# List of high commissioners of Australia to India

The high commissioner of Australia to India 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 India in New Delhi. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is currently held by Philip Green, since 1 July 2023. The high commissioner also holds non-resident accreditation as Ambassador to Bhutan since diplomatic relations were established on 14 September 2002. On 21 May 2020, O'Farrell presented his commission to the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, in India's first-ever virtual credentials ceremony. On 7 October 2022, O'Farrell presented his credentials as ambassador to the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, at Tashichho Dzong in Thimphu.

## History

In December 1939, the federal government appointed Roy Gollan as its first official trade representative in India, based in Calcutta. An assistant trade commissioner was later appointed in New Delhi, while Australian interests were also represented on the Eastern Group Supply Council during World War II, establishing "a firm Australian presence in India in the 1940s".
The Australian Government has offered diplomatic representation in India since 1943. Between 1960 and 1986, the high commissioner also had non-resident accreditation as Ambassador to Nepal. A resident Australian Embassy in Nepal was opened on 27 April 1984, but the first resident ambassador was not appointed until 4 May 1986. The high commission's work is assisted by multiple consulates throughout the country that have visiting and reporting responsibilities, as well as handling consular and trade matters for the high commission.

## List of high commissioners

| # | Officeholder | Other offices | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office |
| 1 | Iven Mackay | n/a | 2 November 1943 (1943-11-02) | 29 May 1948 (1948-05-29) | 4 years, 209 days |
| − | Charles Kevin (Acting) | n/a | 29 May 1948 (1948-05-29) | 15 January 1949 (1949-01-15) | 231 days |
| 2 | Roy Gollan | n/a | 15 January 1949 (1949-01-15) | March 1952 (1952-03) | 3 years, 1 month |
| 3 | Walter Crocker | n/a | March 1952 (1952-03) | 19 March 1955 (1955-03-19) | 3 years |
| − | D. J. Munro (Acting) | n/a | 19 March 1955 (1955-03-19) | 22 April 1955 (1955-04-22) | 34 days |
| 4 | Peter Heydon | n/a | 22 April 1955 (1955-04-22) | 13 November 1958 (1958-11-13) | 3 years, 205 days |
| 5 | Walter Crocker | | 13 November 1958 (1958-11-13) | 15 March 1962 (1962-03-15) | 3 years, 122 days |
| − | Kevin Thomas Kelly (Acting) | | 15 March 1962 (1962-03-15) | 10 June 1962 (1962-06-10) | 87 days |
| − | Bill Pritchett (Acting) | | 10 June 1962 (1962-06-10) | 21 February 1963 (1963-02-21) | 256 days |
| 6 | James Plimsoll | | 21 February 1963 (1963-02-21) | 28 January 1965 (1965-01-28) | 1 year, 342 days |
| 7 | Arthur Tange | | 28 January 1965 (1965-01-28) | 25 January 1970 (1970-01-25) | 4 years, 362 days |
| − | Rob Laurie (Acting) | | 25 January 1970 (1970-01-25) | 1 March 1970 (1970-03-01) | 35 days |
| 8 | Patrick Shaw | | 1 March 1970 (1970-03-01) | 26 September 1973 (1973-09-26) | 3 years, 209 days |
| 9 | Bruce Grant | | 26 September 1973 (1973-09-26) | 15 December 1975 (1975-12-15) | 2 years, 80 days |
| 10 | Peter Curtis | | 26 February 1976 (1976-02-26) | 5 December 1979 (1979-12-05) | 3 years, 282 days |
| 11 | Gordon Upton | | 5 December 1979 (1979-12-05) | 31 May 1984 (1984-05-31) | 4 years, 178 days |
| 12 | Graham Feakes | | 31 May 1984 (1984-05-31) | November 1990 (1990-11) | 6 years, 5 months |
| 13 | David Evans | n/a | November 1990 (1990-11) | February 1994 (1994-02) | 3 years, 3 months |
| 14 | Darren Gribble | n/a | February 1994 (1994-02) | 25 July 1997 (1997-07-25) | 3 years, 5 months |
| 15 | Rob Laurie | n/a | 257 July 1997 (1997-07-257) | 28 August 2001 (2001-08-28) | 4 years, 34 days |
| 16 | Penny Wensley | | 28 August 2001 (2001-08-28) | 9 August 2004 (2004-08-09) | 2 years, 347 days |
| 17 | John McCarthy | | 9 August 2004 (2004-08-09) | 8 June 2009 (2009-06-08) | 4 years, 303 days |
| 18 | Peter Varghese | | 8 June 2009 (2009-06-08) | 30 December 2012 (2012-12-30) | 3 years, 205 days |
| 19 | Patrick Suckling | | 30 December 2012 (2012-12-30) | 11 February 2016 (2016-02-11) | 3 years, 43 days |
| 20 | Harinder Sidhu | | 11 February 2016 (2016-02-11) | 18 February 2020 (2020-02-18) | 4 years, 7 days |
| 21 | Barry O'Farrell | | 21 May 2020 (2020-05-21) | 30 June 2023 | 4 years, 281 days |
| 22 | Philip Green | | 1 July 2023 | | 1 year, 240 days |