The high commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Colombo. The high commissioner has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and also holds non-resident accreditation as high commissioner to the Maldives since 1974. The high commissioner since July 2022 is Paul Stephens. On 6 July 2025, Mr Matthew Duckworth was announced as Australia’s next High Commissioner to Sri Lanka.
| High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka | |
|---|---|
Incumbent since 6 July 2022Paul Stephens | |
| Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Seat | Colombo |
| Nominator | Prime Minister of Australia |
| Appointer | Governor-General of Australia |
| Inaugural holder | Charles Frost (as Commissioner of Australia to the Colony of Ceylon) |
| Formation | 19 December 1946 |
| Website | Australian High Commission, Colombo |
History of relations and office
Sri Lanka and Australia have enjoyed official diplomatic relations since December 1946, following the decision of the British Government to grant limited self-government to Ceylon, with the first parliamentary elections being held by late 1947. As a consequence of the limited sovereign status of Ceylon (possessing neither Dominion status nor full independence) the government of Ben Chifley made the decision to appoint a Commissioner, who had diplomatic standing but not the same powers or rank as a full high commissioner. In the announcement the Australian Government clarified that: "The new title of Commissioner for the appointment [was] chosen because of the unique status which Ceylon will enjoy in the Empire. It will have a legislature patterned on Dominion Parliaments, but as it will lack Dominion or foreign country status, it would be inappropriate for Australia to appoint either a high commissioner or a minister." On 16 January 1947 the first Commissioner was appointed, Charles Frost, a former Labor member of parliament and minister who had lost his seat at the 1946 election. When Ceylon was granted Dominion status, Frost was upgraded to full high commissioner and was present at the swearing-in of the first Governor-General of Ceylon, Sir Henry Monck-Mason Moore, on 4 February 1948.
Frost's appointment did not go without protest however, given the political nature of the appointment, and his performance came under increased scrutiny in late 1948 when Australian businessman V. M. Segal criticised him for neglecting Australia's fledgling trade interests in the country and not having the proper credentials to serve in such a post: "With his staff, he is kept there at considerable expense to this country. It is the biggest sinecure I know." With a change in government, the new Liberal government of Prime Minister Robert Menzies made the decision to terminate Frost's appointment early (he had been commissioned to serve a five-year term) on 5 October 1950. On 19 January 1951 the Minister for External Affairs, Percy Spender, appointed a career diplomat, Dr John Burton, to succeed Frost as high commissioner. However, Burton's tenure also proved short-lived when he resigned his office on 28 March 1951, notifying Spender that he had resigned to contest the April 1951 federal election as a Labor candidate for the seat of Lowe against the sitting member, William McMahon (he was unsuccessful). On 22 May 1972, the Government of Ceylon approved a new republican constitution that renamed the country 'Sri Lanka' and changed its status to that of a Republic within the Commonwealth.
Relations with the Maldives
In 1974, Australia established diplomatic relations with the Republic of Maldives and the high commissioner in Colombo received non-resident accreditation as high commissioner to the Maldives. Between July 1982 and October 2016, and since 1 February 2020, the Australian high commissioner to Sri Lanka has also been high commissioner to the Maldives. Between 1974 and 1982, and from October 2016 to 1 February 2020, this office was as Ambassador.
Office-holders
| # | Officeholder | Title | Other offices | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Charles Frost | Commissioner of Australia to the Colony of Ceylon | 16 January 1947 | 4 February 1948 | 3 years, 262 days | ||
| High Commissioner of Australia to the Dominion of Ceylon | 4 February 1948 | 5 October 1950 | |||||
| 2 | Dr John Burton | 19 January 1951 | 28 March 1951 | 68 days | |||
| − | Alex Borthwick | Chargé d'affaires | 28 March 1951 | 29 February 1952 | 338 days | ||
| 3 | Roden Cutler VC | High Commissioner of Australia to the Dominion of Ceylon | 29 February 1952 | 14 June 1955 | 3 years, 106 days | ||
| 4 | Allan Eastman | 1956 | 1958 | 1–2 years | |||
| 5 | Charles Kevin | 1959 | 1961 | 1–2 years | |||
| 6 | Bertram Ballard | 16 July 1962 | 7 December 1965 | 3 years, 144 days | |||
| 7 | Gordon Upton | 7 December 1965 | 22 January 1970 | 4 years, 46 days | |||
| 8 | H. D. White | 22 January 1970 | 30 April 1972 | 2 years, 99 days | |||
| 9 | H. G. Marshall | 30 April 1972 | 22 May 1972 | 3 years, 79 days | |||
| High Commissioner of Australia to Sri Lanka | A | 22 May 1972 | 18 July 1975 | ||||
| 10 | Alex Borthwick | A | 18 July 1975 | 31 October 1979 | 4 years, 105 days | ||
| 11 | Warwick Mayne-Wilson | A | 31 October 1979 | 12 February 1982 | 2 years, 104 days | ||
| 12 | David Rutter | AB | 12 February 1982 | 15 March 1985 | 3 years, 31 days | ||
| 13 | Robert Cotton | B | 15 March 1985 | February 1988 | 2 years, 10 months | ||
| 14 | Tonia Shand AM | B | February 1988 | December 1991 | 3 years, 10 months | ||
| 15 | Howard Debenham | B | 1 January 1992 | March 1995 | 3 years, 2 months | ||
| 16 | Bill Tweddell | B | March 1995 | July 1996 | 1 year, 4 months | ||
| 17 | David Ritchie AO | B | July 1996 | January 1999 | 2 years, 6 months | ||
| 18 | Peter Rowe | B | January 1999 | January 2002 | 3 years | ||
| 19 | David Binns | B | January 2002 | January 2005 | 3 years | ||
| 20 | Dr Greg French | B | January 2005 | February 2008 | 3 years, 1 month | ||
| 21 | Kathy Klugman | B | February 2008 | 7 January 2012 | 3 years, 11 months | ||
| 22 | Robyn Mudie | B | 7 January 2012 | 2016 | 3–4 years | ||
| 23 | Bryce Hutchesson | AB | February 2016 | 29 January 2019 | 2 years, 11 months | ||
| 24 | David Holly | AB | 29 January 2019 | 6 July 2022 | 3 years, 158 days | ||
| 25 | Paul Stephens | B | 6 July 2022 | incumbent | 3 years, 166 days |
Notes
See also
- Australia–Sri Lanka relations
- Foreign relations of Australia
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