Robert S. Merrillees (born 25 July 1938) is a former

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 ...

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and

archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

. His memoir ''Diplomatic Digs'' was released in 2012 as an e-book. Merrillees joined the

Australian Public Service The Australian Public Service (APS) is the federal civil service of the Commonwealth of Australia responsible for the public administration, public policy, and public services of the departments and executive and statutory agencies of the G ...

in the

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 1964. In the early 1970s, Merrillees, along with his wife and their two daughters, took part in the Columbia University Expedition to Phlamoudhi, Cyprus, led by Edith Porada. Reminiscing about the two seasons of excavations that the family took part in, Merrillees described the experience as "unforgettable", leaving them with "a sense of achievement, lasting friendships and a nostalgia for times past". Merrillees first ambassadorial appointment was in 1983, in Tel Aviv where he was Australian Ambassador to Israel until 1987. In February 1990, Merrillees led a team to Cambodia to hold talks with Phnom Penh government officials in preparation for a peace agreement. The next month Merrillees travelled to Washington, New York, Canada and Paris to continue discussions on a Cambodian settlement. In October 1991, Merrillees took up an appointment as Australian Ambassador to

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

; and non-resident Ambassador to Finland. His appointment lasted until 1995, when he was appointed Australian Ambassador to Greece. Beginning his posting to Athens in January 1996, Merrillees was recalled early from the role, in 1998, and took early retirement. Merrillees was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities in 1992.

Family

Merrillees's elder daughter, Antoinette, also joined the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and in 2016 was Charge d’affaires in Berlin. She is married to Australia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, James Larsen, former Australian Ambassador to Israel and to Turkey. They have three children together: Robert, Isobel and Alexandra. Merrillees's younger daughter Dolla Merrillees until recently was the Director of th
Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences
Powerhouse Museum, Sydney Observatory an
Museums Discovery Centre
in Sydney. She is also the author of the book, The Woodcutter's Wife: A Stepmother's Tale, the story of her struggles in becoming a stepmother.

Works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merrillees, Robert Living people 1938 births Place of birth missing (living people) Australian writers Ambassadors of Australia to Estonia Ambassadors of Australia to Finland Ambassadors of Australia to Greece Ambassadors of Australia to Israel Ambassadors of Australia to Sweden University of Sydney alumni Alumni of the University of London