# List of high commissioners of Australia to Kiribati

The high commissioner of Australia to Kiribati 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 Kiribati, located in Tarawa. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by David Yardley. As fellow members of the Commonwealth of Nations, diplomatic relations between Australia and Kiribati are between high commissioners rather than ambassadors. The High Commission is one of four diplomatic missions in Kiribati, alongside New Zealand, Taiwan and Cuba. The High Commission supports and manages Australia's extensive Official Development Assistance program to Kiribati, which constitutes 31% of all ODA to the country (15% of Kiribati's GDP).

## Posting history

Australia formally recognised Kiribati on its independence from the United Kingdom in 1979, but diplomatic contacts were much earlier with the high commissioner in Nauru dual-accredited as Commissioner to the Gilbert and Ellice Islands (1972–1976) and the Gilbert Islands (1976–1979), and then non-resident accredited high commissioner to Kiribati from 1979. In 1981, The Australian Government announced that it would open a resident High Commission in Kiribati in recognition of "the importance which Australia attached to relations with not only Kiribati but to its regional neighbours in the South Pacific."
On 7 November 2003, Kiribati established diplomatic relations with the Republic of China (Taiwan), but it was alleged later on that the Australian high commissioner, Jurek Juszczyk, had urged President Anote Tong not to recognise Taiwan, as this would inevitably sever relations with China. Although Kiribati did not sever ties with the PRC, Beijing suspended ties on 29 November after failed attempts to lobby President Tong to change his mind.

## High commissioners

| # | Officeholder | Residency | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office |
| 1 | Leslie Sellars (Commissioner) | Yaren, Nauru | January 1973 (1973-01) | December 1974 (1974-12) | 1 year, 11 months |
| 2 | Alan Fogg (Commissioner) | Yaren, Nauru | January 1975 (1975-01) | May 1977 (1977-05) | 2 years, 4 months |
| 3 | Maris King (Commissioner) | Yaren, Nauru | May 1977 (1977-05) | July 1979 (1979-07) | 2 years, 2 months |
| 4 | Oliver Cordell | Yaren, Nauru | July 1979 (1979-07) | 6 August 1982 (1982-08-06) | 3 years, 1 month |
| 5 | John Mahoney | Tarawa | 6 August 1982 (1982-08-06) | March 1985 (1985-03) | 2 years, 6 months |
| 6 | William Rowe | Tarawa | March 1985 (1985-03) | August 1987 (1987-08) | 2 years, 5 months |
| 7 | Peter Bassett | Tarawa | August 1987 (1987-08) | September 1990 (1990-09) | 3 years, 1 month |
| 8 | Laurie Maher | Tarawa | September 1990 (1990-09) | February 1994 (1994-02) | 3 years, 5 months |
| 9 | Stewart Brooks | Tarawa | February 1994 (1994-02) | February 1997 (1997-02) | 3 years |
| 10 | Phillip Allars | Tarawa | February 1997 (1997-02) | February 2000 (2000-02) | 3 years |
| 11 | Colin Hill | Tarawa | February 2000 (2000-02) | February 2003 (2003-02) | 3 years |
| 12 | Jurek Juszczyk | Tarawa | February 2003 (2003-02) | April 2006 (2006-04) | 3 years, 2 months |
| 13 | Anne Quinane | Tarawa | April 2006 (2006-04) | April 2009 (2009-04) | 3 years |
| 14 | Brett Aldam | Tarawa | April 2009 (2009-04) | June 2012 (2012-06) | 3 years, 2 months |
| 15 | George Fraser | Tarawa | June 2012 (2012-06) | December 2015 (2015-12) | 3 years, 6 months |
| 16 | Bruce Cowled | Tarawa | January 2016 (2016-01) | 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) | 5 years, 2 months |
| 17 | David Yardley | Tarawa | 19 March 2021 (2021-03-19) | Incumbent | 3 years, 344 days |