List of ambassadors of Australia to Italy

Ambassador of Australia to Italy

Incumbent
Margaret Twomey
since July 2020 (2020-07)

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style| Her Excellency
Reports to| Minister for Foreign Affairs
Nominator| Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer| Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder| Cedric Kellway (as Minister)
Formation| 10 November 1949[1]
Website| Australian Embassy, Rome

The ambassador of Australia to Italy 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 Republic of Italy in Rome.[2] The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and holds non-resident accreditation for Albania (1992–2004; since 3 July 2013), Libya (1978–1987; since 2002), and San Marino (since 1995). The ambassador also serves as Australia's delegate to the UN Agencies in Rome as permanent representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (since 1951) and as representative to the World Food Programme (since 1961).

The current ambassador, since July 2020, is Margaret Twomey.

## Posting history[edit]

Australia and Italy have enjoyed diplomatic relations since November 1949, when a legation was established in Rome and the first Minister, Cedric Kellway presented his credentials to President Luigi Einaudi on 24 November 1949.[3] On 4 January 1978 Australia established diplomatic relations with the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, but relations were cut by Prime Minister Bob Hawke in May 1987 owing to the Gaddafi regime's "covert operations in the South Pacific". Relations were not restored until June 2002 and recognition was transferred after the Libyan Civil War on 9 June 2011 to the National Transitional Council.[4] Although Australia has had diplomatic relations with Albania since 1985, accreditation has only been held by the Ambassador in Rome since 3 July 2013, when accreditation was transferred from the Embassy in Athens. The embassy in Rome had previously held accreditation to Albania from 1992 to 2004.[5] Since 1968 the ambassador has been assisted by a consulate-general in Milan run by Austrade.[6]

## Officeholders[edit]

### Heads of mission[edit]

Ordinal | Officeholder | Title | Other offices | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office | Notes

|
|
|
|
|
|
|

1 | Cedric Kellway | Minister to Italy  | A | 10 November 1949 (1949-11-10) | 1954 (1954) | 4–5 years  | [7]
2 | Paul McGuire | A | 1954 (1954) | 22 January 1958 (1958-01-22) | 3–4 years  | [8][9]
Ambassador of Australia to Italy  | A | 22 January 1958 (1958-01-22) | 1958 (1958)
3 | Hugh McClure Smith | AB | 1958 (1958) | November 1961 (November 1961) | 2–3 years  | [10][11]
4 | Alfred Stirling | Ambassador of Australia to Italy  | AB | 17 August 1962 (17 August 1962) | 1967 (1967) | 4–5 years  | [12]
5 | Walter Crocker | AB | 3 October 1967 (3 October 1967) | 1970 (1970) | 2–3 years  | [13]
6 | Malcolm Booker | AB | 1 May 1970 (1 May 1970) | 1974 (1974) | 3–4 years  | [14][15]
7 | John Ryan | AB | 4 March 1974 (4 March 1974) | 1977 (1977) | 2–3 years  | [16]
8 | R. H. Robertson  | ABC | September 1977 (September 1977) | 1981 (1981) | 3–4 years  | [17][18]
9 | Keith Douglas-Scott  | ABC | 1981 (1981) | 1985 (1985) | 3–4 years  | [19]
10 | Gerry Nutter | ABC | 22 April 1985 (22 April 1985) | 1987 (1987) | 1–2 years  | [20]
11 | Duncan Campbell  | ABD | 13 March 1988 (13 March 1988) | 1993 (1993) | 4–5 years  | [21]
12 | Lance Joseph  | ABDE | 22 July 1993 (22 July 1993) | 1996 (1996) | 2–3 years  | [22]
13 | Rory Steele | ABDE | 1997 (1997) | 2001 (2001) | 3–4 years  | [23]
14 | Murray Alexander Cobban  | ABCDE | 2001 (2001) | 2004 (2004) | 2–3 years  | [24]
15 | Peter Woolcott | ABCE | 2004 (2004) | 2007 (2007) | 2–3 years  | [25]
16 | Amanda Vanstone | ABCE | 26 April 2007 (26 April 2007) | 2010 (2010) | 2–3 years  | [26][27]
17 | David Ritchie | ABCDE | 2010 (2010) | 2013 (2013) | 2–3 years  | [28]
18 | Mike Rann | ABCDE | May 2014 (May 2014) | 8 January 2016 (8 January 2016) | 1 year, 8 months  | [29]
(n/a) | Jo Tarnawsky  | Chargé d'Affaires |  | January 2016 (January 2016) | May 2016 (May 2016) | 4 months  | [30]
19 | Greg French  | Ambassador of Australia to Italy  | ABCDE | May 2016 (May 2016) | July 2020 (July 2020) | 4 years, 2 months  | [31][32]
20 | Margaret Twomey | ABCDE | July 2020 (2020-07) | incumbent | 3 years, 10 months  | [32]

