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Australian High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands

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High Commissioner of Australia to the Solomon Islands
Incumbent
Lachlan Strahan
since 10 January 2020 (2020-01-10)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
StyleHis Excellency
Reports toMinister for Foreign Affairs
SeatHoniara
NominatorPrime Minister of Australia
AppointerGovernor General of Australia
Inaugural holderTrevor Harvey Boyd Sofield
Formation1982
WebsiteAustralian High Commission, Honiara

The high commissioner of Australia to the Solomon 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 to the Solomon Islands. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is based with the High Commission on the corner of Hibiscus Avenue and Mud Alley, Honiara.

The high commissioner since January 2023 has been Rod Hilton, whose appointment was announced in November 2022.[1] The Solomon Islands and Australia have had diplomatic relations since 1982, following the independence of Solomon Islands on 7 July 1978.

List of high commissioners

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# Officeholder Term start date Term end date Time in office Notes
1 Trevor Harvey Boyd Sofield 1982 (1982) 15 August 1985 (1985-08-15) 2–3 years
2 Max Gaylard 15 August 1985 (1985-08-15) 1988 (1988) 2–3 years
3 John Starey 1988 (1988) March 1992 (1992-03) 3–4 years
4 Ruth Lorraine Pearce March 1992 (1992-03) June 1994 (1994-06) 2 years, 3 months
5 Robert Kenneth Flynn June 1994 (1994-06) July 1997 (1997-07) 3 years, 1 month
6 James Batley July 1997 (1997-07) July 1999 (1999-07) 2 years [2]
7 Martin Sharp July 1999 (1999-07) July 2001 (2001-07) 2 years [3]
8 Robert Davis July 2001 (2001-07) December 2003 (2003-12) 2 years, 5 months [4]
9 Patrick Cole[note 1] December 2003 (2003-12) 12 September 2006 (2006-09-12) 2 years, 9 months [5]
10 Peter Hooton 12 January 2007 (2007-01-12) 12 May 2009 (2009-05-12) 2 years, 120 days [6]
11 Frank Ingruber 12 May 2009 (2009-05-12) 26 April 2011 (2011-04-26) 1 year, 349 days [7]
12 Matt Anderson 26 April 2011 (2011-04-26) 20 December 2013 (2013-12-20) 2 years, 238 days [8]
13 Andrew Byrne 20 December 2013 (2013-12-20) December 2016 (2016-12) 2 years, 11 months [9]
14 Roderick Brazier December 2016 (2016-12) 2019 (2019) 2–3 years [10]
15 Lachlan Strahan 10 January 2020 (2020-01-10) January 25, 2023 (2023-01-25) 4 years, 9 months [11][12][13]
16 Rod Hilton January 2023 (2023-01) incumbent 1 year, 8 months [14][15]

Notes

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^[note 1] : On 12 September 2006 the Australian High Commissioner was declared persona non grata by the Solomon Islands Government alleging that he was "talking too much to the opposition," and had been expressing his opposition to a government-appointed commission of inquiry into recent civil unrest.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "High Commissioner to Solomon Islands". Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Penny Wong. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  2. ^ Downer, Alexander (28 April 1997). "Diplomatic appointment: High Commissioner to Solomon Islands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  3. ^ Downer, Alexander (7 July 1999). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner To Solomon Islands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  4. ^ Downer, Alexander (22 June 2001). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 31 December 2015.
  5. ^ Downer, Alexander (29 October 2003). "Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Solomon Islands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  6. ^ Downer, Alexander (12 January 2007). "Diplomatic Appointment – High Commissioner to Solomon Islands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  7. ^ "New Australian High Commissioner to Solomon Islands". Solomon Times Online. 13 May 2009. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
  8. ^ Rudd, Kevin (26 March 2011). "Diplomatic appointment - High Commissioner to Solomon Islands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 29 May 2013.
  9. ^ Bishop, Julie (9 November 2013). "High Commissioner to Solomon Islands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016.
  10. ^ Bishop, Julie (8 November 2016). "High Commissioner to Solomon Islands" (Press release). Australian Government. Archived from the original on 12 November 2016.
  11. ^ "Lachlan Strahan". linkedin.com. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  12. ^ "High Commissioner to Solomon Islands: Dr Lachlan Strahan". Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  13. ^ Eddie, Lachlan. "Dr Strahan completes tenure". Solomon Star. Solomon Star. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  14. ^ Media Release. "High Commissioner to Solomon Islands". Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator the Hon Penny Wong. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
  15. ^ MFAET PRESS RELEASE. "New Australian High Commissioner pays visit to Minister of Foreign Affairs and External Trade". Solomon Islands Government. Solomon Islands Government Portal.
  16. ^ "Australia not to accept high commissioner's expulsion from Solomons: PM". People's Daily Online. 13 September 2006. Retrieved 9 May 2015.
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