Australia and Canada have enjoyed official diplomatic relations since 12 September 1939, when
high commissioners were first exchanged as Australia's second independent diplomatic posting established from 29 March 1940, with only the
High Commission in London (1910) being older. As fellow
Dominion countries, Australia and Canada had many prior contacts, particularly in trade, and continue to share a monarch as
Commonwealth realms. The High Commissioner's Official Residence is located at
Australia House, Ottawa, while the
Chancery is located at the Sun Life Financial Centre, Suite 1301, 50 O'Connor Street, in
Downtown Ottawa. The work of the High Commission is also supported by a Consulate-General in
Toronto and an Honorary Consulate in
Vancouver, which are run by
Austrade.
Posting history
Formal diplomatic relations between Australia and Canada formally began on 12 September 1939 when the two countries agreed to exchange high commissioners.[3][4] Australian representation in Canada prior to this was limited to a Trade Commissioner post with a focus on promoting trade, with Rupert Haynes, an Australian businessman connected to the South Australian fruit industry, appointed by the
Minister for Markets and Transport as the first "Commercial Representative for the Commonwealth of Australia in the Dominion of Canada" on 1 April 1929.[5][6][7] Haynes was recalled on 15 March 1930, and was later replaced by Lewis Richard Macgregor, who served until May 1938.[8][9]
The first Canadian high commissioner,
Charles Jost Burchell, was appointed on 3 November 1939 and arrived in Australia on 27 December 1939.[10][11] On 23 December 1939, Prime Minister
Robert Menzies announced the appointment of
Sir Thomas Glasgow as the first Australian high commissioner.[12][13] Glasgow arrived in Ottawa on 29 March 1940.[14][15]
The work of the high commission is supported by a consulate-general in Toronto, which has been operated by the Australian Trade Commission (now Austrade) since 1929, and was upgraded to a consulate-general in 1975.[63][64] The Honorary Consulate in Vancouver was originally established in 1947 as a Trade Commission and also upgraded to a consulate in 1975.[65][64] There was also previously a consulate-general in Montreal from 1975 to its closure in 1976, having previously operated as a Trade Commission only since 1953.[64][66]
^"FOR OTTAWA". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 September 1939. p. 4. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Government Gazette Appointments and Employment". Commonwealth Of Australia Gazette. No. 24. Australia, Australia. 27 March 1930. p. 586. Retrieved 29 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"CANADA'S FIRST HIGH COMMISSIONER TO AUST". The Daily Telegraph. New South Wales, Australia. 4 November 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"CANBERRA WELCOMES". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 28 December 1939. p. 2. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^
ab"HIGH COMMISSIONER IN CANADA". The Herald. Victoria, Australia. 23 December 1939. p. 3. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"LEAVE FOR CANADA". Cairns Post. Queensland, Australia. 27 December 1939. p. 6. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MACKENZIE KING GREETS GLASGOW". The Daily Telegraph. New South Wales, Australia. 30 March 1940. p. 3. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"AUSTRALIA APPOINTS 3 NEW DIPLOMATS". The Daily Telegraph. New South Wales, Australia. 3 February 1945. p. 5. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"MR. STIRLING TAKES UP DUTIES". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 25 July 1945. p. 3. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Forde New Envoy To Canada". The Daily Telegraph. New South Wales, Australia. 6 November 1946. p. 6. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Forde's term in Canada extended". The Sun. New South Wales, Australia. 17 October 1951. p. 11. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"FORDE ABOUT TO LEAVE CANADA". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 14 May 1953. p. 1. Retrieved 27 June 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Australian High Commissioner to Canada". Current Notes on International Affairs. 32 (1–2). Department of External Affairs: 83. January–February 1961. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
^"Deputy High Commissioner, London". Current Notes on International Affairs. 43 (12). Department of External Affairs: 627. December 1972. Retrieved 27 June 2022.