List of ambassadors of the United States to Australia
| Ambassador of the United States to Australia | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the United States Department of State | |
| Nominator | Barack Obama |
| Inaugural holder | Clarence E. Gauss |
| Formation | 1940 |
| Website | U.S. Embassy - Canberra |
The position of United States Ambassador to Australia has existed since 1940. U.S.-Australian relations have been close throughout the history of Australia. Before World War II, Australia was closely aligned with the United Kingdom, but it has strengthened its relationship with the United States since 1942, as Britain's influence in Asia has declined and the United States' influence has increased. At the governmental level, United States-Australia relationships are formalised by the ANZUS treaty and Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement.
The Embassy in Canberra has always been regarded as a desirable posting and hence has become a patronage position. U.S. Ambassadors to Australia have traditionally been friends, political allies, or former business associates of the President of the day. Some have been major donors to the President's election campaign or political party. Few have been career diplomats (Marshall Green was a conspicuous exception). The two Ambassadors during the Bush Administration, for example, were Tom Schieffer, a former business associate of President Bush, and Robert McCallum, Jr., a Bush college friend. The actor Fess Parker was offered the post in 1985 by Ronald Reagan, after representing Reagan at an event in Australia. Parker considered it, but turned it down.[1]
This arrangement has suited Australian governments, which welcome the ability of such Ambassadors to gain direct access to the President, bypassing the State Department.
United States Ambassadors to Australia
- Clarence E. Gauss (1940–41)
- Nelson T. Johnson (1941–45)
- Robert Butler (1946–48)
- Myron M. Cowen (1948–49)
- Pete Jarman (1949–53)
- Amos J. Peaslee (1953–56)
- Douglas M. Moffat (1956)
- William J. Sebald (1957–61)
- William C. Battle (1962–64)
- Ed Clark (1965–67)
- William H. Crook (1968–69)
- Walter L. Rice (1969–73)
- Marshall Green (1973–75)
- James W. Hargrove (1976–77)
- Philip H. Alston (1977–81)
- Robert D. Nesen (1981–85)
- Laurence W. Lane (1985–89)
- Melvin F. Sembler (1989–93)
- Edward J. Perkins (1993–96)
- Genta H. Holmes (1997–2000)
- Edward W. Gnehm (2000–01)
- Thomas Schieffer (2001–05)
- Robert McCallum, Jr. (2006–09)
- Jeff Bleich (2009-2013)
- John Berry (2013- )
Source: U.S. State Department
See also
- List of Australian Ambassadors to the United States
- Embassy of Australia, Washington, D.C.
- Embassy of the United States, Canberra
- Foreign relations of Australia
- Ambassadors of the United States
References
- United States Department of State: Background notes on Australia
This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.
External links
- United States Department of State: Chiefs of Mission for Australia
- United States Department of State: Australia
- United States Embassy in Canberra
