The High Commissioner of Australia to Tuvalu is an officer of the
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
n
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) is the department of the Australian government responsible for foreign policy and international relations, development aid (under the name Australian Aid), consular services, overseas trad ...
and the head of the
High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia in
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
. The position has the rank and status of an
ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary
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 so ...
and the High Commissioner resides in
Funafuti
Funafuti is an atoll, comprising numerous islets, that serves as the capital of Tuvalu. As of the 2017 census, it has a population of 6,320 people. More people live in Funafuti than the rest of Tuvalu combined, with it containing approximately 6 ...
. The High Commissioner since August 2023 is Brenton Garlick. There has been a resident Australian High Commissioner in Tuvalu since October 2018, and the Australian High Commission is one of only two
resident diplomatic missions in Tuvalu, the other being the Embassy of
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
Posting history
Prior to the independence of Tuvalu on 1 October 1978, the
High Commission in Suva was accredited to Tuvalu, with the High Commissioner (1977–2014) and Deputy High Commissioner (2014–2018) serving as the
non-resident accredited High Commissioner to Tuvalu. In the 2018 Australian Federal budget, funding was allocated to establish a High Commission in Tuvalu, becoming one of only two diplomatic missions in Tuvalu (the other being the Embassy of
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
).
A resident High Commissioner to Tuvalu was appointed in 2018, and the High Commission was officially opened in 2019.
Heads of mission
See also
*
Australia–Tuvalu relations
Diplomatic relations between Australia and Tuvalu were established in 1978, with the independence of Tuvalu, and both countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations which share a head of state, King Charles III. Australia has had a High Co ...
*
Foreign relations of Tuvalu
From 1916 to 1975, Tuvalu was part of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands colony of the United Kingdom. A 1974 Ellice Islands self-determination referendum, referendum was held in 1974 to determine whether the Gilbert Islands and Ellice Islands shoul ...
*
Foreign relations of Australia
Foreign relations of Australia are influenced by its position as a leading trading nation and as a significant donor of humanitarian aid. Australia's foreign policy is guided by a commitment to multilateralism and Regionalism (international r ...
References
External links
Australian High Commission, Funafuti
{{Lists of heads of Australian diplomatic missions
Tuvalu
Tuvalu ( ) is an island country in the Polynesian subregion of Oceania in the Pacific Ocean, about midway between Hawaii and Australia. It lies east-northeast of the Santa Cruz Islands (which belong to the Solomon Islands), northeast of Van ...
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...