration of war and the post-war occupation of Japan.[5] In March 1947 a new Minister to Japan was appointed, but rather than being accredited to the Japanese Government they were accredited to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, owing to the Occupation of Japan, and they also served as the British Commonwealth member on the Allied Council for Japan.[6]

List of heads of mission

Ordinal Officeholder Title Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
(n/a) Commissioner
Australian Minister to Japanalign=right [7]
Relations suspended
Australian Minister to Japanalign=right
align=right [8]
align=right [9]
Ambassador of Australia to Japanalign=right years[10]
align=right years
align=right years
align=right years[11]
align=right years
align=right years[12]
align=right years
align=right years
align=right years[13]
align=right years[14]
align=right years
align=right years
Peter Greyalign=right years [15]
align=right years[16]
align=right years[17]
align=right [18] [19]
align=right years[20] [21] [22] [23]
align=right [24]
Justin HayhurstIncumbent[25] [26]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Sir John Latham. High Court of Australia. The Rt Hon Sir John Greig Latham…He served as Australia's first ambassador to Japan in 1940–41. https://web.archive.org/web/20140312025631/http://www.hcourt.gov.au/artworks/portraits-of-chief-justices/sir-john-latham. 12 March 2014.
  2. News: TRADE . . 30,399 . New South Wales, Australia . 8 June 1935 . 7 May 2016 . 19 . National Library of Australia.
  3. Book: Schevdin. Boris. Emissaries of trade: a history of the Australian Trade Commissioner Service. 2008. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Barton, ACT. 56–57.
  4. News: SIR JOHN LATHAM . . 66 . 101 . New South Wales, Australia . 24 August 1940 . 7 May 2016 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  5. News: DIPLOMATIC STAFFS. . . Qld. . 11 December 1941 . 17 May 2015 . 7 . National Library of Australia.
  6. News: MINISTER TO JAPAN. . The Sydney Morning Herald. NSW . 31 March 1947 . 17 June 2015 . 3 . National Library of Australia.
  7. News: MINISTER TO JAPAN. . . 19 August 1940 . 17 May 2015 . 9 . National Library of Australia.
  8. News: Diplomat For Job In Japan. . News. Adelaide, SA . 27 August 1947 . 17 June 2015 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  9. News: HODGSON NEW REP. IN JAPAN. . . Mackay, Qld. . 13 September 1949 . 17 June 2015 . 1 . National Library of Australia.
  10. News: DR. E. R. WALKER TO BE AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN. . . 19 April 1952 . 17 May 2015 . 4 . National Library of Australia.
  11. News: New envoy to Japan named. https://web.archive.org/web/20140323040424/http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/105826967. 23 March 2014. live. The Canberra Times. 4 February 1965. 1.
  12. News: Diplomatic reshuffle announced. 27 September 1973. 1. The Canberra Times.
  13. Mitcham, Chad J., 'Currie, Sir Neil Smith (1926–1999)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/currie-sir-neil-smith-280, published online 2023
  14. News: New Ambassador to Japan named. 5 July 1986. The Canberra Times. 10.
  15. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Japan . https://web.archive.org/web/20140212025355/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1998/fa016_98.html . 12 February 2014. live. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. Australian Government. 17 February 1998.
  16. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Japan . https://web.archive.org/web/20140212022723/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2001/fa033_01.html. 12 February 2014. live. Alexander. Downer. 19 March 2001. Alexander Downer. Australian Government.
  17. Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Japan. 17 June 2004. Alexander. Downer. Alexander Downer. https://web.archive.org/web/20140212013521/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2004/fa085_04.html. 12 February 2014. dead. Australian Government. 9 February 2015.
  18. Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Japan . 7 April 2011 . Kevin . Rudd . Kevin Rudd . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714120316/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2011/kr_mr_110407.aspx?ministerid=2 . 14 July 2014 . Australian Government .
  19. News: Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Japan . 30 June 2014 . . 7 April 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714120316/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2011/kr_mr_110407.aspx?ministerid=2 . 14 July 2014 . . dead .
  20. Ambassador to Japan. 12 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170112111613/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2016/jb_mr_161122.aspx. Australian Government. Julie. Bishop. Julie Bishop. 22 November 2016.
  21. News: Former WA premier Richard Court named as ambassador to Japan. Eliza. Borrello. 22 November 2016. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ABC News. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20170111151959/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-22/former-wa-premier-richard-court-is-new-japan-ambassador/8046920. 11 January 2017. 12 January 2017.
  22. News: Former WA premier Richard Court gets Tokyo nod. The Australian. News Corp. 4 November 2016. Paige. Taylor. 12 January 2017.
  23. News: Court named ambassador to Japan. 22 November 2016. Katie. McDonald. Business News Western Australia. 12 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20161123121209/https://www.businessnews.com.au/article/Court-named-ambassador-to-Japan. 23 November 2016.
  24. https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/marise-payne/media-release/ambassador-japan Ambassador to Japan | Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women
  25. https://www.foreignminister.gov.au/minister/penny-wong/media-release/ambassador-japan Ambassador to Japan
  26. Justin Hayhurst . AusAmbJPN . 1650395487860817920 . Honoured to present my credentials to Japan’s Emperor, His Majesty the Emperor Naruhito this morning. As Australian Ambassador, I am committed to strengthening our relationship @MofaJapan_en.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of ambassadors of Australia to Japan".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.