List of high commissioners of Australia to Bangladesh

High Commissioner of Australia to Bangladesh
Incumbent Nardia Simpson since January 2024 (2024-01) (acting)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style	His Excellency
Reports to	Minister for Foreign Affairs
Residence	Gulshan Thana
Seat	Dhaka
Nominator	Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer	Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder	Jim Allen
Formation	30 April 1969 (Deputy High Commissioner) 13 March 1972 (Ambassador) 18 April 1972 (High Commissioner)
Website	Australian High Commission, Bangladesh

The high commissioner of Australia to Bangladesh 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 the People's Republic of Bangladesh. The high commission is located in Dhaka. The high commissioner has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary[1] and is held, since January 2024, by Nardia Simpson, as acting high commissioner.

Posting history

The first official Australian presence in Bangladesh dates back to April 1969, when a Deputy High Commission (reporting to the High Commission of Australia in Islamabad, West Pakistan) was opened in the city of Dacca, the capital of East Pakistan.[2] Career diplomat James Lawrence (Jim) Allen, was appointed as Deputy High Commissioner, operating from the Purbani Hotel in Motijheel Thana.[3] Allen had previously served as the secretary to Richard Casey during his term as Governor of Bengal (1944–1946).[4]

Australia was one of the first nations to officially recognise Bangladesh as an independent country on 31 January 1972, following the end of the Bangladesh Liberation War on 16 December 1971 and its status as East Pakistan.[5] On 13 March 1972, the former deputy high commissioner in Dacca (renamed Dhaka in 1982) and chargé d'affaires of the Australian mission since the establishment of diplomatic relations, Jim Allen, was appointed as Australia's first Ambassador to Bangladesh, which was quickly upgraded to the rank of high commissioner following Bangladesh's admission to the Commonwealth of Nations on 18 April 1972.[6][7] Allen presented his letters of commission to the President of Bangladesh, Abu Sayeed Chowdhury, on 21 April 1972.[8] Allen assisted in the first Australian official visit to Bangladesh, with the goodwill visit of the Australian foreign minister, Nigel Bowen, from 28 to 29 May 1972.[9] On 26 January 1983, a new chancery for the High Commission was opened at 184 Gulshan Avenue, Gulshan, Dhaka.[10]

Heads of mission

#	Officeholder	Title	Residency	Term start date	Term end date	Time in office	Notes
−	Jim Allen	Deputy High Commissioner	Dacca, East Pakistan	30 April 1968 (1968-04-30)	31 January 1972 (1972-01-31)	3 years, 276 days	[1][6][11]
−		Chargé d'affaires	Dacca, Bangladesh	31 January 1972 (1972-01-31)	13 March 1972 (1972-03-13)	42 days
1		Ambassador		13 March 1972 (1972-03-13)	18 April 1972 (1972-04-18)	36 days
		High Commissioner		18 April 1972 (1972-04-18)	31 December 1973 (1973-12-31)	1 year, 257 days
2	Philip Flood			23 February 1974 (1974-02-23)	15 June 1976 (1976-06-15)	2 years, 113 days	[1][12]
3	Tim McDonald			15 June 1976 (1976-06-15)	December 1977 (1977-12)	1 year, 5 months	[13]
4	John Hoyle			January 1978 (1978-01)	December 1979 (1979-12)	1 year, 11 months	[14][15]
5	Mack Williams			January 1980 (1980-01)	June 1982 (1982-06)	2 years, 5 months	[16][17][18]
6	Ian Mitchell		Dhaka, Bangladesh	June 1982 (1982-06)	September 1986 (1986-09)	4 years, 3 months	[19][20][21]
7	Susan Boyd			September 1986 (1986-09)	14 September 1989 (1989-09-14)	3 years	[22]
8	Richard Gate			14 September 1989 (1989-09-14)	16 August 1993 (1993-08-16)	3 years, 336 days	[23][24]
9	Kenneth Aspinall			16 August 1993 (1993-08-16)	6 August 1996 (1996-08-06)	2 years, 356 days	[23][25]
10	Charles Stuart			6 August 1996 (1996-08-06)	21 June 1999 (1999-06-21)	2 years, 319 days	[26]
11	Robert Flynn			21 June 1999 (1999-06-21)	19 June 2002 (2002-06-19)	2 years, 363 days	[27]
12	Lorraine Barker			19 June 2002 (2002-06-19)	20 September 2005 (2005-09-20)	3 years, 93 days	[28]
13	Douglas Foskett			20 September 2005 (2005-09-20)	December 2008 (2008-12)	3 years, 2 months	[29]
14	Justin Lee			January 2009 (2009-01)	14 June 2012 (2012-06-14)	3 years, 5 months	[30]
15	Greg Wilcock			14 June 2012 (2012-06-14)	22 July 2016 (2016-07-22)	4 years, 38 days	[31]
16	Julia Niblett			22 July 2016 (2016-07-22)	December 2019 (2019-12)	3 years, 4 months	[32][33]
17	Jeremy Bruer			20 February 2020 (2020-02-20)	December 2023 (2023-12)	3 years, 9 months	[34][35]
18	Nardia Simpson (acting)		Dhaka, Bangladesh	January 2024 (2024-01)	incumbent	1 year, 34 days	[36]

