Current and historical relations exist between

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 ...

and Denmark. Australia has an embassy in Copenhagen, and Denmark has an embassy in

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

History

In the 1890s, there was no trade between Australia and Denmark, so in the 1920s, the Danes in Australia formed the Danish-Australian Chamber of Commerce to import products from Denmark such as Tuborg,

Junket Junket may refer to: *Junket (dessert), a dessert made of flavoured, sweetened curds *Junket (company), a brand name of rennet tablets and dessert mixes *Film promotion, or press junket, meaning the interviews, advertising, and press releases crea ...

and Hirschsprung cigars. On 1 May 1952, an agreement on visas was signed in Canberra. In the 1980s, after the visit of Uffe Ellemann-Jensen to Australia, the relations between Australia and Denmark were described as warm and friendly. In 2010, both countries made a deal to ship 6,100 tons

hexachlorobenzene Hexachlorobenzene, or perchlorobenzene, is an organochloride with the molecular formula C6Cl6. It is a fungicide formerly used as a seed treatment, especially on wheat to control the fungal disease bunt. It has been banned globally under the Sto ...

waste from Australia to Denmark.

Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by Irving Stowe and Dorothy Stowe, immigrant environmental activists from the United States. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth t ...

protested outside the Australian environment ministry to show their opposition to the shipment of

Hexachlorobenzene Hexachlorobenzene, or perchlorobenzene, is an organochloride with the molecular formula C6Cl6. It is a fungicide formerly used as a seed treatment, especially on wheat to control the fungal disease bunt. It has been banned globally under the Sto ...

from Australia. On 23 December 2010, Danish Minister of Environment

Karen Ellemann Karen Ellemann Kloch, formerly Karen Ellemann Karabian, (born 26 August 1969 in Charlottenlund) is a Danish politician, who is a member of the Folketing for the Venstre political party. She is a former minister, having held the positions of Mini ...

cancelled the deal because of the pressure. As of 2019, the ambassador of Denmark to Australia is Tom Nørring.

Trade

In 2008, trade between Australia and Denmark amounted to $1,19 billion. In 2009, Danish export to Australia amounted 4,8 billion DKK and Australian export amounted 697 million DKK. In 2008, Danish investments in Australia was 6,6 billion DKK.

Migration

8,000 Danes migrated to Australia after World War II. Over 50,000 Australians claim Danish

ancestry An ancestor, also known as a forefather, fore-elder or a forebear, is a parent or (recursively) the parent of an antecedent (i.e., a grandparent, great-grandparent, great-great-grandparent and so forth). ''Ancestor'' is "any person from whom ...

High-society visits

On 1 February 1987, Danish Queen

Margrethe II Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...

visited Australia. In December 2009, during the

2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit, was held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7 and 18 December. The conference included the 15th session of the Conference of the Partie ...

, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited Denmark. On 17 August 2010, then Crown Princess Mary visited Tasmania, her Australian state of origin. Queen Mary, although a Danish citizen due to her marriage to King

Frederik X Frederik X (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the King of Denmark. He acceded to the throne following Abdication of Margrethe II, his mother's abdication on 14 January 2024. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II ...

, was born and raised in the Australian state of Tasmania. It is this royal connection between the two countries that has had the most effect on their respective citizens' interests in their bilateral ties, particularly in Australia's media coverage of Denmark-Australian relations and Danish royalty. News on Danish royal affairs are common in Australia.

Treaties

A number of Australia–Denmark bilateral treaties have been agreed between the two countries, covering extradition, trade, taxation, social security, defence and other matters.

References