Australia first established an official presence in Malta with the establishment of a Migration Office on 4 September 1961, with the primary responsibility of managing the migration of Maltese to Australia, based in the Palazzo Spinola in Valletta until 1963, and then in Airways House in Sliema from 1963.[2] Australia recognised the State of Malta on its independence on 21 September 1964, with a former Commonwealth minister, Alick Downer, and the ambassador of Australia to the Netherlands, Walter Crocker, representing Australia during the independence celebrations on 19–23 September.[3]
On 12 October 1966, the government of Harold Holt approved the establishment of a resident High Commission in Malta, and on 6 November 1966 during an official visit to Melbourne by the Prime Minister of Malta, Borg Olivier, prime ministers Holt and Olivier issued a joint communique indicating that the appointment of a high commissioner was imminent.[4] An officer with the Department of External Affairs, Douglas Sturkey, took up office as acting high commissioner in Malta on 30 March 1967.[5] The first high commissioner, former immigration minister Sir Hubert Opperman, took up office in July 1967 and presented his letters of commission on 24 July 1967.[6]
The first resident Australian Ambassador to Algeria since 5 April 1976, John Anthony Piper, was accredited to Tunisia as non-resident Ambassador on 22 October 1976, and presented his credentials to the President of Tunisia, Habib Bourguiba, on 23 June 1977.[7][8][9] Responsibility for Tunisia was transferred from the Algiers embassy to the Australian Embassy in Amman, Jordan, on 3 January 1989.[10] From 3 January 1989 to 14 April 1999, the Australian Ambassador to Jordan was accredited to Tunisia.[11]
From 14 April 1999 until December 2012, non-resident accreditation for Tunisia was held by the Ambassador of Australia to Egypt in Cairo.[12] The Australian High Commission in Malta has been accredited to Tunisia since the appointment of Jane Lambert in December 2012 as the non-resident ambassador.[13]
^"Maltese Independence". Current Notes on International Affairs. 35 (9). Department of External Affairs: 38–39. September 1964 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^"Australian/Maltese Relations". Current Notes on International Affairs. 37 (11). Department of External Affairs: 706. November 1966. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^ ab"Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. 38 (3). National Library of Australia (Trove): Department of External Affairs: 125. March 1967. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
^ ab"Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Current Notes on International Affairs. 38 (7). Department of External Affairs: 300. July 1967. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^"Ambassador to Tunisia identifier". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 47 (10). Department of Foreign Affairs: 564. October 1976. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^"Australia's relations with Tunisia identifier". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (2). Department of Foreign Affairs: 106. February 1977. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^"Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (6). Department of Foreign Affairs: 332. June 1977. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^"Countries and regions: Tunisia". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Australian Government. Archived from the original on 14 October 2012. Retrieved 12 November 2022. The Australian Embassy in Cairo, Egypt, has Non Residential Accreditation for Tunisia
^"'Oppy' says good-bye". Good Neighbour. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 1 June 1967. p. 2. Retrieved 13 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Representation - Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 43 (9). Department of Foreign Affairs: 481. September 1972. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^Peacock, Andrew (10 August 1976). "High Commissioner to Malta"(Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
^Street, Tony (31 August 1981). "Diplomatic appointment: Malta"(Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
^Street, Tony (14 July 1982). "Malta: High Commissioner"(Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
^Hayden, Bill (9 November 1983). "Diplomatic appointment: Malta"(Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
^Hayden, Bill (24 March 1987). "Diplomatic Appointment: Malta"(Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
^Duffy, Michael (10 August 1990). "Diplomatic appointment - Malta"(Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
^Evans, Gareth (3 September 1993). "Diplomatic appointment: Malta"(Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 12 November 2022 – via ParlInfo.
^Payne, Marise (4 September 2020). "High Commissioner to Malta". Minister for Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 12 November 2022.