List of high commissioners of Australia to India

The high commissioner of Australia to India 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 India in New Delhi. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Philip Green, since 1 July 2023. The high commissioner also holds non-resident accreditation as Ambassador to Bhutan since diplomatic relations were established on 14 September 2002.[1][2] On 21 May 2020, O'Farrell presented his commission to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, in India's first-ever virtual credentials ceremony.[3] On 7 October 2022, O'Farrell presented his credentials as ambassador to the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, at Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu.[4]

High Commissioner of Australia to India
Incumbent
Philip Green
since 1 July 2023 (2023-07-01)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHis Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
SeatNew Delhi
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderIven Mackay
Formation2 November 1943
WebsiteAustralian High Commission, New Delhi – India, Bhutan
The Australian High Commission in New Delhi
High Commissioner Harinder Sidhu presenting her commission to the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee, on 4 April 2016.

The Australian Government has offered diplomatic representation in India since 1943.[5] Between 1960 and 1986, the high commissioner also had non-resident accreditation as Ambassador to Nepal. A resident Australian Embassy in Nepal was opened on 27 April 1984, but the first resident ambassador was not appointed until 4 May 1986.[6][7][8] The high commission's work is assisted by multiple consulates throughout the country that have visiting and reporting responsibilities, as well as handling consular and trade matters for the high commission.

List of high commissioners
#OfficeholderOther officesTerm start dateTerm end dateTime in officeNotes
1 Iven Mackay n/a 2 November 1943 (1943-11-02) 29 May 1948 (1948-05-29) 4 years, 209 days [9][10][11][12]
− Charles Kevin (Acting) 29 May 1948 (1948-05-29) 15 January 1949 (1949-01-15) 231 days [13]
2 Roy Gollan 15 January 1949 (1949-01-15) March 1952 (1952-03) 3 years, 1 month [14][15][16][17]
3 Walter Crocker March 1952 (1952-03) 19 March 1955 (1955-03-19) 3 years [18][19]
− D. J. Munro (Acting) 19 March 1955 (1955-03-19) 22 April 1955 (1955-04-22) 34 days [20]
4 Peter Heydon 22 April 1955 (1955-04-22) 13 November 1958 (1958-11-13) 3 years, 205 days [21][22][23]
5 Walter Crocker A 13 November 1958 (1958-11-13) 15 March 1962 (1962-03-15) 3 years, 122 days [24][25][26]
− Kevin Thomas Kelly (Acting) A 15 March 1962 (1962-03-15) 10 June 1962 (1962-06-10) 87 days [27]
− Bill Pritchett (Acting) A 10 June 1962 (1962-06-10) 21 February 1963 (1963-02-21) 256 days [28][29][30]
6 James Plimsoll A 21 February 1963 (1963-02-21) 28 January 1965 (1965-01-28) 1 year, 342 days [31][32]
7 Arthur Tange A 28 January 1965 (1965-01-28) 25 January 1970 (1970-01-25) 4 years, 362 days [33]
− Rob Laurie (Acting) A 25 January 1970 (1970-01-25) 1 March 1970 (1970-03-01) 35 days [34]
8 Patrick Shaw A 1 March 1970 (1970-03-01) 26 September 1973 (1973-09-26) 3 years, 209 days [35][36][37]
9 Bruce Grant A 26 September 1973 (1973-09-26) 15 December 1975 (1975-12-15) 2 years, 80 days [38][39]
10 Peter Curtis A 26 February 1976 (1976-02-26) 5 December 1979 (1979-12-05) 3 years, 282 days [40]
11 Gordon Upton A 5 December 1979 (1979-12-05) 31 May 1984 (1984-05-31) 4 years, 178 days [41]
12 Graham Feakes A 31 May 1984 (1984-05-31) November 1990 (1990-11) 6 years, 5 months [42][43]
13 David Evans n/a November 1990 (1990-11) February 1994 (1994-02) 3 years, 3 months [44]
14 Darren Gribble February 1994 (1994-02) 25 July 1997 (1997-07-25) 3 years, 5 months [45]
15 Rob Laurie 257 July 1997 (1997-07-257) 28 August 2001 (2001-08-28) 4 years, 34 days [46]
16 Penny Wensley B 28 August 2001 (2001-08-28) 9 August 2004 (2004-08-09) 2 years, 347 days [47]
17 John McCarthy B 9 August 2004 (2004-08-09) 8 June 2009 (2009-06-08) 4 years, 303 days [48]
18 Peter Varghese B 8 June 2009 (2009-06-08) 30 December 2012 (2012-12-30) 3 years, 205 days [49]
19 Patrick Suckling B 30 December 2012 (2012-12-30) 11 February 2016 (2016-02-11) 3 years, 43 days [50][51][52]
20 Harinder Sidhu B 11 February 2016 (2016-02-11) 18 February 2020 (2020-02-18) 4 years, 7 days [53]
21 Barry O'Farrell B 21 May 2020 (2020-05-21) 30 June 2023 3 years, 157 days [54]
22 Philip Green 1 July 2023 116 days

