List of ambassadors of Australia to Vietnam

The Australian Ambassador to Vietnam is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to Vietnam. The position has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and has resided exclusively in Hanoi since 1975. The ambassador's work has been assisted since 1994 by a Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City.[1][2][3][4]

Ambassador to Vietnam
Incumbent Craig Chittick since 4 May 2016
Style	His Excellency
Nominator	Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer	Governor General of Australia
Website	Australian Embassy, Vietnam

Posting history

The Australian Embassy to the Republic of Vietnam was evacuated in the days before the Fall of Saigon.[5][6]

On 26 February 1973, Australia established diplomatic relations with the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) and opened its Embassy in Hanoi on 28 July 1973. David Wilson was appointed the first Ambassador on 7 November 1973.[3] On 22 August 1975, with the collapse of the government of the Republic of Vietnam on 30 April 1975, Australia established diplomatic relations with the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, with ambassador Wilson in Hanoi holding non-resident accreditation to the provisional government from 8 August 1975. On 22 January 1976 Wilson presented his credentials in Saigon.[3] On 2 July 1976, it was announced that North and South Vietnam had merged to form the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, with Hanoi as the capital, and the Australian Embassy continued its representation there.[4] A Consulate-General opened in Ho Chi Minh City in November 1994.[7]

Heads of mission

Ministers to Vietnam

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
John Rowland (Charge d'Affaires)	1952	1952	[8][9]
John Quinn	1952	1955
David McNicol	1955	1956	[10]
Frederick Blakeney	1956	1957	[11]

Ambassadors to the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam)

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Bill Forsyth	1959	1961	[12]
Brian Clarence Hill	1961	1964	[13]
Harold David Anderson	1964	1966	[14]
Lew Border	1966	1968	[15][16]
Ralph Harry	1968	1970	[17]
Arthur Morris	1970	1973	[18][19]
M. J. Cook	1973	1974
Geoffrey John Price	1974	25 April 1975	[20]
Republic replaced by Provisional Revolutionary Government
David Wilson (resident in Hanoi)	8 August 1975	2 July 1976	[21]

Ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam)

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Bruce Woodberry (Charge d'affaires)	28 July 1973	1974	[22]
Graeme Lewis (Charge d'affaires)	1974	February 1974	[23][24]
David Wilson	February 1974	2 July 1976	[25]

Ambassadors to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
David Wilson	2 July 1976	September 1976	[4]
John Brook	September 1976	January 1979	[26]
Philip Knight	January 1979	April 1981	[27]
John McCarthy	April 1981	September 1983	[28]
Richard Broinowski	September 1983	January 1986	[29]
Ian Lincoln	January 1986	September 1988	[30]
Graham Alliband	September 1988	August 1991	[31]
Michael Potts	August 1991	October 1994	[32]
Susan Boyd	October 1994	June 1998	[33]
Michael Mann	June 1998	August 2002	[34]
Joe Thwaites	August 2002	22 April 2005	[35]
Bill Tweddell	22 April 2005	30 July 2008	[36]
Allaster Cox	30 July 2008	5 May 2012	[37]
Hugh Borrowman	5 May 2012	4 May 2016	[38][39]
Craig Chittick	4 May 2016	date	[40][41]

Consuls-General in Ho Chi Minh City

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Peter Baxter	November 1994	June 1997	[42]
Lisa Filipetto	June 1997	August 2001	[42]
Dr Stephen Henningham	August 2001	August 2005	[43]
Malcolm Skelly	August 2005	September 2008	[44]
Graeme Swift	September 2008	11 December 2011	[45]
John James McAnulty	11 December 2011	15 December 2015	[46]
Karen Lanyon	15 December 2015	date	[47]

