Patrick Shaw (diplomat)

Sir Patrick Shaw CBE
9th Ambassador of Australia to
the United States
In office
21 February 1974 – 27 December 1975
Preceded byJames Plimsoll
(Ambassador to the United States of America)
Succeeded byGordon Upton
Personal details
Born
Patrick Shaw

(1913-09-18)18 September 1913
Kew, Victoria Australia
Died27 December 1975(1975-12-27) (aged 62)
Washington, D.C. United States
Spouse
Catherine Helen Jeffree
​
​
(m. 1938)​
ChildrenKarina, Janet
OccupationPublic servant, diplomat

Sir Patrick Shaw CBE (18 September 1913 – 27 December 1975) was an Australian public servant and diplomat.[1][2]

Shaw joined the Department of External Affairs in 1939.[3] He worked in the Department's political section until 1941 when he was sent on his first overseas posting as third secretary in Australia's Tokyo legation. Shaw and other legation staff were taken as prisoners of war when war broke out.[4]

In 1973, Prime Minister Gough Whitlam announced Shaw's appointment as Ambassador to the United States.[5] While in the role, Shaw suffered a fatal heart attack. He died on 27 December 1975.[6] Ambassador Shaw's wife, Lady Shaw, was a victim of a street attack in Washington, D.C., for which she received ex gratia remuneration from the United States Government.[7][8]

Shaw's daughter, Karina Campbell (née Shaw) followed her father in working in the Australian diplomatic service. Karina Campbell joined the then-Department of External Affairs in 1963 and later held a range of senior positions in the Department.

  1. ^ Lee, David (2002). "Shaw, Sir Patrick (1913–1975)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 16. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 24 October 2022.
  2. ^ Broinowski, Alison (7 December 2013). "Sexist baggage revealed". The Wimmera Mail-Times. Archived from the original on 7 February 2016.
  3. ^ "Mr Patrick Shaw to India". The Canberra Times. 2 March 1970. p. 1.
  4. ^ "Obituary: Sir Patrick Shaw gave 36 years' service". The Canberra Times. ACT. 29 December 1975. p. 3.
  5. ^ Davidson, Gay (27 September 1973). "Diplomatic reshuffle announced". The Canberra Times. p. 1.
  6. ^ "Ambassador to US dies". The Canberra Times. 29 December 1975. p. 1.
  7. ^ H.R. 13179: State Department Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1977. Committee on International Relations, United States House of Representatives. April 12, 1976.
  8. ^ Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 1977.