List of Australian High Commissioners to Papua New Guinea

The Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea is the Australian Government's foremost diplomatic representative in Papua New Guinea. The Ambassador 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 PNG. The High Commissioner resides in Port Moresby. The high commission's work has been assisted since 6 February 2017 by a consulate-general in Lae.[1][2]

High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea
Incumbent
Bruce Davis
since 2 December 2015
StyleHis Excellency
Inaugural holderLes Johnson
Formation1973
WebsiteAustralian High Commission, Papua New Guinea

Posting history

The Australian Government has offered diplomatic representation in Papua New Guinea since the Territory’s self-government was established in December 1973. The top official Australian Government representative in Papua New Guinea was called the High Commissioner, on the request of Papua New Guinea.[3][4]

Lae consulate

A Consulate-General was opened on 16 September 1975 was opened in the city of Lae as a result of an agreement between the Australian and PNG governments to raise the status of their offices in Lae and Sydney upon independence. However, due to resource constraints in foreign affairs with the new Liberal/National government of Malcolm Fraser, the post was scaled down from late 1978 and was completely closed down in December 1981, whilst the responsibilities of the consulate passed to the Deputy High Commissioner in Port Moresby, M. W. Hughes, from 1978–1981.[5] The post remained closed until the appointment and opening of an Honorary Consulate on 24 July 1989, which lasted until the reopening of the Consulate-General in February 2017 as part of a significant expansion of Australia's global diplomatic presence.[1]

List of heads of mission

High Commissioner in Port Moresby

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Les Johnson19731974[6]
Tom Critchley19741978[7]
Gerry Nutter19781981[8]
Robert Birch19811984[9]
Michael Wilson19841987[10]
Lance Joseph19871989
Allan Taylor19891993[11]
Bill Farmer19931995
David Irvine19961999[12]
Nick Warner19992003[13]
Michael Potts20032006[14]
Chris Moraitis20062010[15]
Ian Kemish20102013[16][17]
Deborah Stokes20132 December 2015[18]
Bruce Davis2 December 201525 February 2020[19]
Jon Philp25 February 2020present[20]

Consuls-General in Lae
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
N. R. Smith19751976[5]
E. H. Hanfield19761978[5]
M. W. Hughes (resident in Port Moresby)19781981[5]
Posting closed
Kevin Beamish (Honorary Consul)24 July 19891993[21]
Phil Franklin (Honorary Consul)1993August 2013[22]
Alan McLay (Honorary Consul)August 201316 December 2016[23]
Paul Murphy16 December 2016present[24]

See also

References
  1. Bishop, Julie (9 March 2017). "Opening of Lae Consulate-General" (Media release). Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  2. "Australian Consulate-General in Lae gets down to business". DFAT. Australian High Commission Papua New Guinea. 6 February 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  3. Davidson, Gay (31 October 1973). "Dual role likely for top PNG official". The Canberra Times. p. 1.
  4. CA 7733: Australian High Commission, Papua New Guinea [Port Moresby], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 15 April 2015
  5. CA 8020: Australian Consulate, Lae [Papua New Guinea], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 24 June 2017
  6. "PNG post". The Canberra Times. ACT. 7 November 1973. p. 3.
  7. "Envoy to PNG". The Canberra Times. ACT. 19 February 1974. p. 1.
  8. "Diplomats moved". The Canberra Times. ACT. 13 January 1978. p. 3.
  9. "High Commissioner to PNG". The Canberra Times. ACT. 7 April 1981. p. 3.
  10. "PNG Appointment". The Canberra Times. ACT. 10 September 1984. p. 3.
  11. "Appointment". The Canberra Times. ACT. 13 April 1989. p. 3.
  12. Evans, Gareth (9 December 1995). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 18 September 2012.
  13. Downer, Alexander (19 May 1999). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  14. Downer, Alexander (2 October 2002). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to PNG" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  15. Marshall, Steve (26 November 2006). "Moraitis appointed High Commissioner to PNG". ABC News (Australia). Archived from the original on 31 January 2015.
  16. Smith, Stephen (12 January 2010). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 27 March 2014.
  17. Radio National ABC Interview, 1 March 2013 reproduced at 2013 Valedictory interview: Ian Kemish bids PNG goodbye, archived from the original on 24 March 2013
  18. Carr, Bob (12 February 2013). "High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
  19. Bishop, Julie (2 December 2015). "High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015.
  20. Payne, Marise (25 February 2020). "High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea" (Press release). Australian Government.
  21. "X DIPLOMATIC AND CONSULAR RELATIONS: Appointment of Honorary Consuls - first Australian appointment" (PDF). Australian Year Book of International Law. AustLii. 1989. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  22. "Change of the Guard" (PDF). Weekly News Update. Lae Chamber of Commerce Inc. 30 August 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  23. "McLay takes over as honorary consul for Australia". The National. 2 September 2013. Retrieved 24 June 2017.
  24. Bishop, Julie (16 December 2016). "Consul-General in Lae" (Press release). Australian Government.
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