# List of ambassadors of Australia to Italy

The ambassador of Australia to Italy is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the Republic of Italy in Rome. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and holds non-resident accreditation for Albania (1992–2004; since 3 July 2013), Libya (1978–1987; since 2002), and San Marino (since 1995). The ambassador also serves as Australia's delegate to the UN Agencies in Rome as permanent representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization (since 1951) and as representative to the World Food Programme (since 1961).
The current ambassador, since October 2024, is Julianne Cowley.

## Posting history

Australia and Italy have enjoyed diplomatic relations since November 1949, when a legation was established in Rome and the first Minister, Cedric Kellway presented his credentials to President Luigi Einaudi on 24 November 1949. On 4 January 1978 Australia established diplomatic relations with the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, but relations were cut by Prime Minister Bob Hawke in May 1987 owing to the Gaddafi regime's "covert operations in the South Pacific". Relations were not restored until June 2002 and recognition was transferred after the Libyan Civil War on 9 June 2011 to the National Transitional Council. Although Australia has had diplomatic relations with Albania since 1985, accreditation has only been held by the Ambassador in Rome since 3 July 2013, when accreditation was transferred from the Embassy in Athens. The embassy in Rome had previously held accreditation to Albania from 1992 to 2004. Since 1968 the ambassador has been assisted by a consulate-general in Milan run by Austrade.

## Officeholders
### Heads of mission

| Ordinal | Officeholder | Title | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office |
| 1 | Cedric Kellway | Minister to Italy | 10 November 1949 (1949-11-10) | 1954 (1954) | 4–5 years |
| 2 | Paul McGuire | Minister to Italy | 1954 (1954) | 22 January 1958 (1958-01-22) | 3–4 years |
| 2 | Paul McGuire | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 22 January 1958 (1958-01-22) | 1958 (1958) | 3–4 years |
| 3 | Hugh McClure Smith | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 1958 (1958) | November 1961 (1961-11) | 2–3 years |
| 4 | Alfred Stirling | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 17 August 1962 (1962-08-17) | 1967 (1967) | 4–5 years |
| 5 | Walter Crocker | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 3 October 1967 (1967-10-03) | 1970 (1970) | 2–3 years |
| 6 | Malcolm Booker | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 1 May 1970 (1970-05-01) | 1974 (1974) | 3–4 years |
| 7 | John Ryan | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 4 March 1974 (1974-03-04) | 1977 (1977) | 2–3 years |
| 8 | R. H. Robertson | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | September 1977 (1977-09) | 1981 (1981) | 3–4 years |
| 9 | Keith Douglas-Scott | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 1981 (1981) | 1985 (1985) | 3–4 years |
| 10 | Gerry Nutter | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 22 April 1985 (1985-04-22) | 1987 (1987) | 1–2 years |
| 11 | Duncan Campbell | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 13 March 1988 (1988-03-13) | July 1993 (1993-07) | 5 years, 4 months |
| 12 | Lance Joseph | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 22 July 1993 (1993-07-22) | 1996 (1996) | 2–3 years |
| 13 | Rory Steele | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 1997 (1997) | 2001 (2001) | 3–4 years |
| 14 | Murray Alexander Cobban | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 2001 (2001) | 2004 (2004) | 2–3 years |
| 15 | Peter Woolcott | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 2004 (2004) | 2007 (2007) | 2–3 years |
| 16 | Amanda Vanstone | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 26 April 2007 (2007-04-26) | 2010 (2010) | 2–3 years |
| 17 | David Ritchie | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | 2010 (2010) | 2013 (2013) | 2–3 years |
| 18 | Mike Rann | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | May 2014 (2014-05) | 8 January 2016 (2016-01-08) | 1 year, 8 months |
| (n/a) | Jo Tarnawsky | Chargé d'Affaires | January 2016 (2016-01) | May 2016 (2016-05) | 4 months |
| 19 | Greg French | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | May 2016 (2016-05) | July 2020 (2020-07) | 4 years, 2 months |
| 20 | Margaret Twomey | Ambassador of Australia to Italy | July 2020 (2020-07) | incumbent | 4 years, 7 months |

#### Notes

    ^A Also served as Permanent Representative to the Food and Agriculture Organization, since 1951.
    ^B Also served as Representative to the World Food Programme, since 1961.
    ^C Also non-resident ambassador to the State of Libya, 4 January 1978–May 1987, and since June 2002.
    ^D Also non-resident ambassador to the Republic of Albania, 1992–2004, and since 3 July 2013.
    ^E Also non-resident ambassador to the Republic of San Marino, since 1995.

### Consuls-General in Milan

| Ordinal | Officeholder | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office |
| 1 | C.C. Booth$^§$ | 3 March 1968 (1968-03-03) | 10 January 1969 (1969-01-10) | 313 days |
| 2 | Arthur Barclay Jamieson | 10 January 1969 (1969-01-10) | 1972 (1972) | 2–3 years |
| 3 | R. K. Scott | 1973 (1973) | 1976 (1976) | 2–3 years |
| 4 | D. F. C. McSweeney | 1977 (1977) | 1979 (1979) | 1–2 years |
| 5 | B. Conduit | 1980 (1980) | 1982 (1982) | 1–2 years |
| 6 | Thomas Walton | 1983 (1983) | 1986 (1986) | 2–3 years |
| 7 | A. Karas | 1988 (1988) | 1989 (1989) | 0–1 years |
| 8 | J. McFarlane | 1989 (1989) | 1991 (1991) | 1–2 years |
| 9 | B. Hain | 1991 (1991) | 1993 (1993) | 1–2 years |
| 10 | Gerard Lanzarone | 1993 (1993) | 1996 (1996) | 2–3 years |
| 11 | Rod Morehouse | 1996 (1996) | 2000 (2000) | 3–4 years |
| 12 | | 2000 (2000) | 2005 (2005) | 4–5 years |
| 13 | Tim Gauci | August 2005 (2005-08) | October 2010 (2010-10) | 5 years, 2 months |
| 14 | Simone Desmarchelier | October 2010 (2010-10) | January 2016 (2016-01) | 5 years, 3 months |
| 15 | Crispin Conroy | November 2016 (2016-11) | November 2018 (2018-11) | 2 years |
| (n/a) | Sheila Lunter (acting) | 2019 (2019) | 2020 (2020) | 0–1 years |
| 16 | Naila Mazzucco | 20 June 2020 (2020-06-20) | incumbent | 4 years, 251 days |
    $^§$: Named Consul.