#### Notes[edit]

^A Also served as Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization, since 1951.
^B Also served as Representative to the World Food Programme, since 1961.
^C Also non-resident ambassador to the State of Libya, 4 January 1978–May 1987, and since June 2002.
^D Also non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Albania, 1992–2004, and since 3 July 2013.
^E Also non-resident ambassador to the Republic of San Marino, since 1995.

### Consuls-General in Milan[edit]

Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office | Notes

|
|
|
|
|

1 | C.C. Booth§ | 3 March 1968 (1968-03-03) | 10 January 1969 (1969-01-10) | 313 days  | [6]
2 | Arthur Barclay Jamieson  | 10 January 1969 (1969-01-10) | 1972 (1972) | 2–3 years  | [33]
3 | R. K. Scott  | 1973 (1973) | 1976 (1976) | 2–3 years  | [6]
4 | D. F. C. McSweeney  | 1977 (1977) | 1979 (1979) | 1–2 years  | [6]
5 | B. Conduit  | 1980 (1980) | 1982 (1982) | 1–2 years  | [6]
6 | Thomas Walton  | 1983 (1983) | 1986 (1986) | 2–3 years  | [6][34][35]
7 | A. Karas  | 1988 (1988) | 1989 (1989) | 0–1 years  | [6]
8 | J. McFarlane  | 1989 (1989) | 1991 (1991) | 1–2 years  | [6]
9 | B. Hain  | 1991 (1991) | 1993 (1993) | 1–2 years  | [6]
10 | Gerard Lanzarone  | 1993 (1993) | 1996 (1996) | 2–3 years  | [6]
11 | Rod Morehouse  | 1996 (1996) | 2000 (2000) | 3–4 years  | [36]
12 |  | 2000 (2000) | 2005 (2005) | 4–5 years  |
13 | Tim Gauci  | August 2005 (August 2005) | October 2010 (October 2010) | 5 years, 2 months  |
14 | Simone Desmarchelier  | October 2010 (October 2010) | January 2016 (January 2016) | 5 years, 3 months  |
15 | Crispin Conroy | November 2016 (November 2016) | November 2018 (November 2018) | 2 years  | [37]
(n/a) | Sheila Lunter (acting)  | 2019 (2019) | 2020 (2020) | 0–1 years  | [38]
16 | Naila Mazzucco  | 20 June 2020 (2020-06-20) | incumbent | 3 years, 335 days  | [38]

