List of ambassadors of Australia to France

Ambassador of Australia to France
Incumbent
Gillian Bird PSM
since 5 November 2020
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHer Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderColonel William Hodgson OBE
Formation11 March 1945
WebsiteAustralian Embassy, France

The ambassador of Australia to France 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 French Republic. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and holds non-resident accreditation for Algeria, Mauritania (since 2001),[1] Monaco. From April 1976 to March 1991 there was a resident ambassador in Algeria and has since been held by the ambassador, excepting a period from 1999–2002 when it was held by the ambassador in Cairo.[2] From October 1972 – August 1975, October 1976 – August 1978, January 1988 – September 1990, and March 1994 – September 1996 the Ambassador served as Permanent Delegate of Australia to UNESCO, a role that is now held by the Deputy Head of Mission. The Deputy Head also serves as the non-resident accredited Ambassador to Chad. From 1978 to 2017, the ambassador had responsibility for relations with Morocco until the establishment of a resident embassy in Rabat.[3]

Gillian Bird PSM was appointed ambassador in November 2020. France and Australia have had official diplomatic relations since Australia opened its Legation in Paris in 1945.[4] The Legation was upgraded to Embassy status in 1948, when Colonel William Hodgson, who served as Minister to France, was appointed as Ambassador.[5]

  1. ^ "Australia and Mauritania Establish Diplomatic Relations" (Media Release). Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer. DFAT. 13 December 2001. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
  2. ^ CA 8166: Australian Embassy, Algeria [Algiers], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 25 January 2016
  3. ^ Bishop, Julie (12 May 2017). "Ambassador to Morocco". Minister for Foreign Affairs. Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Archived from the original (Media Release) on 19 May 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
  4. ^ CA 2751: Australian Embassy, France [Paris], National Archives of Australia, retrieved 28 April 2015
  5. ^ "Legation at Moscow". Kalgoorlie Miner (WA : 1895 – 1950). WA: National Library of Australia. 3 May 1948. p. 4. Retrieved 16 May 2015.