The Australian Consulate General Hong Kong represents the Commonwealth of Australia in Hong Kong, and is also accredited to Macau. As Hong Kong was linked to the Commonwealth during British administration, Australia's diplomatic presence was exercised by an Australian Commission, until 1 January 1986, when it was renamed the Australian Consulate-General.Australian Foreign Affairs Record, Volume 56, Issues 7-12, Australian Government Public Service, 1985, page 1153 From 1946 to 1972, Australia was represented by the Australian Trade Commission.
Due to Hong Kong and Macau having the status of Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China, the Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong reports directly to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) in Canberra, Australia, rather than to or through the Australian Embassy in Beijing.
The Consulate General is located on the 23rd floor of (海港中心) in Wan Chai.Home. Australian Consulate-General Hong Kong. Retrieved on 18 May 2019. "23/F Harbour Centre 25 Harbour Road Wanchai Hong Kong SAR" - Address in Traditional Chinese: "香港灣仔港灣道25號海港中心23樓"
History An Australian Trade Commission in Hong Kong was originally signposted by the Australian Government of Joseph Lyons in the early 1930s. On 30 August 1933 the Minister for Commerce, Frederick Stewart, secured Cabinet approval for the establishment of several Trade Commissions in the East, with Batavia and Hong Kong being the most likely locations. However a decision to appoint a commissioner was delayed pending the report of Attorney General and Minister for External Affairs John Latham's fact-finding mission to the Far East, which found a dire need for Australian trade representative to improve mercantile connections in the region.Schevdin, Boris, pp. 50-51. While in Hong Kong, Latham was impressed by the representations from the Australian community there of "the wretched lack of coordination in the shipping services from Australia."
However, the Trade Commission was not established until 1946. This served to represent Australian interests in Hong Kong in the absence of a formal diplomatic post.The Evolution of Australian Foreign Policy 1938-1965, Alan Watt CUP Archive, 1967, page 294 However, the Department of External Affairs had offices within the Trade Commission.Annual Report, Department of External Affairs, 1967, page 2
In 1972, the Trade Commission was upgraded and renamed the Australian Commission, which allowed the office to undertake various semi-diplomatic and consular functions. This change meant that the Commission was no longer under the purview of the Department of Trade and Industry and was now the responsibility of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
From 1 January 1986, the Commission was renamed the Consulate-General, bringing it into line with other Australian missions elsewhere, with Penny Wensley as the first Consul General. By contrast, other Commonwealth countries, such as Singapore, continued to style their missions Commissions until the transfer of sovereignty to the People's Republic of China in 1997.About the Consulate-General
In August 1996, prior to the transfer of sovereignty, Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, and Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, signed an agreement on the continuation of Australia's presence in Hong Kong in the form of a Consulate General after 1 July 1997.
In February 2020, Deputy Consul General Ryan Neelam was made the acting Consul General.
In October 2020, Elizabeth Ward was announced as Australia's new Consul General to Hong Kong following visa delays, which was attributed to political tensions between Australia and China. The official residence of the Consul General at Deep Water Bay was burgled, however nothing was reportedly stolen.
Office-holders Trade Commissioners, 1946–1972 NameStart of termEnd of termNotesReginald Hazzard19461949Hugh Wrigley19491952Harry Menzies19531956 George Patterson 19571960John Allgrove1966 P. R. SearcyOctober 1970 R. Barcham October 1970March 1972
Senior Trade Commissioners, 2007–present NameStart of termEnd of termNotes Phil Ingram20072013Dan Tebbut20132015Sam Guthrie2016
Commissioners NameStart of termEnd of termNotesR. Barcham 1 March 1972 10 May 1972Ivor Gordon Bowden10 May 197227 June 1974H. D. White27 June 197426 November 1976Ian Haig26 November 197621 April 1979Ian Nicholson21 April 19793 June 1982Donald Horne 3 June 19821986
Consuls-General
NameStart of termEnd of termNotesPenny Wensley19861989Geoff Bentley19891992Jocelyn Chey19921995Geoff Walsh1995June 1998Susan BoydJune 1998July 1999Bill TweddellJuly 1999January 2002David O'LearyJanuary 2002January 2005Murray CobbanJanuary 2005April 2008Les LuckApril 2008October 2011Paul TigheOctober 20113 April 2017Michaela Browning3 April 201725 February 2020Hong Kong delays visa approval for top Australian diplomatRyan Neelam (Acting)25 February 20204 October 2020 Elizabeth Ward 4 October 2020 3 November 2023 Gareth Williams 3 November 2023 Present
See also Australia–Hong Kong relations U.S. Consulate General, Hong Kong British Consulate-General, Hong Kong
References
External links Australian Consulate-General, Hong Kong and Macau Australian Consulate-General, Hong Kong and Macau