List of ambassadors of Australia to Croatia

Ambassador of Australia to Croatia
Incumbent
Elizabeth Petrović
since January 2017
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHer Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
ResidenceZagreb, Croatia
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderMichael Wilson
Formation13 February 1992
WebsiteAustralian Embassy in Zagreb

The ambassador of Australia to Croatia is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Republic of Croatia in Zagreb. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is held by Elizabeth Petrović, since January 2017.

Croatia and Australia have enjoyed official diplomatic relations since 1967, when Australia opened an Embassy to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (which included the Socialist Republic of Croatia) in Belgrade. However, with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Prime Minister Bob Hawke acted quickly to recognise the newly independent former Yugoslav Republics of Slovenia and Croatia.[1] Australia became one of the first countries to recognise Croatia's independence, on 16 January 1992, and diplomatic relations were established on 13 February 1992, with the Australian Ambassador in Vienna receiving non-resident accreditation as the first Australian Ambassador to Croatia. The first Ambassador, Michael Wilson, presented his credentials to President Franjo Tudjman in March 1992. A resident embassy was not established until October 1999, when the Australian Government appointed Neil Francis as the first Ambassador resident in Zagreb.[2]

The ambassador of Australia to Croatia currently holds non-residency accreditation as the ambassador of Australia to Kosovo.[3]

List of ambassadors

Ordinal Name Other offices Residency Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 Michael Wilson Vienna, Austria 13 February 1992 (1992-02-13) 1993 0–1 years
2 Ronald Walker 1993 1996 2–3 years [4]
3 Lance Joseph February 1997 (1997-02) October 1999 (1999-10) 2 years, 8 months [2]
4 Neil Francis Zagreb, Croatia October 1999 (1999-10) November 2003 (2003-11) 4 years, 1 month [2]
5 Anna George November 2003 (2003-11) September 2006 (2006-09) 2 years, 10 months [5]
6 Tracy Reid A September 2006 (2006-09) December 2009 (2009-12) 3 years, 3 months [6]
7 Beverly Mercer A December 2009 (2009-12) December 2012 (2012-12) 3 years [7]
8 Susan Cox OAM A December 2012 (2012-12) 2017 (2017) 4–5 years [8][9][10]
9 Elizabeth Petrović A January 2017 (2017-01) incumbent 7 years, 11 months [11][12]

Notes

^A Also non-resident Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, 21 May 2008-present.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hawke veers to EC stance". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 6 September 1991. p. 7. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Downer, Alexander (20 September 1999). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 February 2014.
  3. ^ "Kosovo". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Australian Government. n.d. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Austrian posting". The Canberra Times. ACT: National Library of Australia. 2 December 1992. p. 21. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
  5. ^ Downer, Alexander (6 August 2003). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 29 May 2015.
  6. ^ Downer, Alexander (28 July 2006). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  7. ^ Smith, Stephen (18 November 2009). "Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  8. ^ Carr, Bob (28 September 2012). "Diplomatic appointment - Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  9. ^ "New ambassador appointed to Croatia". News Corp. 28 September 2012. Archived from the original on 17 July 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Predsjednik Josipović primio vjerodajnice veleposlanice Australije" (in Croatian). President of Croatia. 14 December 2012. Archived from the original on 18 February 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2013.
  11. ^ Bishop, Julie (18 November 2016). "Ambassador to Croatia" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 January 2017.
  12. ^ Payne, Marise (2019). "Alex Gallacher: Australian Ambassador inquiry". Hansard: Australian Senate. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 25 October 2022.