On 29 November 1963, the Minister for External Affairs,
Sir Garfield Barwick, announced the establishment of an Australian Commission in Suva to represent Australian interests in the
Colony of Fiji, with R. N. Hamilton taking up the office of commissioner.[1] With the independence of Fiji on 10 October 1970, the Australian Commission was upgraded to a high commission.[2][3] On 29 November 1970, Birch was appointed as Australia's first
non-resident accredited high commissioner to
Tonga, visiting Tonga on 3 December 1970 to present his letters of commission to the
King of Tonga.[4] On 13 December 1970, Birch was appointed as the non-resident accredited high commissioner to
Western Samoa.[5] The high commissioner would have responsibility for relations with Tonga and Western Samoa until resident high commissions were established in
Nukuʻalofa in 1980, and
Apia in October 1979.
Prior to the independence of
Tuvalu on 1 October 1978, the High Commission was accredited to the country, with the high commissioner (1977–2014) and deputy high commissioner (2014–2018) also serving as the non-resident accredited high commissioner to Tuvalu. A
resident high commissioner to Tuvalu was appointed in 2018, and the High Commission was officially opened in 2019.[6][7][8]
Following the
coups of 1987 by the military and
Sitiveni Rabuka, the declaration of Fiji as a republic on 10 October 1987, and the resignation of
Sir Penaia Ganilau as
Governor-General of Fiji on 15 October 1987, foreign minister
Bill Hayden announced that the Australian high commissioner to Fiji, John Piper, would be recalled for "consultations".[9] With Fiji's membership in the
Commonwealth of Nations considered to have lapsed, when the next Australian representative to Fiji was appointed in 1988, it was as "Ambassador" rather than high commissioner.[10] When a
new constitution was promulgated in July 1997, Fiji was readmitted to the Commonwealth from 1 October 1997 and the office once again was titled "High Commissioner".[11] In 1991 the Australian Government acquired a 3.7 hectare site in Suva for the construction of a new embassy chancery, ambassador's residence, and facilities/residences for staff. The works were commissioned in 1992–1993, with the chancery designed by Australian Construction Services, and the original circa 1900 Ambassador's residence refurbished to a design by Adrian Sofield Architect.[12]
Following a
military coup in December 2006, relations between Australia and Fiji grew increasingly strained. On 3 November 2009, Fijian military leader and interim Prime Minister,
Frank Bainimarama, declared the Australian and New Zealand high commissioners as Persona non grata, and high commissioner James Batley was recalled.[13] In July 2012, the governments agreed to again exchange high commissioners, ending the three-year gap, with an Australian high commissioner commencing in December 2014 following the first elections in the country held since 2006
in September 2014.[14][15]
^"Fiji—lndependence". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (10). Department of External Affairs: 540–542. October 1970. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^
abc"Diplomatic Appointments". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (11). Department of External Affairs: 604. November 1970. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^
ab"Diplomatic Appointments". Current Notes on International Affairs. 41 (12). Department of External Affairs: 641. December 1970. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^
ab"Ambassador to Fiji". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 59 (3). Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: 114. March 1988. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^"Fiji envoy appointed". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 20 November 1970. p. 7. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"IN BRIEF Soviet leader in Canberra for talks". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 12 March 1973. p. 3. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"High Commissioner to Fiji and Tonga". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 47 (5). Department of Foreign Affairs: 275. May 1976. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^"Appointment". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 26 May 1976. p. 3. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Australian Representation Overseas". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 48 (11). Department of Foreign Affairs: 600. November 1977. Retrieved 27 December 2022 – via National Library of Australia (Trove).
^"Diplomatic appointments". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 50 (10). Department of Foreign Affairs: 591–592. October 1979. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^"Diplomatic postings". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 1 November 1979. p. 11. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"High Commissioners' postings". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 February 1982. p. 7. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"High Commissioner to Fiji". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 55 (4). Department of Foreign Affairs: 422–423. April 1984. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^"People". Pacific Islands Monthly. 55 (7): 65. 1 July 1984. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^"High Commissioner to Fiji and Tuvalu". Australian Foreign Affairs Record. 57 (6). Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: 554. June 1986. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
^"High Commissioner". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 June 1986. p. 3. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^"Australian move Top envoy to Fiji recalled". The Canberra Times. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 17 October 1987. p. 1. Retrieved 7 November 2022 – via National Library of Australia.
^Evans, Gareth (25 March 1991).
"Diplomatic appointment - Fiji"(Media Release). ParlInfo: Minister for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government. Retrieved 7 November 2022.