References

1. CA 2773: Australian Embassy, Republic of Vietnam [Saigon], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 1 February 2016
2. CA 2768: Australian Legation to the Associated States of Indo-China [Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia]/(from 26 October 1955) Republic of Vietnam [Saigon], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 1 February 2016
3. CA 2774: Australian Embassy, Democratic Republic of Vietnam [Hanoi], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 1 February 2016
4. CA 2775: Australian Embassy, Hanoi [Vietnam], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 1 February 2016
5. Juddery, Bruce (5 June 1975). "Saigon embassy to reopen 'soon'". The Canberra Times. ACT.
6. National Archives of Australia (April 2007), Have you locked the door?, Australian Government, archived from the original on 9 March 2016
7. CA 8838: Australian Consulate-General, Ho Chi Minh City [Vietnam], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 9 March 2018
8. "Vietnam to send Minister". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 17 November 1952. p. 3.
9. "Australian Minister to Indo-China". Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate. 13 November 1952. p. 6.
10. "Diplomat for Vietnam post". The Argus. Melbourne, Victoria. 2 December 1954. p. 1.
11. "Mr Blakeney will be Minister to Cambodia". The Argus. Melbourne, Victoria. 23 November 1956. p. 11.
12. "Ambassador to Vietnam appointed". The Canberra Times. 2 July 1959. p. 2. The Government has raised the Australian Legation in Vietnam to the status of an Embassy and has appointed Mr. W. D. Forsyth as Australia's first Ambassador in Saigon.
13. "New envoy named for S. Vietnam". The Canberra Times. 1 November 1961. p. 5.
14. "Ambassadors for two posts". The Canberra Times. 16 December 1963. p. 1.
15. "Australia appoints new man in Saigon". The Canberra Times. 8 June 1966. p. 1.
16. "Ambassador leaves". The Canberra Times. 1 July 1968. p. 9.
17. "New envoy appointed". The Canberra Times. 6 June 1968. p. 5.
18. "New envoy to go to Vietnam". The Canberra Times. 13 November 1970. p. 3.
19. "Enovy change". The Canberra Times. ACT. 1 May 1973. p. 3.
20. "Ambassador appointed". The Canberra Times. ACT. 18 December 1973.
21. Edwards, Peter (1 May 2006), The fall of Saigon, 1975, Australian Government, archived from the original on 12 February 2014, By early 1975, Australia had opened a diplomatic mission in North Vietnam as well as the embassy in South Vietnam. In March, Graeme Lewis, the chargé d'affaires in Hanoi, flew to Vientiane to meet David Wilson, who was about to become the first ambassador in Hanoi.
22. "Australia to have man in Hanoi soon". The Canberra Times. 12 July 1973. p. 1.
23. Edwards, Peter (1 May 2006), "The fall of Saigon, 1975", Speech delivered at the National Archives of Australia, Australian Government, archived from the original on 27 February 2012
24. Comments on situation in North Vietnam by former Australian Charge, Wikileaks, 15 November 1974
25. Edwards, Peter (1 May 2006), The fall of Saigon, 1975, Australian Government, archived from the original on 12 February 2014, By early 1975, Australia had opened a diplomatic mission in North Vietnam as well as the embassy in South Vietnam. In March, Graeme Lewis, the chargé d'affaires in Hanoi, flew to Vientiane to meet David Wilson, who was about to become the first ambassador in Hanoi.
26. "New envoy to Vietnam named". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 August 1976. p. 2.
27. "In Brief: Ambassador". The Canberra Times. 21 July 1978. p. 3.
28. "Hanoi post filled". The Canberra Times. 18 March 1981. p. 3.
29. "New Ambassador to Vietnam appointed". The Canberra Times. 2 June 1983. p. 3.
30. "Ambassador named". The Canberra Times. 7 December 1985. p. 11.
31. "In brief: New diplomatic appointments". The Canberra Times. 6 June 1988. p. 3.
32. Downer, Alexander. "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to PNG" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
33. "Ambassador Boyd". The Canberra Times. 30 June 1994. p. 5.
34. Downer, Alexander (23 April 1998). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Vietnam" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
35. Downer, Alexander (25 January 2002). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Vietnam" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
36. Downer, Alexander (22 April 2005). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Vietnam" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
37. Smith, Stephen (30 July 2008). "Diplomatic Appointment - Ambassador to Vietnam" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 15 March 2014.
38. Carr, Bob (5 May 2012). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Vietnam" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 February 2014.
39. Peatling, Stephanie (6 May 2012). "Borrowman an ambassador". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 10 May 2012.
40. Bishop, Julie (4 May 2016). "Ambassador to Vietnam" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016.
41. "Former resident takes on top posting". Nambucca Guardian. Fairfax Media. 9 May 2016. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
42. Downer, Alexander (16 May 1997). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General to Ho Chi Minh City" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
43. Downer, Alexander (8 February 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
44. Downer, Alexander (22 June 2005). "Diplomatic Appointment: Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
45. Smith, Stephen (30 May 2008). "Diplomatic Appointment - Consul-General, Ho Chi Minh City" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
46. Rudd, Kevin (11 December 2011). "Diplomatic Appointment - Consul-General, Ho Chi Minh City" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 9 March 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
47. Bishop, Julie (15 December 2015). "Consul-General in Ho Chi Minh City" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2018.

External links

• Australian Embassy, Vietnam
• Australian Consulate-General – Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam