View source for List of Australian Ambassadors to Russia

{{Use Australian English|date=January 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2016}}
{{Infobox official post
|post            = Ambassador of Australia to the Russian Federation
|body            = 
|insignia        = Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
|insigniasize    = 120px
|department      =
|image           = Paul Myler (1).jpg
|alt             = 
|incumbent       = [[Paul Myler]]
|incumbentsince  = 1 November 2012
|residence       =
|nominator       = [[Prime Minister of Australia]]
|nominatorpost   = 
|style           = [[Excellency|His Excellency]]
|appointer       = [[Governor General of Australia]]
|termlength      =
|formation       = 2 January 1943
|inaugural       = [[Bill Slater (politician)|Bill Slater]]
|website         = [http://www.russia.embassy.gov.au/mscw/home.html Australian Embassy, Russian Federation]
}}
[[File:Podkolokolny 10 02.jpg|thumb|280px|The Australian Embassy, Podkolokolny Pereulok 11, [[Moscow]].]]
The '''Ambassador of Australia to the Russian Federation''' is an officer of the [[Australia]]n [[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]] and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the [[Russian Federation]]. The position has the rank and status of an [[Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary]] and holds non-resident accreditation for [[Kazakhstan]], [[Uzbekistan]], [[Kyrgyzstan]], [[Turkmenistan]], [[Tajikistan]], [[Armenia]], [[Moldova]] and [[Belarus]]. The current Ambassador is [[Paul Myler]].

==Posting history==
Russia and Australia have enjoyed diplomatic relations since 1942 when Australia opened channels with the [[Soviet Union]]. This occurred on 13 October 1942 with the conclusion of negotiations between Foreign Ministers [[Herbert Evatt]] and [[Vyacheslav Molotov]]. The Australian [[Legation]] opened in January 1943 (the first [[Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary|Minister]], [[Bill Slater (politician)|Bill Slater]] was appointed in October 1942) in the temporary Russian capital of [[Samara, Russia|Kuybyshev]] and the Soviet embassy in Canberra also opened in March 1943.

By the war's end the Legation moved to [[Moscow]] and on 16 February 1948 was upgraded to an Embassy. In February 1950 the Ambassador [[Alan Watt (diplomat)|Alan Watt]] was recalled by the Australian government and was not replaced.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article145625467 |title=NO AMBASSADOR TO MOSCOW. |newspaper= [[The Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga)|Daily Advertiser (Wagga Wagga, NSW : 1911 - 1954)]] |location=Wagga Wagga, NSW |date=8 March 1952 |accessdate=12 May 2015 |page=4 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> In April 1954 with the scandal of the [[Petrov Affair]] the embassy in Moscow was closed, but later reopened in 1959. Between 1964 and 1966, the Ambassador in Moscow held accreditation as [[List of Australian Ambassadors to Sweden|Ambassador to Sweden]]. Between June 1972 and September 1973 the Ambassador in Moscow was [[List of Australian Ambassadors to Poland|accredited to Warsaw]].<ref name=First>{{cite news|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/110754082|title=Ambassador from Poland due next week|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=27 October 1973|page=9}}</ref> With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in late 1991, Australia acted to recognise the new states of the [[Commonwealth of Independent States]] on 26 December 1991. As a result, the embassy's accreditation was transferred to the Russian Federation, while non-resident accreditation to many of the new former Soviet republics was acquired. Non-resident accreditation with the [[Ukraine]] was consequently included from 10 January 1992, but was transferred to [[List of Australian Ambassadors to Ukraine|the new embassy]] established in [[Kiev]] in February 2015 following the [[2014 pro-Russian unrest in Ukraine]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Political relations between Ukraine and Australia|url=http://australia.mfa.gov.ua/en/ukraine-au/diplomacy|website=Embassy of Ukraine in Australia|publisher=Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine|accessdate=11 May 2015}}</ref> From 12 June 1973 to 29 May 1991, accreditation to [[Mongolia]] was also held by the Embassy in Moscow until it was transferred to the [[List of Australian Ambassadors to China|Embassy in Beijing]].

The Australian Government established an Embassy in [[Almaty]], Kazakhstan in 1995 and appointed its first resident Ambassador, Douglas Townsend.<ref name=Townsend>{{cite press release|url=http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1995/m43.html|title=Diplomatic appointment: Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan|date=May 1995|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212032610/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1995/m43.html|archivedate=12 February 2014|publisher=Australian Government|author-link=Gareth Evans (politician)|first=Gareth|last=Evans}}</ref> The Australian Government announced plans to close its Embassy in Kazakhstan in August 1999.<ref>{{cite press release|first=Alexander|last=Downer|author-link=Alexander Downer|publisher=Australian Government|title=Changes in Australia's Overseas Representation|date=7 August 1999|url=http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1999/fa089_99.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212024053/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1999/fa089_99.html|archivedate=12 February 2014}}</ref> According to the [[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]], the closure was due to resource constraints.<ref>{{citation|url=http://dfat.gov.au/geo/kazakhstan/Pages/kazakhstan-country-brief.aspx|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814053351/http://dfat.gov.au/geo/kazakhstan/Pages/kazakhstan-country-brief.aspx|archivedate=14 August 2015|title=Kazakhstan country brief|author=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|publisher=Australian Government}}</ref> 

==Office holders==
===Ministers to the Soviet Union===
{| border="1" class="wikitable"
|- style="background-color:#cfc;"
||'''Name'''||'''Start of term'''||'''End of term'''||'''References'''
|-
|[[Bill Slater (politician)|Bill Slater]]||12 October 1942||June 1943||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17806072 |title=EXCHANGING ENVOYS WITH SOVIET. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=NSW |date=13 October 1942 |accessdate=23 August 2015 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article11331152 |title=MR SLATER BACK FROM RUSSIA. |newspaper=[[The_Argus_(Australia)|The Argus]] |location=Melbourne, Vic. |date=18 June 1943 |accessdate=23 August 2015 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Jim Maloney (politician)|James Maloney]]||5 November 1943||12 August 1946||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article17863384 |title=NEW MINISTER TO RUSSIA. |newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|location=NSW |date=6 November 1943 |accessdate=23 August 2015 |page=8 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Noël Deschamps]] (''Chargé d'Affaires'')||12 August 1946||1947||
|-
|[[Alan Watt (diplomat)|Alan Watt]]||June 1947||16 February 1948||
|}

===Ambassadors to the Soviet Union===
{| border="1" class="wikitable"
|- style="background-color:#cfc;"
||'''Name'''||'''Start of term'''||'''End of term'''||'''References'''
|-
|[[Alan Watt (diplomat)|Alan Watt]]||16 February 1948||10 February 1950||
|-
|[[Frederick Blakeney]] (''Chargé d'Affaires'')||10 February 1950||September 1951||
|-
|[[John McMillan (diplomat)|John McMillan]] (''Chargé d'Affaires'')||September 1951||14 October 1953||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article48992567 |title=New Australian Envoy Calls On Mr. Gromyko. |newspaper=[[Perth Gazette|The West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954)]] |location=Perth, WA |date=1 October 1951 |accessdate=12 May 2015 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Brian Hill (diplomat)|Brian Hill]] (''Chargé d'Affaires'')||14 October 1953||24 April 1954||<ref>{{cite news|last1=AAP|title=Returning from Russia|agency=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=16 October 1953|page=2}}</ref>
|-
|''Embassy closed''||''24 April 1954''||''22 July 1959''
|-
|[[Bill Cutts]] (''Chargé d'Affaires'')||22 July 1959||28 July 1960||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article103125855 |title=DIPLOMATS ARRIVE IN MOSCOW. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=23 July 1959 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=2 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Keith Waller]]||28 July 1960||1962||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article137119842 |title=News In Brief. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=29 July 1960 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Stewart Wolfe Jamieson]]||1962||1965||
|-
|[[John Rowland (diplomat)|John Rowland]]||February 1965||1968||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article105828260 |title=Envoy leaves for Moscow. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=10 February 1965 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=18 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Frederick Blakeney]]||1968||June 1972||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article120893714 |title=Obituary: FREDERICK JOSEPH BLAKENEY. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=21 June 1990 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Lawrence John Lawrey]]||12 June 1972||April 1974||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110690336 |title=Our man in Moscow returns. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=26 November 1971 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=7 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[James Plimsoll]]||23 April 1974||4 August 1977||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110773423 |title=Ambassador. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=17 April 1974 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=5 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Murray Bourchier (diplomat)|Murray Bourchier]]||4 August 1977||August 1980||
|-
|[[David Wyke Evans]]||1 March 1981||March 1984||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article125646861 |title=USSR welcomes new ambassador. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=14 January 1981 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Ted Pocock]]||21 March 1984||September 1987||
|-
|[[Robin Ashwin]]||28 September 1987||May 1991||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article132155009 |title=Hayden names 7 envoys. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=25 August 1987 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=3 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|-
|[[Cavan Hogue]]||29 May 1991||26 December 1991||<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article122358709 |title=IN BRIEF. |newspaper=The Canberra Times|location=ACT |date=23 April 1991 |accessdate=19 May 2015 |page=10 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>
|}

