Patricia Holmes facts for kids

Patricia Holmes (2011)

Patricia Ann Holmes is an Australian diplomat. A diplomat is someone who represents their country in other nations. They work to build good relationships and solve problems between countries. Patricia Holmes is a senior officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This department helps Australia work with countries all over the world.

Becoming an Ambassador

In 2011, Patricia Holmes was chosen for a very important job. She became Australia's new Ambassador to Argentina. An ambassador is the highest-ranking diplomat a country sends to another. They are like the chief representative.

She also worked for Paraguay and Uruguay at the same time. This means she represented Australia in those countries too, even though she lived in Argentina. On April 10, 2012, she gave her official papers, called credentials, to the President of Argentina. This made her role as Ambassador official.

Her Career Journey

Before becoming an Ambassador, Patricia Holmes held other important roles. From 2010, she was an Assistant Secretary in the department's Legal Counsel Branch. This team gives legal advice to the government on international matters.

She has also lived and worked in several other countries. These experiences helped her learn about different cultures and international relations.

• In Geneva, Switzerland, she worked for the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 2006 to 2009. The WTO helps countries trade fairly.
• She was a First Secretary in Papua New Guinea from 1998 to 2000.
• Earlier in her career, she worked in Vanuatu from 1994 to 1996.

Education and Skills

Patricia Holmes has studied a lot to prepare for her career. She has several university degrees. She earned a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Law from Macquarie University. She also has a Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies from the University of Technology, Sydney.

She continued her studies at the Australian National University. There, she earned a Master of Arts in Foreign Affairs and Trade. She also has a Master of Laws in Environmental Law. This shows her interest in how countries work together and how they protect the environment.

In 1992, she became a lawyer in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. This means she was officially allowed to practice law. She can also speak Spanish, which is very helpful for her work in South America. Patricia Holmes has a partner and three children.