§: Named Consul.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "AUST. MINISTER TO ITALY". Townsville Daily Bulletin. Qld. 9 November 1949. p. 1. Retrieved 29 May 2015 - via National Library of Australia.
2. ^ CA 2756: Australian Embassy, Italy [Rome], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 19 April 2015
3. ^ "AUSTRALIAN ENVOY". Sydney Morning Herald. 25 November 1949. p. 3. Retrieved 29 May 2015 - via National Library of Australia.
4. ^ Oakes, Dan (10 June 2011). "Canberra backs new Libya". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 June 2011.
5. ^ "Albania country brief – Bilateral relations". DFAT. Retrieved 28 May 2015.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j CA 4443: Australian Consulate-General, Milan, National Archives of Australia, retrieved 26 March 2022
7. ^ "Australian Minister in Italy". The News. Adelaide. 9 December 1949. p. 16.
8. ^ "McGuire becomes Minister to Italy". Maryborough Chronicle. 16 March 1954. p. 1.
9. ^ "Mr. D. Maguire Now Ambassador". The Canberra Times. 23 January 1958. p. 2. Retrieved 29 May 2015 - via National Library of Australia.
10. ^ "New Posts For Diplomats". The Canberra Times. 14 October 1958. p. 2. Retrieved 29 May 2015 - via National Library of Australia.
11. ^ Menzies, Robert (29 September 1961). "Retirement of the Australian Ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government.
12. ^ Barwick, Garfield (17 August 1962). "Australian Diplomatic Appointments" (Press release). Australian Government.
13. ^ Hasluck, Paul (3 October 1967). "Australian ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government.
14. ^ "Diplomatic Appointments". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (5): 292. May 1970. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
15. ^ Chad Mitcham, ‘Malcolm Richard Booker (1915-1998), Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/booker-malcolm-richard-31923, published online 2022
16. ^ Whitlam, Gough (4 March 1974). "Foreign Affairs appointments" (Press release). Australian Government.
17. ^ "New envoys for Ottawa, Rome". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 September 1977. p. 3. Retrieved 26 March 2022 - via National Library of Australia.
18. ^ "Diplomatic Appointments". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (9): 485. September 1977. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
19. ^ "Diplomatic appointments". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 25 March 1985. p. 3. Retrieved 26 March 2022 - via National Library of Australia.
20. ^ "Ambassador to Italy". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 56 (4): 374. April 1985. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
21. ^ Hayden, Bill (13 March 1988). "Diplomatic appointment - Italy" (Press release). Australian Government.
22. ^ Evans, Gareth (22 July 1993). "Diplomatic appointment: Italy" (Press release). Australian Government.
23. ^ Downer, Alexander (31 October 1996). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
24. ^ Downer, Alexander (10 January 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
25. ^ Downer, Alexander (8 April 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
26. ^ Downer, Alexander (26 April 2007). "Diplomatic Appointment - New Ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
27. ^ "Vanstone appointed ambassador to Italy". The Age. AAP. 27 April 2007. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
28. ^ Smith, Stephen (10 May 2010). "Diplomatic Appointment – Ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
29. ^ Bishop, Julie (31 March 2014). "Ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 5 April 2015.
30. ^ About the Australian Embassy in Italy, Australian Government, retrieved 6 March 2016, "H.E. Mike Rann ended his term as Ambassador in Rome on 8 January. Until a new ambassador is appointed, he will be replaced by Chargé d'Affaires Ms Jo Tarnawsky."
31. ^ Bishop, Julie (4 May 2016). "Ambassador to Italy" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 5 May 2016.
32. ^ a b "Ambassador to Italy". Minister for Foreign Affairs. 26 June 2020. Archived from the original on 24 October 2020. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
33. ^ "Appointment of Australian Consul-General in Milan". Current Notes on International Affairs. 39 (11): 500. November 1968. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
34. ^ "Parliament Recalled Milan trade chief was censured for car profiteering". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 30 April 1986. p. 14. Retrieved 26 March 2022 - via National Library of Australia.
35. ^ "Dawkins threatens legal action". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 23 April 1986. p. 1. Retrieved 26 March 2022 - via National Library of Australia.
36. ^ "Overseas Accreditation". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Annual Report 1997/1998: 297. 1998. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
37. ^ "New Permanent Observer of the International Chamber of Commerce". UN Geneva. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
38. ^ a b Payne, Marise (26 June 2020). "New Consuls-General appointed to key Austrade posts" (Press release). Australian Government.

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