===Ambassadors to the Russian Federation===
[[File:Dmitry Medvedev with Margaret Aileen Twomey.jpg|thumb|250px|Ambassador Margaret Twomey presents her letter of credentials to the President [[Dmitry Medvedev]], 18 September 2008.]]
{| border="1" class="wikitable"
|- style="background-color:#cfc;"
||'''Name'''||'''Start of term'''||'''End of term'''||'''References'''
|-
|[[Cavan Hogue]]||26 December 1991||November 1994||
|-
|[[Geoffrey Bentley]]||2 November 1994||19 December 1998||
|-
|[[Ruth Pearce (diplomat)|Ruth Pearce]]||18 November 1998||29 January 2002||<ref>{{citation|url=https://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/corporate/annual-reports/annual-report-1999-2000/5/app19.html|publisher=Australian Government|author=Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade|date=2000|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150815041314/http://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/corporate/annual-reports/annual-report-1999-2000/5/app19.html|archivedate=15 August 2015|title=Annual Report 1999–2000: Appendix 19. Overseas accreditations and responsibilities}}</ref>
|-
|[[Leslie Rowe]]||18 December 2002||February 2005||<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2001/fa183_01.html|publisher=Australian Government|first=Alexander|last=Downer|author-link=Alexander Downer|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212021805/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2001/fa183_01.html|archivedate=12 February 2014|title=Diplomatic Appointment - Ambassador to Russia|date=18 December 2001}}</ref>
|-
|[[Bob Tyson]]||28 February 2005||June 2008||<ref>{{cite press release|title=Diplomatic Appointment - Ambassador to Russia|url=http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2005/fa015_05.html|publisher=Australian Government|first=Alexander|last=Downer|author-link=Alexander Downer|date=28 January 2005|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518084438/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2005/fa015_05.html|archivedate=18 May 2015}}</ref>
|-
|[[Margaret Twomey]]||June 2008||October 2013||<ref>{{cite press release|title=Diplomatic Appointment - Ambassador to Russia|url=http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2008/fa-s062_08.html|first=Stephen|last=Smith|author-link=Stephen Smith (Australian politician)|publisher=Australian Government|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406121802/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2008/fa-s062_08.html|archivedate=6 April 2015|date=30 April 2008}}</ref>
|-
|[[Paul Myler]]||24 October 2013||present||<ref>{{cite press release|title=Media Release: Ambassador to Russia|url=http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2012/bc_mr_121101.html|publisher=Australian Government|first=Bob|last=Carr|author-link=Bob Carr|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403033833/http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/2012/bc_mr_121101.html|archivedate=3 April 2015|date=1 November 2012}}</ref>
|}

===Ambassadors to Kazakhstan===
{| border="1" class="wikitable"
|- style="background-color:#cfc;"
||'''Name'''||'''Start of term'''||'''End of term'''||'''References'''
|-
|Douglas Townsend||June 1995||November 1997||<ref name=Townsend/>
|-
|Peter Tesch||November 1997||1999||<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1997/fa127_97.html|first=Alexander|last=Downer|author-link=Alexander Downer|publisher=Australian Government|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140212031000/http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/releases/1997/fa127_97.html|archivedate=12 February 2014|title=Diplomatic Appointment: Ambassador to the Republic of Kazakhstan|date=15 October 1997}}</ref>
|}

==See also==
*[[Russia-Australia relations]]
*[[Foreign relations of Australia]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
* [http://www.russia.embassy.gov.au/mscw/home.html Australian Embassy, Russian Federation]

{{Lists of heads of Australian diplomatic missions}}

[[Category:Australia–Russia relations]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Russia| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Armenia| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Belarus| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Moldova| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Mongolia| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Poland| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Sweden| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Kazakhstan| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Kyrgyzstan| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to the Soviet Union| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Tajikistan| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Turkmenistan| ]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of Australia to Uzbekistan| ]]
[[Category:Lists of ambassadors of Australia|Russia]]
[[Category:Lists of ambassadors to Russia|Australia]]
[[Category:Lists of ambassadors to Kazakhstan|Australia]]