List of Australian Ambassadors to Belgium

Ambassador of Australia to Belgium Ambassador to the European Union Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation
Incumbent Mark Higgie since September 2014
Style	His Excellency
Nominator	Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer	Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder	Edwin McCarthy (resident in the Hague) James Cumes (Chargé d'affaires)
Formation	1 May 1959[1]
Website	Australian Embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg and Mission to the European Union and NATO

The Ambassador of Australia to Belgium 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 Kingdom of Belgium in Brussels. The position has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and holds non-resident accreditation for Luxembourg. The Ambassador also acts as Australia's Ambassador to the European Union (EU), since 1962,^[2] and Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO).^[3]

Belgium and Australia have enjoyed official diplomatic relations since 1 May 1959 when Australia appointed Edwin McCarthy, Ambassador to the Netherlands in The Hague, as the non-resident Ambassador to Belgium.^[1] McCarthy also served as Australia's first Ambassador to the European Communities, when he was appointed in March 1962, just before he left his post in the Netherlands and Belgium, until he retired in 1964.^[4][5] When McCarthy retired, Ralph Harry succeeded him as both ambassador to Belgium and the European Communities (became the EU in 1993).^[6] Australia has been involved on an official level (as a 'global partner') with NATO since 2005 and the first Australian Ambassador to NATO was Brendan Nelson, appointed on 20 January 2012.^[7] The current ambassador is Mark Higgie.

Office-holders

Ambassadors resident in The Hague

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Edwin McCarthy	1 May 1959	June 1962	[1][8]
Walter Crocker	13 June 1962	1964	[9]

Ambassador to the European Communities

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
Edwin McCarthy	March 1962	17 March 1964
Ambassador to Belgium

Ambassadors to Belgium

Name	Start of term	End of term	References
James Cumes (Chargé d'affaires)	1962	1964
Ralph Harry	1965	1969
Owen Davis	1970	1971
Allan Eastman	1972	1974
James Cumes	1975	1977	[10]
James Plimsoll	1977	1980	[11]
Roy Fernandez	1981	1982
Harold David Anderson	1983	1986
Peter Curtis	1987	1991	[12]
David Sadleir	1991	1992	[13]
Ted Pocock	1992	1997
Donald Kenyon	1997	2000	[14]
Joanna Hewitt	2000	2003	[15]
Peter Grey	2003	2007	[16]
Alan Thomas	2007	2010	[17]
Brendan Nelson	2010	2012	[18][19]
Duncan Lewis	2012	2014	[20]
Mark Higgie	September 2014	present	[21]

See also

• Australia-Belgium relations
• Australia–European Union relations
• Foreign relations of Australia

References

1. "Diplomatic Status To Be Increased.". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). ACT: National Library of Australia. 2 May 1959. p. 2. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
2. Delegation of the European Union to Australia (29 July 2013), "Diplomatic relations", Celebrating 50 years: EU-Australia (PDF), p. 25, archived from the original (PDF) on 11 March 2016
3. CA 2093: Australian Embassy, Brussels [Belgium], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 2 May 2015
4. "MCCARTHY GIVEN NEW POST.". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). ACT: National Library of Australia. 25 October 1962. p. 3. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
5. "Sir Edwin McCarthy Retires Today.". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). ACT: National Library of Australia. 17 March 1964. p. 2. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
6. "Celebrating 50 years: EU–Australia - Australian Ambassadors to the EU" (PDF). Australia-EU Diplomatic Relations. European Union. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 May 2015.
7. "Appointment of Australian Ambassador to NATO" (Media Release). Minister for Foreign Affairs - The Hon Kevin Rudd MP. DFAT. 20 January 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
8. Ambassador to the European Communities from 1962 to 1964.
9. "NEW ENVOY TO BELGIUM.". The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995). ACT: National Library of Australia. 14 June 1962. p. 20. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
10. "Four new envoys". The Canberra Times. 9 November 1974. p. 8.
11. "Ambassadors appointed". The Canberra Times. 27 August 1977. p. 7.
12. "Hayden names 7 envoys". The Canberra Times. 25 August 1987. p. 3.
13. "Sadleir to head ASIO". The Canberra Times. 7 March 1992. p. 3.
14. Downer, Alexander (26 November 1996). "Diplomatic Appointment: Brussels" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
15. Downer, Alexander (26 April 2000). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Belgium" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
16. Downer, Alexander (9 October 2003). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the European Communities, Belgium and Luxembourg" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
17. Downer, Alexander (18 December 2006). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the European Communities and Belgium" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015.
18. Smith, Stephen (17 September 2009). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the European Communities, Belgium and Luxembourg, Representative to the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and Special Representative to the World Health Organization" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 3 April 2015.
19. "Beazley, Nelson appointed to key diplomatic posts". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 17 September 2009. Archived from the original on 2 May 2015.
20. Gillard, Julia (17 September 2012). "Diplomatic Appointment and Appointment of Secretaries of the Department of Defence and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 20 December 2014.
21. Bishop, Julie; Brandis, George (15 May 2014). "Appointment of new Director-General of Security and nomination of new Australian Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg, the European Union and NATO" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 17 March 2015.

External links

• Australian Embassy to Belgium and Luxembourg and Mission to the European Union and NATO