Richard John Smith (14 December 1934 – 26 July 2015) was an Australian diplomat. Smith was born in

Tamworth, New South Wales Tamworth is a city and administrative centre of the north-western region of New South Wales, Australia. Situated on the Peel River within the local government area of the Tamworth Regional Council, it is the largest and most populated city in t ...

and educated at Sydney High School and the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

. He worked as a teacher in London in the late 1950s, then as a solicitor in New South Wales, before joining the Australian

Department of External Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

in 1961. He had several postings in the United States, with the United Nations, and in Switzerland.
World Who's Who
', Europa Biographical Reference. Smith's first ambassadorial posting was as Ambassador to Israel from 1975 to 1977. He was Ambassador to Thailand from 1985 to 1988, and Ambassador to the Philippines from 1994 to 1996. After serving as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra, he was appointed as Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1991 to 1994. From 1996 to 1998, he was the Director-General of the

Office of National Assessments The Office of National Assessments (ONA) was an Australian statutory intelligence agency established by the ''Office of National Assessments Act 1977'' as an independent statutory body directly accountable to the Prime Minister of Australia as ...

, an Australian intelligence agency reporting to the Prime Minister.History of the Office of National Assessments – ONA
Office of National Assessments. As head of ONA, he was responsible for advising the Prime Minister and the Government on political, strategic and economic developments affecting Australia's national interests. In 1997, Smith was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Order (distinction), honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarchy of Australia, Queen of Aus ...

for service to international relations, particularly in the areas of commerce and trade. He died on 26 July 2015.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Richard John 1934 births 2015 deaths High Commissioners of Australia to the United Kingdom Permanent Representatives of Australia to the International Maritime Organization Ambassadors of Australia to the Philippines Ambassadors of Australia to Israel Members of the Order of Australia University of Sydney alumni People educated at Sydney Boys High School People from Tamworth, New South Wales Ambassadors of Australia to Thailand