Notes
^A : Also non-resident Ambassador to Nepal, 1960–1986.
^B : Also non-resident Ambassador to Bhutan, 2002–present.

Consuls-general
LocationOpenConsular district
Consulate-General, Mumbai1967/1979Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa
Consulate-General, Chennai2007Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Puducherry
Consulate-General, Kolkata1970/2019West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha, Sikkim, Tripura
Consulate-General, BengaluruTBD[55][56]

Mumbai

The consulate-general was first opened in Bombay on the 21 August 1967, initially with a Deputy High Commissioner in charge until 1973, but was closed on the 30 April 1976 due to financial constraints,[57] before being reopened on 6 February 1979.[58] An Australian Trade Commission had been located in the city since 1939, with Roy Gollan (later high commissioner) serving as trade commissioner from 1939 to 1948.[59][60]

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
John Melhuish (DHC)21 August 196724 February 1973[58][61]
Thomas Venables Holland (DHC)24 February 197313 May 1973[58]
C. A. Bromwich (DHC)13 May 19736 March 1975[58]
Eric Hanfield6 March 197530 April 1976[58]
Consulate closed
Robert Jolly (acting)6 February 19794 October 1979[58]
John Dalrymple Colquhoun-Denvers4 October 197915 April 1982[58]
Ian Tricks15 April 198213 December 1984[58]
G. R. Hawker13 December 198412 December 1986[58]
Gavan Bromilow12 December 198614 December 1989[58]
Stephanie Daly14 December 198910 January 1992[58]
J. N. Elliot10 January 1992May 1993[58]
Christopher QuirkJune 19931997[58]
19972006
Peter ForbyJuly 20066 July 2010[62]
Stephen Waters6 July 2010September 2013[62]
Mark PierceSeptember 201319 August 2016[63]
Tony Huber19 August 201625 February 2020[64]
Greg Wilcock25 February 202014 April 2021[65]
Peter Truswell14 April 2021date[66]

Kolkata

On 18 June 1970, the post was originally opened as the Deputy High Commission, Calcutta, to replace the Trade Commission which had existed in the city since 1939. Like the Bombay post, the Deputy High Commission was downgraded to a consulate-general on 13 May 1973, before being closed in April 1976 due to budget constraints.[67][57]

NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Douglas Sturkey (DHC)18 June 19706 June 1972[68]
Brian Meade (DHC/CG)6 June 197212 February 1975
Rodney Hodgson12 February 197530 April 1976
Consulate closed
Andrew Ford10 January 2019April 2021[69][70]
Rowan Ainsworth14 April 2021date[71]

Chennai
NameStart of termEnd of termReferences
Aminur RahmanJanuary 2007July 2010[72]
David HollyJuly 2010January 2014[72]
Sean KellyJanuary 2014November 2017[73]
Susan GraceNovember 2017March 2021[74]
Sarah KirlewMarch 2021date[75]

References
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