Post: | High Commissioner |
Body: | New Zealand to Australia |
Insigniacaption: | Coat of Arms of New Zealand |
Incumbent: | Mr Andrew Needs |
Incumbentsince: | 22 April 2024 |
Style: | His Excellency |
Appointer: | Governor-General of New Zealand |
Termlength: | At His Majesty's Pleasure |
Inaugural: | Carl Berendsen |
Formation: | 27 February 1943 |
The high commissioner of New Zealand to Australia is New Zealand's foremost diplomatic representative in the Commonwealth of Australia, and in charge of New Zealand's diplomatic mission in Australia.
The high commission is located in Canberra, Australia's capital city. New Zealand has maintained a resident high commissioner in Australia since 1943.
As fellow members of the Commonwealth of Nations, diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Australia are at governmental level, rather than between heads of state. Thus, the countries exchange high commissioners, rather than ambassadors.
The following individuals have held the office of high commissioner to Australia resident in Canberra:[1]
Name | Portrait | Term of office | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Carl Berendsen | 27 February 1943 | 5 April 1944 | ||
2 | Jim Barclay | 5 April 1944 | 31 August 1950 | ||
3 | Lisle Alderton[2] | 31 August 1950 | 1 April 1958 | ||
4 | Fred Jones | 1 April 1958 | 31 May 1961 | ||
5 | Syd Johnston | 31 May 1961 | 10 May 1963† | ||
6 | Jack Shepherd (acting) | 11 May 1963 | 11 April 1964 | ||
7 | Luke Hazlett | 11 April 1964 | 10 August 1970 | ||
8 | Arthur Yendell | 10 August 1970 | 9 May 1973 | ||
9 | Eric Chapman | 9 May 1973 | 2 August 1976 | ||
10 | Sir Laurie Francis | 2 August 1976 | 29 January 1985 | ||
11 | Graham Ansell | 29 January 1985 | 31 May 1989 | ||
12 | Ted Woodfield | 31 May 1989 | 13 June 1994 | ||
13 | Graham Fortune | 13 June 1994 | 3 March 1999 | ||
14 | Simon Murdoch | 3 March 1999 | 21 September 2002 | ||
15 | Kate Lackey | 21 September 2002 | 9 November 2006 | ||
16 | John Larkindale | 9 November 2006 | 4 May 2011 | ||
17 | Martyn Dunne | 4 May 2011 | 21 November 2013 | ||
18 | Chris Seed[3] | 21 November 2013 | 7 December 2018 | ||
19 | Dame Annette King | 7 December 2018 | 22 December 2023 |