The high commissioner of Australia to the Cook Islands is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia in the Cook Islands. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and the high commissioner resides in Rarotonga.
| High Commissioner of Australia to the Cook Islands | |
|---|---|
Incumbent since February 2025Susannah Hodson | |
| Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
| Style | Her Excellency |
| Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Residence | Avarua, Rarotonga |
| Nominator | Prime Minister of Australia |
| Appointer | Governor General of Australia |
| Inaugural holder | Ray Greet (Non-resident High Commissioner) Christopher Watkins (resident High Commissioner) |
| Formation | 1994 |
| Website | Australian High Commission, Rarotonga |
Posting history
In 1994, Australia formally established diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands, a self-governing state since 1974 in free association with New Zealand, with the high commissioner in Wellington also serving as high commissioner to the Cook Islands. In November 2018, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced an expansion of Australia's diplomatic representation to all members of the Pacific Islands Forum, including opening new high commissions in the Cook Islands, Niue, and Palau. On 18 December 2019, Foreign Minister Marise Payne. announced the establishment of a resident Australian High Commission in the Cook Islands to "help underscore Australia’s focus on deepening engagement across the region." The first resident high commissioner, Christopher Watkins, took up office in Rarotonga on 17 March 2020.
Heads of mission
| # | Officeholder | Residency | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ray Greet | Wellington, New Zealand | 1994 | January 1996 | 1–2 years | |
| 2 | Geoff Miller | January 1996 | February 2000 | 4 years, 1 month | ||
| 3 | Bob Cotton | February 2000 | July 2003 | 3 years, 5 months | ||
| 4 | Allan Hawke | July 2003 | 27 February 2006 | 2 years, 7 months | ||
| 5 | John Dauth | 27 February 2006 | September 2008 | 2 years, 6 months | ||
| − | Frank Ingruber | September 2008 | May 2009 | 8 months | ||
| 6 | Paul O'Sullivan | May 2009 | July 2012 | 3 years, 2 months | ||
| 7 | Michael Potts | July 2012 | January 2016 | 3 years, 6 months | ||
| 8 | Peter Woolcott | 28 January 2016 | 1 August 2017 | 1 year, 185 days | ||
| − | Andrew Cumpston | 1 August 2017 | 14 February 2018 | 197 days | ||
| 9 | Ewen McDonald | 14 February 2018 | 2 March 2019 | 1 year, 16 days | ||
| 10 | Patricia Forsythe | 2 March 2019 | 17 March 2020 | 1 year, 15 days | ||
| 11 | Christopher Watkins | Rarotonga | 17 March 2020 | August 2022 | 2 years, 137 days | |
| – | Ruth Baird (Acting) | August 2022 | March 2023 | six months | ||
| 12 | Phoebe Smith | March 2023 | February 2025 |
See also
- Australia–New Zealand relations
- Foreign relations of the Cook Islands
- Foreign relations of Australia
wikipedia, wiki, encyclopedia, book, library, article, read, free download, Information about List of high commissioners of Australia to the Cook Islands, What is List of high commissioners of Australia to the Cook Islands? What does List of high commissioners of Australia to the Cook Islands mean?