List of high commissioners of the United Kingdom to Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Australia
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom
Incumbent Victoria Treadell since March 2019
Style	Her Excellency
Residence	Canberra
Inaugural holder	Sir Geoffrey Whiskard
Formation	1936
Website	British High Commission Canberra

The High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Australia is a special representative from the United Kingdom to Australia. Think of them as the UK's top diplomat, working to keep a strong relationship between the two countries.

Even though Britain and Australia have always been close, the first High Commissioner from London wasn't appointed until 1936. This happened after some important rules were made clearer about Britain's relationship with its former colonies, called Dominions, especially after something called the Statute of Westminster 1931.

What is a High Commissioner?

A High Commissioner is like an Ambassador but for countries that are part of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth is a group of countries that used to be part of the British Empire. The High Commissioner's job is to represent their home country's government and its people in another country. They work on things like trade, culture, and helping citizens.

History of the Role

For a long time, from when Britain first settled Australia in 1788, the Governor-General of Australia was the main representative for the British government. The governors of the different Australian states also played a role.

But things started to change. In 1926, a big meeting called the 1926 Imperial Conference happened. After this, it was decided that the Governor-General in Australia should mainly represent the King or Queen, not the British government.

In 1931, an Australian named Sir Isaac Isaacs became Governor-General. Because he was Australian, the British government felt they needed their own person to represent them directly. So, they sent Ernest Tristram Crutchley as their first special representative.

That same year, the Statute of Westminster made it easier for countries like the UK to send High Commissioners to Dominions. Australia took a few years to officially agree to this law. So, the UK had to wait until 1936 to appoint its first official High Commissioner to Australia. This helped make the Governor-General's role clearer.

People Who Have Held the Office

The British High Commission building in Canberra, Australia.

Here is a list of the people who have served as the UK's High Commissioner to Australia: