Brendan Berne is an Australian civil servant and diplomat who served as the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Ambassador An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...

to France, Algeria,

Mauritania Mauritania (; ar, موريتانيا, ', french: Mauritanie; Berber: ''Agawej'' or ''Cengit''; Pulaar: ''Moritani''; Wolof: ''Gànnaar''; Soninke:), officially the Islamic Republic of Mauritania ( ar, الجمهورية الإسلامية ...

, and Monaco between July 2017 to October 2020. He previously served as Chief of Staff for the Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment. His career has spanned postings within the

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian federal government responsible for foreign policy and relations, international aid (using the branding Australian Aid), consular services and trade and inv ...

, and the Reserve Bank of Australia. In December 2017, following the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia, he proposed to his partner of 11 years. A video of the proposal went viral in France. He retired from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade following his post as Australian Ambassador to France and is writing a TV comedy about the diplomatic circuit described as “In the Thick of It in a safari suit”.

References

Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Ambassadors of Australia for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Ambassadors of Australia to France Ambassadors of Australia to Algeria Ambassadors of Australia to Mauritania Ambassadors of Australia to Monaco {{Australia-diplomat-stub