Australian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago

Australian High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago
Incumbent
Sonya Koppe
since 16 March 2023 (2023-03-16)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHer Excellency
Reports toMinister of Foreign Affairs
SeatPort of Spain
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderJames Ingram
(Non-resident High Commissioner, located in Ottawa)
Website[1]

The Australian high commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago 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 the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.[1] The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and the high commissioner resides in Port of Spain. The high commissioner, since March 2023, has been Sonya Koppe.

Posting history

The Australian government established a High Commission in Port of Spain in May 2004 and appointed its first resident High Commissioner, John Michell. Previously, responsibility for Australian diplomatic representation in Trinidad and Tobago was held in Canada (1974); Jamaica (1975–1994); and Barbados (1994–2004). The decision to move Australian Government representation from Barbados to Trinidad and Tobago was part of a review of Australia's diplomatic network completed in July 2003.[2]

List of high commissioners

# Officeholder Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 James Ingram Ottawa, Canada 1974 1974 0 years [3]
2 John Hoyle Kingston, Jamaica 1975 1977 1–2 years
3 Brian Hickey 1978 1979 0–1 years
4 Gordon Bilney 1980 1981 0–1 years [4]
5 R. E. Little 1982 1984 1–2 years
6 Michael Landale 1985 1987 1–2 years
7 Ian Wille 1988 1989 0–1 years [5]
8 Peter Rogers 1990 1994 3–4 years
9 Bob Whitty Bridgetown, Barbados 1994 1998 3–4 years [6]
10 Paul Smith 1998 2001 2–3 years [7]
11 Winfred Peppinck 2001 2004 2–3 years [8]
12 John Michell Port of Spain 2004 2007 2–3 years [9]
13 Philip Kentwell 2007 2013 5–6 years [10]
14 Ross Tysoe 2013 2016 2–3 years [11]
15 John Pilbeam 2016 2019 2–3 years [12]
16 Bruce Lendon 2019 2023 4 years [13][14]
17 Sonya Koppe March 16, 2023 (2023-03-16) incumbent 658 days

References

  1. ^ CA 9395:Australian High Commission, Trinidad and Tobago [Port of Spain], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 12 January 2016
  2. ^ Downer, Alexander (18 July 2003). "Australia's Overseas Diplomatic Network Enhanced" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Australia names two new envoys". The Canberra Times. ACT. 8 January 1974. p. 6 – via Trove, National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "Minister announces Jamaica posting". The Canberra Times. ACT. 19 December 1979. p. 17.
  5. ^ "Hayden announces envoy for Jamaica". The Canberra Times. ACT. 6 October 1987. p. 3.
  6. ^ "Whitty given job in the West Indies". The Canberra Times. ACT. 3 November 1993. p. 4.
  7. ^ Downer, Alexander (10 February 1998). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Barbados" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  8. ^ Downer, Alexander (22 January 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Barbados" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  9. ^ Downer, Alexander (10 April 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 November 2015.
  10. ^ Downer, Alexander (5 June 2007). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015.
  11. ^ Carr, Bob (13 November 2012). "High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015.
  12. ^ Bishop, Julie (4 December 2015). "High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 December 2015.
  13. ^ Payne, Marise (19 July 2019). "High Commissioner to Trinidad and Tobago". Minister for Foreign Affairs (Press release). Archived from the original on 19 March 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  14. ^ "PRESENTATION OF CREDENTIALS: HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA". The Office of the President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. 15 October 2019. Retrieved 24 December 2022.