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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The high commissioner of Australia to Cyprus is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia in Nicosia, with responsibility for both the internationally recognised Republic of Cyprus and the unrecognised Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Fiona McKergow since January 2022. There has been a resident Australian high commissioner in Cyprus since 1982, from 1973 to 1982 the Ambassador to Greece held non-resident accreditation for Cyprus.[1]
High Commissioner of Australia to Cyprus | |
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Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
Style | Her Excellency |
Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
Residence | Nicosia |
Nominator | Prime Minister of Australia |
Appointer | Governor General of Australia |
Inaugural holder | Francis Hall (resident in Athens) |
Formation | 19 April 1973 |
Website | Australian High Commission, Cyprus |
Following the independence of Cyprus on 16 August 1960, Australia maintained low level relations and contacts with the new Cypriot Government, with the Australian Embassy in Athens, Greece, having reporting responsibility for Cyprus. In response to a question on the status of Australia's relations with Cyprus from the Leader of the Opposition, Gough Whitlam, in the House of Representatives, on 28 March 1972 the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Nigel Bowen, noted to the Parliament: "Australia’s bilateral relations with the Republic of Cyprus have not been considered sufficiently substantial at this stage to justify the dual accreditation of an Australian high commissioner to Cyprus from another post. However, the Australian Embassy in Athens has a general responsibility for reporting on Cyprus and the staff of the Embassy visit Cyprus at regular intervals."[2] However, not longer after this response, the Australian Government appointed the serving Ambassador to Greece, Francis Hall, as the non-resident accredited high commissioner to Cyprus from 19 April 1973.[3] In July 1975, the Australian Government announced the establishment of a resident High Commission in Nicosia, initially under an acting high commissioner.[4] The first resident high commissioner, Mary McPherson, commenced office from 9 February 1982.[5]
Name | Start of term | End of term | References |
Francis Hall | 19 April 1973 | July 1974 | [6][3] |
Donald Horne | July 1974 | June 1976 | [7][8] |
Sir Les Johnson | June 1976 | June 1980 | [9][10] |
Marshall Johnston | June 1980 | 9 February 1982 | [11][12][13] |
Name | Start of term | End of term | References |
Alister William Savage (Acting) | 12 August 1975 | December 1977 | [4] |
Erica Fielding Grimwade (Acting) | December 1977 | 9 February 1982 | [5] |
Mary McPherson | 9 February 1982 | 4 October 1985 | [5] |
David Wadham | 4 October 1985 | October 1988 | [14][15] |
Edward Stevens | November 1988 | December 1994 | [16] |
John Sullivan | January 1995 | December 1997 | [17] |
Howard Craig Brown | January 1998 | April 2000 | [18] |
Franz Ingruber | April 2000 | March 2004 | [19] |
Garth Hunt | March 2004 | June 2008 | [20] |
Evan Williams | June 2008 | August 2011 | [21] |
Trevor Peacock | September 2011 | September 2015 | [22] |
Alan Sweetman | September 2015 | September 2018 | [23] |
Samuel Beever | September 2018 | December 2021 | [24][25] |
Fiona McKergow | January 2022 | present | [26][27] |
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