List of ambassadors of Australia to Iraq

Ambassador of Australia to Iraq
Incumbent
Paula Ganly
since 16 December 2020
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHis/Her Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
ResidenceBaghdad
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderPierre Hutton
(resident in Beirut)
Formation1974; 50 years ago (1974)
WebsiteAustralian Embassy, Iraq

The ambassador of Australia to Iraq 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 Iraq in Baghdad.[1] The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Paula Ganly since December 2020.

Iraq and Australia have enjoyed official diplomatic relations since the Australian government of Gough Whitlam recognised the Iraqi Republic in 1973. Contacts between Australia and Iraq however were much earlier, dating back to British Mandatory Iraq and the British Protectorate Kingdom of Iraq from 1935.[2]

On 2 December 1973, Foreign Minister Don Willesee announced that Iraq and Australia would establish diplomatic relations with the Australian Ambassador in Beirut to be accredited to Iraq.[3] A resident Ambassador was not appointed until 1976, with Neil Truscott becoming the first resident Ambassador in early 1977.[4] With the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait starting the First Gulf War in August 1990, relations between the two countries became severely strained and diplomatic relations were severed in January 1991 with the withdrawal of Ambassador Peter Lloyd immediately prior to Operation Desert Storm.[5] Relations remained severed until the overthrow of the regime of Saddam Hussein and the establishment of the Australian Mission in Baghdad on 3 May 2003, immediately following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.[6] This was upgraded to an embassy 29 June 2004 following the transfer of sovereign authority to the Iraqi Interim Government.[7]

Heads of mission

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Ordinal Officeholder Title Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 Pierre Hutton Ambassador of Australia to Iraq Beirut, Lebanon 1974 1975 0–1 years
2 Peter Curtis 1975 October 1976 (1976-10) 0–1 years
n/a J. M. Starey Chargé d'affaires Baghdad October 1976 1977 0–1 years
3 Neil Truscott Ambassador of Australia to Iraq 1977 1979 1–2 years [8]
4 J. M. Starey 1979 1981 1–2 years
5 A. L. Vincent 1981 1983 1–2 years
6 Miles Kupa 1983 1986 2–3 years
7 Rory Steele 1986 1989 2–3 years
8 Peter Lloyd 1989 January 1991 1–2 years [5]
Relations suspended
9 Neil Mules Head of Mission Baghdad 3 May 2003 (2003-05-03) 29 June 2004 (2004-06-29) 1 year, 5 months [6][9]
Ambassador of Australia to Iraq 29 June 2004 (2004-06-29) October 2004 (2004-10)
10 Howard Brown October 2004 August 2006 1 year, 10 months [7]
11 Marc Innes-Brown August 2006 August 2008 2 years [10]
12 Robert Tyson August 2008 August 2011 3 years [11]
13 Lyndall Sachs August 2011 20 July 2015 (2015-07-20) 3 years, 11 months [12][13]
14 Christopher Langman 20 July 2015 (2015-07-20) 10 January 2018 (2018-01-10) 2 years, 174 days [14][15]
15 Dr Joanne Loundes 10 January 2018 (2018-01-10) 16 December 2020 (2020-12-16) 2 years, 341 days [16]
16 Paula Ganly 16 December 2020 (2020-12-16) incumbent 4 years, 12 days [17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ CA 6659: Australian Embassy, Iraq [Baghdad], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 30 June 2015
  2. ^ "Bilateral relations". Australian Embassy, Iraq. Australian Government. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Diplomacy". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 3 December 1973. p. 3. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  4. ^ "IN BRIEF". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 28 October 1976. p. 17. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  5. ^ a b Colvin, Mark (19 February 2003). "Former ambassador discusses Iraq". ABC Radio National - PM. Retrieved 1 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b Moore, Matthew (3 May 2003). "Australia to open mission in Baghdad". The Age. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 12 September 2011.
  7. ^ a b Downer, Alexander (27 August 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Iraq" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  8. ^ "IN BRIEF Citizenship". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 28 October 1976. p. 17. Retrieved 2 July 2015.
  9. ^ Downer, Alexander (29 June 2004). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Iraq" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  10. ^ Downer, Alexander (15 August 2006). "Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to Iraq" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 April 2015.
  11. ^ Smith, Stephen (16 June 2008). "Diplomatic Appointment - Ambassador to Iraq" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 6 April 2015.
  12. ^ Rudd, Kevin (30 July 2011). "Diplomatic appointment - Ambassador to Iraq" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 29 March 2015.
  13. ^ Benson, Simon (28 June 2014). "Brave Aussie ambassador in Baghdad Lyndall Sachs has stayed on amid the escalating crisis". The Daily Telegraph. News Corp.
  14. ^ Bishop, Julie (20 July 2015). "Ambassador to Iraq" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 23 August 2015.
  15. ^ "Diplomat appointed new Iraq ambassador". SBS. AAP. 20 July 2015.
  16. ^ Bishop, Julie (10 January 2018). "Ambassador to Iraq" (Press release). Australian Government.
  17. ^ Payne, Marise. "Ambassador to Iraq". Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 21 May 2022.
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