# List of high commissioners of Australia to Malaysia

The high commissioner of Australia to Malaysia is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia to Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Dr Justin Lee since 1 July 2021.

## Posting history

On 11 November 1955, the Minister for External Affairs, Richard Casey, announced that Tom Critchley had been appointed to the newly created position of Australian Commissioner to Malaya in Kuala Lumpur, noting that while "relations with the authorities in the Federation of Malaya had been conducted through the Australian Commissioner in South-East Asia, Sir Alan Watt, ... the Australian Government believed that it was appropriate for Australia to have a full-time representative in Kuala Lumpur in the Federation of Malaya as important constitutional developments were carrying the Federation of Malaya to self-government."
Australia was one of 15 countries to establish formal diplomatic relations with the Federation of Malaya in 1957 soon after independence, with the Australian commissioner to Malaya appointed high commissioner from 31 August 1957. With the formation of the Federation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, the Australian high commissioner to Malaya in Kuala Lumpur became a high commissioner, with the Australian Commissioner for Singapore, Brunei, Sarawak, and North Borneo resident in Singapore becoming a subordinate Deputy High Commission until it was replaced by a high commissioner to an independent Singapore from 9 August 1965.
In 1973, as part of an effort to showcase Australian design in overseas diplomatic missions, the Commonwealth Government of Gough Whitlam commissioned Joyce Nankivell Associates, architects of Melbourne, to design the new High Commission chancery at 6 Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur. Designed in a bold Brutalist style with an L-shape plan by Bernard Joyce and William Nankivell in association with local architects Leong Thian & Rakan-rakan, on 29 January 1974 Prime Minister Whitlam turned the first sod at the construction site during an official visit to Malaysia, and the completed building was officially opened on 12 June 1978.
On 30 July 1979, the Australian high commissioner to Malaysia was appointed as the non-resident Commissioner to Brunei, with a stated purpose to "facilitate contacts and closer cooperation with the Government of Brunei during the period leading up to Brunei's full independence in 1983". A resident Australian Commission in Brunei was established in March 1983 in anticipation of Brunei's independence on 1 January 1984.

## Heads of mission

| # | Officeholder | Title | Other offices | Residency | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office |
| 1 | Claude Massey | Commissioner for Malaya and South-East Asia | n/a | Singapore | 21 March 1946 (1946-03-21) | 16 May 1950 (1950-05-16) | 4 years, 56 days |
| 2 | Laurence McIntyre (Acting) | Commissioner for Malaya and South-East Asia | n/a | Singapore | 16 May 1950 (1950-05-16) | 10 April 1951 (1951-04-10) | 329 days |
| 3 | Tom Critchley | Commissioner for Malaya and South-East Asia | n/a | Singapore | 11 April 1951 (1951-04-11) | 8 November 1952 (1952-11-08) | 1 year, 211 days |
| 4 | Laurence McIntyre | Commissioner for Malaya and South-East Asia | n/a | Singapore | 9 November 1952 (1952-11-09) | 23 March 1954 (1954-03-23) | 1 year, 134 days |
| 5 | Alan Watt | Commissioner for Malaya and South-East Asia | n/a | Singapore | 23 March 1954 (1954-03-23) | 22 December 1955 (1955-12-22) | 1 year, 274 days |
| (3) | Tom Critchley | High Commissioner | | Kuala Lumpur | 22 December 1955 (1955-12-22) | 2 November 1965 (1965-11-02) | 9 years, 315 days |
| 6 | Nick Parkinson (Acting) | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | 2 November 1965 (1965-11-02) | December 1965 (1965-12) | 0 months |
| 7 | Allan Eastman | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | December 1965 (1965-12) | 6 June 1969 (1969-06-06) | 3 years, 6 months |
| 8 | John Rowland | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | July 1969 (1969-07) | December 1972 (1972-12) | 3 years, 5 months |
| 9 | Alfred Parsons | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | January 1973 (1973-01) | April 1976 (1976-04) | 3 years, 3 months |
| 10 | Graham Feakes | High Commissioner | | Kuala Lumpur | April 1976 (1976-04) | April 1980 (1980-04) | 4 years |
| 11 | Garry Woodard | High Commissioner | | Kuala Lumpur | April 1980 (1980-04) | January 1984 (1984-01) | 3 years, 9 months |
| 12 | David Evans | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | January 1984 (1984-01) | March 1987 (1987-03) | 3 years, 2 months |
| 13 | Cavan Hogue | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | March 1987 (1987-03) | May 1990 (1990-05) | 3 years, 2 months |
| 14 | Frank Murray | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | May 1990 (1990-05) | March 1993 (1993-03) | 2 years, 10 months |
| 15 | John Dauth | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | March 1993 (1993-03) | March 1996 (1996-03) | 3 years |
| 16 | Bill Farmer | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | March 1996 (1996-03) | March 1997 (1997-03) | 1 year |
| 17 | Bob Cotton | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | March 1997 (1997-03) | February 2000 (2000-02) | 2 years, 11 months |
| 18 | Peter Varghese | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | February 2000 (2000-02) | January 2003 (2003-01) | 2 years, 11 months |
| 19 | James Wise | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | January 2003 (2003-01) | March 2007 (2007-03) | 4 years, 2 months |
| 20 | Penny Williams | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | March 2007 (2007-03) | 5 May 2010 (2010-05-05) | 3 years, 2 months |
| 21 | Miles Kupa | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | 5 May 2010 (2010-05-05) | 26 November 2013 (2013-11-26) | 3 years, 205 days |
| 22 | Rod Smith | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | 26 November 2013 (2013-11-26) | 20 November 2017 (2017-11-20) | 3 years, 359 days |
| 23 | Andrew Goledzinowski | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | 20 November 2017 (2017-11-20) | June 2021 (2021-06) | 3 years, 6 months |
| 24 | Dr Justin Lee | High Commissioner | n/a | Kuala Lumpur | 1 July 2021 (2021-07-01) | Incumbent | 3 years, 88 days |