# List of high commissioners of New Zealand to Barbados

The high commissioner of New Zealand to Barbados is New Zealand's foremost diplomatic representative in Barbados, and in charge of New Zealand's diplomatic mission in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The high commission is located in a building shared with the British High Commissioner to Barbados at Lower Collymore Rock Rd. in Bridgetown, Barbados' capital city. New Zealand has maintained a resident high commissioner in Bridgetown since March 2014. It is further accredited to: Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
As fellow members of the Commonwealth of Nations, diplomatic relations between New Zealand and Barbados are at governmental level, rather than between heads of state. Thus, the countries exchange high commissioners, rather than ambassadors.

## List of heads of mission
### High commissioners to Barbados
#### Non-resident to Barbados, resident in Ottawa, Canada

From 1966 to 2014 located in Ottawa, Canada
* Sir Leon Götz (1966–1968)
* Dean Eyre (1968–1973)
* Jack Shepherd (1973–1976)
* Dean Eyre (1976–1980)
* Ed Latter (1980–1985)
* John Wybrow (1985–1988)
* Bruce Brown (1988–1992)
* Judith Trotter (1992–1994)
* Maurice McTigue (1994–1997)
* Jim Gerard (1997–2000)
* Wade Armstrong (2000–2003)
* Graham Kelly (2003–2006)
* Kate Lackey (2006–2010)
* Andrew Needs (2010 – 2013)
* Simon Tucker (2013 – 2014)

#### Resident in Bridgetown, Barbados

* Jan Henderson (March 2014– 31 July 2018)
* Anton Ojala (14 August 2018–)
According to the New Zealand government due to logistics and transportation issues surrounding COVID pandemic, the high commission's office closed in 2020. In 2022 New Zealand Special Envoy to the Caribbean, Jan Henderson as government of New Zealand's representative indicated her country was desirous of maintaining its ties and cooperation with the Caribbean through technology.

## Footnotes

* ↑ New Zealand’s First-Ever Ambassador to the Caribbean Community, February 2, 2015, CaribJournal.com News
* ↑ "McCully appoints High Commissioner to Canada". New Zealand government (beehive.govt.nz). 20 March 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
* ↑ Staff writer (6 March 2014). "New Zealand names new High Commissioner to Barbados" (Press release). Ministry of Foreign Affairs (New Zealand). Archived from the original on 19 March 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
* ↑ writer, Staff (6 July 2018). "New Zealand ambassador bids Barbados farewell". Nation Newspaper. Retrieved 1 January 2025.
* ↑ writer, Staff (6 September 2018). "Notice No. 1482 : Government Notices - Diplomatic" (PDF). The Official Gazette of Barbados. 77. Vol. CLIII. Parliament of Barbados. