List of ambassadors of the United States to Australia

Ambassador of the United States to Australia
Seal of the United States Department of State
Incumbent
Erika Olson
Chargé d'affaires ad interim
since November 28, 2024[1]
Inaugural holderClarence E. Gauss
(as U.S. Minister to Australia)
Formation1940
WebsiteAmbassador to Australia Edit this at Wikidata

The position of United States Ambassador to Australia has existed since 1940. U.S.–Australian relations have been close throughout the history of Australia. Before World War II, Australia was closely aligned with the United Kingdom, but it has strengthened its relationship with the United States since 1942, as Britain's influence in Asia has declined and the United States' influence has increased. At the governmental level, United States–Australia relationships are formalized by the ANZUS treaty and Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement.

The embassy in Canberra has long been regarded as a desirable posting and hence has become a patronage position. U.S. Ambassadors to Australia have traditionally been friends, political allies, or former business associates of the current President. Some have been major donors to the President's election campaign or political party. Few have been career diplomats (Marshall Green was a conspicuous exception). The two ambassadors during the Bush Administration, for example, were Tom Schieffer, a former business associate of President Bush, and Robert McCallum Jr., a Bush college friend. In 1942, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's close associate and nominee to be U.S. Minister in Canberra, Edward J. Flynn, was forced to withdraw his nomination for the position following difficulties in the senate confirmation process.[2] The actor Fess Parker was offered the post in 1985 by Ronald Reagan, after representing Reagan at an event in Australia. Parker considered it, but turned it down.[3]

This arrangement has suited Australian governments, which welcome the ability of such Ambassadors to gain direct access to the President, bypassing the State Department. However, this has often had the result of long periods without an appointed ambassador and additional delays in the Senate confirmation process, with the career diplomat deputy head of mission serving as Chargé d’Affaires ad interim, such as between February 2005 and August 2006, from September 2016 to February 2019 and from January 2021 to July 2022.

United States ambassadors to Australia

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The following individuals have served as the U.S. ambassadors to Australia, or any precedent titles:

List of U.S. ambassadors to Australia
Ordinal Officeholder Image Term began Term ended Time in office Notes
U.S. Ministers to Australia
1 Clarence E. Gauss July 17, 1940 March 5, 1941
2 Nelson T. Johnson September 12, 1941 April 20, 1945
U.S. Ambassadors to Australia
3 Robert Butler 1946 1948 [4]
4 Myron M. Cowen 1948 1949
5 Pete Jarman June 8, 1949 (1949-06-08) July 31, 1953 (1953-07-31) 4 years, 53 days [5]
6 Amos J. Peaslee August 12, 1953 February 16, 1956
7 Douglas M. Moffat 1956 1956
8 William J. Sebald March 14, 1957 (1957-03-14) October 31, 1961 (1961-10-31) 4 years, 231 days [6]
9 William C. Battle July 13, 1962 (1962-07-13) August 31, 1964 (1964-08-31) 2 years, 49 days [7]
10 Ed Clark 1965 1967 [8]
11 William H. Crook 1968 1969
12 Walter L. Rice 1969 1973
13 Marshall Green June 8, 1973 July 31, 1975
14 James Ward Hargrove 1976 1977
15 Philip H. Alston 1977 1981 [9][10]
16 Robert D. Nesen November 20, 1981 (1981-11-20) May 2, 1985 (1985-05-02) 3 years, 163 days [11]
17 Laurence W. Lane December 6, 1985 (1985-12-06) April 29, 1989 (1989-04-29) 3 years, 144 days [12]
18 Melvin F. Sembler October 10, 1989 (1989-10-10) February 28, 1993 (1993-02-28) 3 years, 141 days [13]
19 Edward J. Perkins November 24, 1993 (1993-11-24) July 19, 1996 (1996-07-19) 2 years, 238 days [14]
20 Genta H. Holmes April 11, 1997 (1997-04-11) July 23, 2000 (2000-07-23) 3 years, 103 days [15]
21 Edward (Skip) Gnehm August 30, 2000 (2000-08-30) June 22, 2001 (2001-06-22) 296 days [16]
− Michael P. Owens June 22, 2001 (2001-06-22) August 22, 2001 (2001-08-22) 61 days Chargé d’affaires[17]
22 Thomas Schieffer August 23, 2001 (2001-08-23) February 18, 2005 (2005-02-18) 3 years, 179 days [18]
− William Stanton February 19, 2005 (2005-02-19) July 5, 2006 (2006-07-05) 1 year, 136 days Chargé d’affaires[19]
− Michael P. Owens July 5, 2006 (2006-07-05) August 23, 2006 (2006-08-23) 49 days Chargé d’affaires[20]
23 Robert McCallum, Jr. August 24, 2006 (2006-08-24) January 20, 2009 (2009-01-20) 2 years, 149 days [21]
− Daniel A. Clune January 20, 2009 (2009-01-20) November 26, 2009 (2009-11-26) 310 days Chargé d’affaires[22]
24 Jeff Bleich November 26, 2009 (2009-11-26) September 12, 2013 (2013-09-12) 3 years, 290 days [23]
− J. Thomas Dougherty September 12, 2013 (2013-09-12) September 24, 2013 (2013-09-24) 12 days Chargé d’affaires[24]
25 John Berry September 25, 2013 (2013-09-25) September 20, 2016 (2016-09-20) 2 years, 361 days [25]
− James Carouso September 21, 2016 (2016-09-21) March 12, 2019 (2019-03-12) 2 years, 173 days Chargé d’affaires[26]
26 Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. March 13, 2019 (2019-03-13) January 19, 2021 (2021-01-19) 1 year, 312 days [27]
− Michael B. Goldman January 20, 2021 (2021-01-20) July 25, 2022 (2022-07-25) 1 year, 141 days Chargé d’affaires[28]
27 Caroline Kennedy July 25, 2022 (2022-07-25) November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28) 2 years, 129 days
− Erika Olson November 28, 2024 (2024-11-28) 30 days Chargé d’affaires

See also

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References

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  1. ^ https://au.usembassy.gov/deputy-chief-of-mission/
  2. ^ Birkner, Michael (2018). "The Battle FDR Lost:The Failed Nomination of Boss Ed Flynn as Minister to Australia". The Cupola. Passport 48 (1): 33–39. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  3. ^ Legacy.com, Fess Parker obituary
  4. ^ "Robert Butler (1897–1955)". U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian. Retrieved February 15, 2016.
  5. ^ United States Congress. "(id: J000058)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
  6. ^ William Joseph Sebald at Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State
  7. ^ Daily Progress obituary
  8. ^ Clark, Anne. Australian Adventure. University of Texas Press, 1969, p. 6.
  9. ^ "PHILIP HENRY ALSTON JR. (1911-1988)". U.S. Department of State, Office of the Historian.
  10. ^ "United States Ambassador to Australia - Nomination of Philip H. Alston, Jr". The American Presidency Project.
  11. ^ "Reagan's Nomination of Nesen as Ambassador to Australia". Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  12. ^ "L. W. Lane, Jr". Council of American Ambassadors web site. 2004. Archived from the original on January 4, 2007. Retrieved May 25, 2010.
  13. ^ "Australia bestows honor on Sembler". St. Petersburg Times. May 14, 2000. Retrieved April 6, 2012.
  14. ^ "Edward Perkins". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  15. ^ "Genta Hawkins Holmes". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  16. ^ "Edward Gnehm". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  17. ^ "Deputy Chief of Mission". US Diplomatic Mission to Australia. US Department of State. Archived from the original on June 13, 2001. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  18. ^ "John Schieffer". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  19. ^ "William A. Stanton (1947–)". Office of the Historian. US Department of State. Retrieved February 8, 2022.
  20. ^ "Deputy Chief of Mission". Embassy of the United States Canberra Australia. US Department of State. Archived from the original on August 10, 2006. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  21. ^ "Robert McCallum". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  22. ^ "Dan Clune Chargé d'Affaires ad interim". Embassy of the United States Canberra Australia. U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved February 27, 2022.
  23. ^ "Jeff Bleich". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  24. ^ "Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas Dougherty". Embassy of the United States Canberra Australia. US Department of State. Archived from the original on October 28, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2022.
  25. ^ "John Berry". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  26. ^ "Chargé d'Affaires James Carouso". U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Australia. US Department of State. Archived from the original on October 22, 2018. Retrieved January 28, 2022.
  27. ^ "Arthur Culvahouse Jr". Office of the Historian, Bureau of Public Affairs, United States Department of State. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  28. ^ "Chargé d'Affaires Michael Goldman - U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Australia". November 7, 2021. Archived from the original on November 7, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
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