List of ambassadors of Australia to the United States
The Ambassador of Australia to the United States is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the director of the Embassy of Australia to the United States of America in Washington, D.C.. It is Australia's third-oldest ambassadorial post, after the High Commissions in London and Ottawa. The job has the rank and status of an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and is currently Arthur Sinodinos, who has held the position since 7 February 2020. The ambassador's work is assisted by multiple consulates throughout the country that have visiting and reporting responsibilities, as well as consular and trade matters for the embassy.
On 26 May 2019 Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced, along with new Cabinet nominations, that he would recommend Senator for New South Wales Arthur Sinodinos to replace Hockey as Ambassador to the United States when Hockey's term ends in early 2020. Sinodinos replaced Hockey in February 2020.
Posting history
The United States and Australia have had official diplomatic relations since 1 March 1940, when Australia established a legation in Washington as one of its first independent postings. Prior to that, Australia had been represented by the British Embassy in Washington, either through a representative of the Australian government or simply by British officials on Australia's behalf. During 1929, Prime Minister Stanley Bruce appointed Herbert Brookes as "Commissioner-General to the United States", with a mandate to promote "Australian achievements in economic, musical, artistic, literary and intellectual fields". However, Brookes was recalled the next year by James Scullin, as a cost-saving measure during the Depression. During 1937, Joseph Lyons appointed Keith Officer as a liaison officer posted with the British Embassy, with the diplomatic rank of "Counsellor". Officer continued in the job until February 1940 when he became the charge d'Affaires, pending the arrival of Casey as the first Minister.First established as a legation directed by an Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, on 19 July 1946 the diplomatic representative was promoted to embassy status and the Australian Minister, Frederic Eggleston became the first Ambassador. The job is seen as very desirable, and political appointees are regularly posted. Several distinguished Australians have served as Ambassador to the United States, including a future Governor-General of Australia, a future Chief Justice of Australia, a future Governor of Tasmania, two former federal leaders of the opposition, and a former Treasurer of Australia.
Office-holders
Commissioner/Commissioner-General
Counsellor/Charge d'Affaires
Minister/Ambassador
Consulates
From 1993 to August 2012, there existed a Consulate-General in Atlanta, Georgia, which was managed by Austrade. The consulate's closure was due to a realignment of resources "to growing and emerging markets like Mongolia and Colombia." After its closure, the consulate's reporting responsibilities for the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina were transferred to the Australian Embassy in Washington. From 12 September 1994 to his death on 11 June 2017, there existed an Honorary Consulate in Denver, Colorado, held by Mark O'Regan, an Australian-born Denver realtor and former civil servant in the Territory of Papua New Guinea. From 7 December 1999 to his death on 6 November 2013, the Honorary Consul in Miami, Florida, was Thomas Flynn. Flynn was appointed as an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia for his service as honorary consul in 2005.Consuls-General
Atlanta
The consulate-general was opened in 1993 under Austrade management. The consulate was closed in August 2012 following an Austrade restructure.| Name | Start of term | End of term | References |
| Ian Wing | 14 September 1993 | May 1997 | |
| Geoff Gray | 14 August 1997 | 2000 | |
| David Crook | 2000 | 22 November 2004 | |
| Amanda Hodges | 7 January 2005 | June 2009 | |
| Duncan Cole | June 2009 | 31 August 2012 |
Chicago
Originally opened in 1971, the consulate-general was closed in 1993 due to budget constraints after being transferred to Austrade, but re-opened under DFAT in 2001.Honolulu
Originally opened as a Consulate in January 1973, the posting was upgraded to a Consulate-General on 26 March 1978.| Name | Start of term | End of term | References |
| David Wadham | January 1973 | June 1975 | |
| William Rowe | June 1975 | 26 March 1978 | |
| William Rowe | 26 March 1978 | June 1979 | |
| Brian Meade | June 1979 | February 1983 | |
| Bill Fisher | February 1983 | April 1987 | |
| Richard Smith | April 1987 | August 1989 | |
| Robert Tyson | August 1989 | January 1993 | |
| Murray Cobban | January 1993 | October 1995 | |
| Colin McDonald | October 1995 | May 1998 | |
| Peter Woolcott | May 1998 | July 2001 | |
| Paul Robilliard | July 2001 | September 2004 | |
| John Quinn | September 2004 | August 2007 | |
| David Binns | August 2007 | August 2011 | |
| Scott Dewar | August 2011 | February 2015 | |
| Jeff Robinson | 8 February 2015 | 22 December 2017 | |
| Jane Hardy | 22 December 2017 | present |
Los Angeles
Originally a Trade Commission from 1965, the post was upgraded to a Consulate-General from 3 March 1971 and was closed during a period of budget cuts to Foreign Affairs on 1 July 1976. The consulate reopened in September 1978 and management was transferred from DFAT to Austrade in October 1992. DFAT resumed management from November 1999.San Francisco
Since 1993, the consulate-general has been managed by Austrade.| Name | Start of term | End of term | References |
| Edward Smart | July 1946 | October 1949 | |
| N. N. Frewin | October 1949 | 1952 | |
| Stewart Wolfe Jamieson | June 1952 | 1955 | |
| Melville Marshall | May 1955 | 1960 | |
| Bill Cutts | December 1960 | 1963 | |
| Frederick Homer | February 1963 | 1966 | |
| Neil Truscott | February 1966 | 1970 | |
| Roger Dean | April 1970 | 1974 | |
| John McCredie | August 1974 | 1977 | |
| Geoffrey Brady | August 1977 | 1982 | |
| Leslie Sellars | November 1982 | 1983 | |
| John Melhuish | May 1983 | 1986 | |
| David Rutter | October 1986 | 1990 | |
| David Charles | August 1990 | September 1993 | |
| John Paul McCaffrey | 29 September 1993 | May 1995 | |
| Dr Joe Hlubucek | 25 May 1995 | 1998 | |
| Peter Lewis | 1998 | October 2002 | |
| Peter Frank | 16 October 2002 | 2005 | |
| David Lawson | 2005 | June 2009 | |
| Nigel Warren | June 2009 | June 2015 | |
| Sally-Ann Watts | June 2015 | October 2015 | |
| Chris Oldfield | October 2015 | March 2019 | |
| Nick Nichles | Mar 2019 | date |