See also

• Australia–Bangladesh relations
• Foreign relations of Bangladesh
• Foreign relations of Australia

References

1. CA 4415: Australian High Commission, Bangladesh [Dhaka], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 10 January 2016
2. "Relations with countries of Asia - Pakistan". Department of External Affairs Annual Report 1968/1969 (Parliamentary Paper No. 127). Trove: Parliament of Australia: 15. 25 September 1969. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
3. "Appendix III Australian Representation Overseas At 30 June 1969". Department of External Affairs Annual Report 1968/1969 (Parliamentary Paper No. 127). Trove: Parliament of Australia: 99. 25 September 1969. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
4. Bruer, Jeremy (31 January 2022). "50 years of diplomatic relations between Australia and Bangladesh". The Business Standard. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
5. "Bangladesh: The First Year - Relations with Australia". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 44 (1). Department of Foreign Affairs: 23. January 1973. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
6. "Appointment of Australian Ambassador to Bangladesh". Current Notes on International Affairs. 43 (3): 115. March 1972. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
7. "Bangladesh Joins the Commonwealth". Current Notes on International Affairs. 43 (4). Department of Foreign Affairs: 158–159. April 1972. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
8. "Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. 43 (4). Department of Foreign Affairs: 183. April 1972. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
9. "Foreign Minister's Overseas Visit". Current Notes on International Affairs. 43 (5). Department of Foreign Affairs: 245–247. May 1972. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
10. "Dhaka Chancery opened". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 54 (1). Department of Foreign Affairs: 53. January 1983. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
11. Juddery, Bruce (15 March 1972). "Diplomatic exchange: Countries name envoys". The Canberra Times. p. 3.
12. "Appointments". The Canberra Times. 14 December 1973. p. 3.
13. "High Commissioner to Bangladesh". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 47 (4). Department of Foreign Affairs: 221. April 1976. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
14. "Diplomatic Appointments". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (11). Department of Foreign Affairs: 598. November 1977. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
15. "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 49 (3). Department of Foreign Affairs: 156. March 1978. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
16. "Diplomatic posting". The Canberra Times. 10 January 1980. p. 3.
17. "Diplomatic Appointments". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 51 (1). Department of Foreign Affairs: 679. December 1979. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
18. "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 51 (3). Department of Foreign Affairs: 80. March 1980. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
19. "Bangladesh posting". The Canberra Times. 21 May 1982. p. 3.
20. "Appointment of High Commissioner to Bangladesh". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 53 (5). Department of Foreign Affairs: 325. May 1982. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
21. "Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 53 (9). Department of Foreign Affairs: 580. September 1982. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
22. "High Commissioner to Bangladesh". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 57 (9). Department of Foreign Affairs: 856. September 1986. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
23. "Diplomatic appointment". The Canberra Times. 14 September 1989. p. 2.
24. Evans, Gareth (13 September 1989). "Diplomatic Appointment: Bangladesh" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
25. Evans, Gareth (16 August 1993). "Diplomatic Appointment: Bangladesh" (Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australian Government. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
26. Downer, Alexander (6 August 1996). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Bangladesh" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
27. Downer, Alexander (21 June 1999). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Bangladesh" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
28. Downer, Alexander (19 June 2002). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Bangladesh" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
29. Downer, Alexander (20 September 2005). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Bangladesh" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
30. Smith, Stephen (25 November 2008). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Bangladesh" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015.
31. Carr, Bob (14 June 2012). "Diplomatic appointment - High Commissioner to Bangladesh" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015.
32. Bishop, Julie (22 July 2016). "High Commissioner to Bangladesh" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016.
33. "New Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Ms Julia Niblett". Scope Global. 1 August 2016. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016.
34. Payne, Marise (16 December 2019). "High Commissioner to Bangladesh" (Press release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Archived from the original (Media Release) on 20 March 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2022.
35. "Australian high commissioner presents credentials to president". Dhaka Tribune. Bangladesh. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
36. "Australian High Commissioner meets Adviser Nahid". Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha. Bangladesh. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.

External links

• Australian High Commission, Bangladesh