The ambassador of Australia to Kuwait is the Australian Government's foremost diplomatic representative in Kuwait. The ambassador is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the State of Kuwait. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. The current ambassador, since 21 November 2017, is Jonathan Gilbert.
While the Australian Embassy in Kuwait City has been open since 23 December 2004, Kuwait and Australia have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1974, when the inaugural ambassador to Saudi Arabia in Jeddah received non-resident accreditation for Kuwait.
List of ambassadors
Ordinal |
Officeholder |
Residency |
Term start date |
Term end date |
Time in office |
Notes
|
1
|
Ian Haig
|
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
|
1974 (1974)
|
1976 (1976)
|
1–2 years
|
[2][3][4]
|
2
|
Donald Kingsmill
|
1976 (1976)
|
1979 (1979)
|
2–3 years
|
[5]
|
3
|
Douglas Sturkey
|
1979 (1979)
|
1983 (1983)
|
3–4 years
|
|
4
|
Alan Brown
|
1983 (1983)
|
1984 (1984)
|
4–5 years
|
[6]
|
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
|
1984 (1984)
|
1988 (1988)
|
5
|
Alex McGoldrick
|
1988 (1988)
|
1991 (1991)
|
2–3 years
|
[7]
|
6
|
Malcolm Leader
|
1991 (1991)
|
1993 (1993)
|
1–2 years
|
[8][9]
|
7
|
Warwick Weemaes
|
1993 (1993)
|
1996 (1996)
|
2–3 years
|
[10]
|
8
|
Philip Knight
|
1996 (1996)
|
1998 (1998)
|
1–2 years
|
[11]
|
9
|
George Aitkin
|
1998 (1998)
|
2000 (2000)
|
1–2 years
|
[12]
|
10
|
Bob Tyson
|
2000 (2000)
|
23 December 2004 (2004-12-23)
|
3–4 years
|
[13]
|
11
|
Ralph King
|
Kuwait City, Kuwait
|
23 December 2004 (2004-12-23)
|
December 2007 (2007-12)
|
2 years, 11 months
|
|
12
|
Glenn Miles
|
December 2007 (2007-12)
|
28 November 2011 (2011-11-28)
|
3 years, 11 months
|
[14]
|
(10)
|
Bob Tyson
|
28 November 2011 (2011-11-28)
|
9 February 2015 (2015-02-09)
|
3 years, 73 days
|
[15]
|
13
|
Warren Hauck
|
9 February 2015 (2015-02-09)
|
21 December 2017 (2017-12-21)
|
2 years, 315 days
|
[16][17]
|
14
|
Jonathan Gilbert
|
21 December 2017 (2017-12-21)
|
incumbent
|
7 years, 5 days
|
[18]
|
References
- ^ Downer, Alexander (23 December 2004). "New Australian Embassy in Kuwait" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
- ^ "Ambassador". The Canberra Times. 9 February 1974. p. 1.
- ^ "Envoy". The Canberra Times. 30 August 1975. p. 9.
- ^ Debelle, Bruce (29 March 2014). "Youngest ambassador had a deep affinity for the world of Islam - and cricket". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 5 March 2015.
- ^ "Ambassador named". The Canberra Times. 11 June 1976. p. 8.
- ^ "New Ambassador to Saudi Arabia". The Canberra Times. 12 November 1983. p. 3.
- ^ "Saudi Arabia ambassador announced". The Canberra Times. 9 January 1988. p. 3.
- ^ "New ambassador for Riyadh". The Canberra Times. 23 March 1991. p. 16.
- ^ Downer, Alexander (17 May 2000), Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Denmark, Australian Government, archived from the original on 12 February 2014
- ^ "Ambassador named". The Canberra Times. 1 September 1993. p. 6.
- ^ Downer, Alexander (22 March 1996). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador To Saudi Arabia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
- ^ Downer, Alexander (23 January 1998). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Saudi Arabia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
- ^ Downer, Alexander (18 August 2000). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Saudi Arabia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
- ^ Downer, Alexander (11 September 2007). "Diplomatic Appointment - Ambassador to Kuwait" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 11 April 2015.
- ^ Rudd, Kevin (28 November 2011). "Diplomatic appointment - Ambassador to Kuwait" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015.
- ^ Bishop, Julie (9 February 2015). "Ambassador to Kuwait" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015.
- ^ Kuwait News (8 March 2015). "Foreign Minister receives credentials of new Australian Amb". Kuwait News Agency. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ Bishop, Julie (21 November 2017). "Ambassador to Kuwait" (Press release). Australian Government.