List of ambassadors of Australia to Japan

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 OAM is currently filling in as chargé d’affaires.

Ambassador of Australia to Japan
Incumbent
Justin Hayhurst
since 24 April 2023
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHis Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderSir John Latham
Formation17 August 1940
WebsiteAustralian Embassy, Tokyo
The Australian Embassy in Tokyo.

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][6] 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.[7]

List of heads of mission
OrdinalOfficeholderTitleTerm start dateTerm end dateTime in officeNotes
(n/a) Eric Longfield Lloyd MC Commissioner 7 June 1935 (1935-06-07) 17 August 1940 (1940-08-17) 5 years, 71 days
1 Sir John Latham GCMG, QC Australian Minister to Japan 17 August 1940 (1940-08-17) 8 December 1941 (1941-12-08) 1 year, 113 days [8]
Relations suspended
2 William Macmahon Ball Australian Minister to Japan 30 March 1947 (30 March 1947) August 1947 (August 1947) 4 months [7]
3 Patrick Shaw August 1947 (August 1947) September 1949 (September 1949) 2 years, 1 month [9]
4 Lieutenant Colonel William Roy Hodgson CMG, OBE September 1949 (September 1949) 18 April 1952 (18 April 1952) 2 years, 230 days [10]
5 Edward Ronald Walker Ambassador of Australia to Japan 18 April 1952 (18 April 1952) 1955 (1955) 2–3 years [11]
6 Sir Alan Watt CBE 1956 (1956) 1960 (1960) 3–4 years
7 Sir Laurence McIntyre CBE 1960 (1960) 1965 (1965) 4–5 years [12]
8 Sir Allen Brown CBE 1965 (1965) 1970 (1970) 4–5 years [13]
9 Gordon Freeth 1970 (1970) 1973 (1973) 2–3 years
10 Mick Shann CBE 1973 (1973) 1977 (1977) 3–4 years [14]
11 John Menadue 1977 (1977) 1980 (1980) 2–3 years [15]
12 Sir James Plimsoll AC, CBE 1981 (1981) 1982 (1982) 0–1 years
13 Sir Neil Currie CBE 1982 (1982) 1986 (1986) 3–4 years [16]
14 Geoff Miller 1986 (1986) 1989 (1989) 2–3 years [17]
15 Rawdon Dalrymple AO 1989 (1989) 1993 (1993) 3–4 years
16 Ashton Calvert 1993 (1993) 1998 (1998) 4–5 years
17 Peter Grey 1998 (1998) 2001 (2001) 2–3 years [18]
18 John McCarthy AO 2001 (2001) 2004 (2004) 2–3 years [19]
19 Murray McLean OAM 2004 (2004) 2011 (2011) 6–7 years [20]
20 Bruce Miller AO August 2011 (August 2011) January 2017 (January 2017) 5 years, 5 months [21][22][23]
21 Richard Court AC April 2017 (April 2017) 2020 (2020) 2–3 years [24][25][26][27]
22 Jan Adams AO, PSM October 2020 (October 2020) July 2022 (July 2022) 1 year, 9 months [28]
23 Justin Hayhurst April 2023 (April 2023) Incumbent 184 days [29] [30]

See also

References
  1. "Sir John Latham". High Court of Australia. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. The Rt Hon Sir John Greig Latham…He served as Australia's first ambassador to Japan in 1940–41
  2. "TRADE". The Sydney Morning Herald. No. 30, 399. New South Wales, Australia. 8 June 1935. p. 19. Retrieved 7 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. Schevdin, Boris (2008). Emissaries of trade: a history of the Australian Trade Commissioner Service. Barton, ACT: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. pp. 56–57.
  4. "SIR JOHN LATHAM". The Dubbo Liberal and Macquarie Advocate. Vol. 66, no. 101. New South Wales, Australia. 24 August 1940. p. 3. Retrieved 7 May 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. "DIPLOMATIC STAFFS". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld.: National Library of Australia. 11 December 1941. p. 7. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  6. CA 2972: Australian Embassy, Japan [Tokyo], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 1 May 2015
  7. "MINISTER TO JAPAN". The Sydney Morning Herald. NSW: National Library of Australia. 31 March 1947. p. 3. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  8. "MINISTER TO JAPAN". The Sydney Morning Herald. National Library of Australia. 19 August 1940. p. 9. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  9. "Diplomat For Job In Japan". News. Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia. 27 August 1947. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  10. "HODGSON NEW REP. IN JAPAN". Daily Mercury. Mackay, Qld.: National Library of Australia. 13 September 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 17 June 2015.
  11. "DR. E. R. WALKER TO BE AMBASSADOR TO JAPAN". The Canberra Times. National Library of Australia. 19 April 1952. p. 4. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
  12. Edwards, Peter, "McIntyre, Sir Laurence Rupert (Jim) (1912–1981)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Australian National University, archived from the original on 24 April 2013
  13. "New envoy to Japan named". The Canberra Times. 4 February 1965. p. 1. Archived from the original on 23 March 2014.
  14. "Diplomatic reshuffle announced". The Canberra Times. 27 September 1973. p. 1.
  15. John Menadue, Australian Broadcasting Commission, archived from the original on 25 April 2013
  16. 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
  17. "New Ambassador to Japan named". The Canberra Times. 5 July 1986. p. 10.
  18. Downer, Alexander (17 February 1998). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Japan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  19. Downer, Alexander (19 March 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Japan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  20. Downer, Alexander (17 June 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Japan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014. Retrieved 9 February 2015.
  21. Rudd, Kevin (7 April 2011). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Japan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
  22. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ambassador to Japan: Mr Bruce Miller, Australian Government, archived from the original on 14 August 2015
  23. "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Japan". Brisbane: Foreign Minister of Australia. 7 April 2011. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  24. Bishop, Julie (22 November 2016). "Ambassador to Japan" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017.
  25. Borrello, Eliza (22 November 2016). "Former WA premier Richard Court named as ambassador to Japan". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 11 January 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  26. Taylor, Paige (4 November 2016). "Former WA premier Richard Court gets Tokyo nod". The Australian. News Corp. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  27. McDonald, Katie (22 November 2016). "Court named ambassador to Japan". Business News Western Australia. Archived from the original on 23 November 2016. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  28. Ambassador to Japan | Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister for Women
  29. | Ambassador to Japan
  30. Justin Hayhurst [@AusAmbJPN] (24 April 2023). "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" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
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