List of high commissioners of Australia to New Zealand facts for kids

Quick facts for kids High Commissioner of Australia to New Zealand
Incumbent Harinder Sidhu since 31 March 2022
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style	Her Excellency
Reports to	Minister for Foreign Affairs
Residence	Vogel House, Lower Hutt (1966–1976) 15 Butavas Street, Khandallah (since 1976)
Seat	DIC Building, Lambton Quay (1934–1947) Government Life Insurance Building (1947–1964) ICI House, Molesworth Street (1964–1972) 72 Hobson Street, Thorndon (since 1972)
Nominator	Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer	Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder	Thomas d'Alton
Formation	15 December 1943
Website	Australian High Commission, New Zealand

The High Commissioner of Australia to New Zealand is a special representative from Australia who works for the Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This person is in charge of the Australian High Commission, which is like an embassy, in Wellington, New Zealand.

A High Commissioner has a very important job, similar to an ambassador. The current High Commissioner is Harinder Sidhu, who started on March 31, 2022. Her role also includes looking after Australia's connections with Tokelau (part of New Zealand) and the Pitcairn Islands (a British territory). Australia used to have the same High Commissioner for the Cook Islands and Niue, but now those places have their own Australian High Commissions.

This job is one of Australia's oldest diplomatic roles. The first High Commissioner was appointed in 1943. However, Australia had a representative in Wellington even earlier, starting in 1934, who was called a Trade Commissioner. Australia also has a Consulate-General and Trade Commission in Auckland, which has been there since 1955.

History of the Role

The DIC Department Store Building in Lambton Quay, Wellington, where the first Australian Trade Commission was located in 1934.

Australia first officially sent a representative to New Zealand in March 1934. This happened because the Australian government, led by Joseph Lyons, wanted to improve trade with countries in the Asia-Pacific region. They appointed a well-known businessman, Robert Henry Nesbitt, as the first Trade Commissioner of Australia in New Zealand.

This appointment came after Australia and New Zealand signed a trade agreement in 1933. Nesbitt started his job in Wellington on August 29, 1934, and set up offices in the DIC Building. He served until April 1937.

After Nesbitt left, Charles Edward Critchley became the next Trade Commissioner in December 1937. His assistant was James Leslie Menzies, who was the brother of Robert Menzies, who later became Prime Minister. Critchley was called back to Australia in April 1941, and Menzies took over as the acting representative.

By 1942, both Australia and New Zealand decided to make their representatives even more important by calling them "High Commissioners." In March 1943, New Zealand appointed its first High Commissioner to Australia. Then, in November 1943, Australia appointed Thomas d'Alton as its first High Commissioner to New Zealand.

In 1955, Australia opened another office in Auckland, called the Australian Trade Commission. This office later became a Consulate-General in 1975. There was also a trade commissioner in Christchurch from 1957 to 1979.

Connections with the Cook Islands and Niue

In 1994, Australia officially started diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands. These islands are self-governing but are in a special "free association" with New Zealand. For a while, the High Commissioner in Wellington also looked after relations with the Cook Islands.

In November 2018, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that Australia would open new diplomatic offices in all Pacific Islands Forum countries, including the Cook Islands and Niue. On December 18, 2019, Australia announced it would open a permanent High Commission in the Cook Islands. This was to show Australia's commitment to working closely with the region. The first resident High Commissioner, Christopher Watkins, started in Rarotonga on March 17, 2020.

Australia also officially started diplomatic relations with Niue on February 27, 2014. Niue is also a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand. Like the Cook Islands, the High Commissioner in Wellington used to cover Niue. However, the first resident High Commissioner for Niue, Susan Allen, started her role in Alofi on August 26, 2020.

People Who Have Held the Role

The Australian High Commission building at 72 Hobson Street, Thorndon.

Here is a list of the people who have served as Australia's top representative in New Zealand:

Consuls-General in Auckland

Here are the Consuls-General who have served in Auckland:

See also

• Australia–New Zealand relations
• List of New Zealand High Commissioners to Australia