Gordon Upton

Gordon Noel Upton AO (24 December 1920 – 23 February 2010) was an Australian public servant and diplomat. He served as Australian High Commissioner to Ceylon (1965–70), Fiji (1976–1979) and India (1979–1984).

Gordon Upton AO
10th Ambassador of Australia to
the United States
(Chargé d'affaires)
In office
27 December 1975 – 8 March 1976
Preceded byPatrick Shaw
(Ambassador to the United States of America)
Succeeded byNick Parkinson
(Ambassador to the United States of America)
Personal details
Born
Gordon Noel Upton

(1920-12-24)24 December 1920
Sydney, New South Wales
Died23 February 2010(2010-02-23) (aged 89)
Resting placeWoden Cemetery, Canberra
NationalityAustralian
SpouseElizabeth Jocelyn Easton
Alma materUniversity of Sydney (BA)
OccupationDiplomat, public servant

While Upton was posted to India, a confidential report that he had authored in October 1980 was leaked to a journalist for The Age, that included criticism of the then Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The report was confirmed genuine and some members of the Indian parliament called for Upton's expulsion, but the Australian Government's apology satisfied the Indian Government and Upton was allowed to stay.

Upton was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1982 in recognition of his services as a diplomat.

Life and career

Upton was born in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1920. He was educated at Canterbury Boys' High School, before matriculating to the University of Sydney where he gained a Bachelor of Arts in 1940.[1]

Upton served in the Royal Australian Air Force during World War II, as a flight lieutenant.[1] In 1946, Upton joined the Commonwealth Public Service in the Department of External Affairs.[2]

While he was Australian embassy counsellor in Jakarta, Upton's dog Susa suffered from rabies and died.[3]

Then Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced Upton's appointment as High Commissioner to Ceylon in December 1965.[2] After a time at the Joint Intelligence Organisation in the early 1970s, Upton returned to the foreign affairs department and was posted to London as Minister in 1973.[4]

In 1975, when Sir Patrick Shaw died in office as Australian Ambassador to the United States, Upton was appointed Chargé d'Affaires ad interim.[5]

In May 1976, Upton was appointed Australian High Commissioner to Fiji.[6]

In December 1979, Andrew Peacock, then foreign affairs minister, announced Upton's appointment as High Commissioner to India.[7] Whilst he was living in New Delhi, details of a confidential report that Upton sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs in October 1980 was published in The Age.[8][9] The published report included critical remarks about the then Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, who had been in office for less than a year at the time.[10][11][12] After the leak, five members of the Indian Parliament reportedly demanded that Upton be recalled,[13] but the statement was not made on behalf of the Indian Government and Upton retained his position.[14]

Upton, in his position as High Commissioner to India in 1983, presented Mother Teresa with an Order of Australia, for her work with the poor.[15] She was the seventh non-Australian to be honoured with the award.[16]

Upton died on 23 February 2010 and was buried in Woden Cemetery.[17]

Awards

In 1982, Upton was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his public service as a diplomatic representative.[18][19]

References
  1. The Quiet Australians: Biographical Enhancement Data Summary Record: Mr Gordon Noel Upton AO (PDF), The Order of Australia Association, archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2016
  2. "Ceylon post filled". The Canberra Times. 8 December 1965. p. 20.
  3. "Rabies Scare at Embassy Over Mad Dog". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 January 1964. p. 1.
  4. "Directors changed". The Canberra Times. 24 March 1973. p. 6.
  5. "Obituary: Sir Patrick Shaw gave 36 years' service". The Canberra Times. 29 December 1975. p. 3.
  6. "Appointment". The Canberra Times. 26 May 1976. p. 3.
  7. "New Delhi posting". The Canberra Times. 6 December 1979. p. 11.
  8. Broadbent, David (18 November 1980). "Gandhi leak 'regretted'". The Age. p. 1.
  9. "Probe into leak of secret diplomatic report". New Straits Times. 9 November 1980. p. 4.
  10. "India censures report". The Canberra Times. 8 November 1980. p. 10.
  11. "Leaking of report on Gandhi 'embarrasses'". The Canberra Times. 7 November 1980. p. 11.
  12. "India envoy will not quit: official". The Age. 10 November 1980. p. 7.
  13. "Indian MPs demand envoy's recall". The Canberra Times. 17 November 1980. p. 7.
  14. "Foreign Affairs denies leak was 'planned'". The Canberra Times. 18 November 1980. p. 8.
  15. "Mother Teresa". The Canberra Times. 12 April 1983. p. 4.
  16. "Mother Teresa cited with Australian award". The Day. 12 April 1983. p. 25.
  17. Gordon Noel Upton, 24 Dec 1920 - 23 Feb 2010, BillionGraves, archived from the original on 6 June 2016
  18. "Sir John Bunting heads Canberra honours list". The Canberra Times. 26 January 1982. p. 10.
  19. "Search Australian Honours: UPTON, Gordon Noel, Officer of the Order of Australia", itsanhonour.gov.au, Australian Government
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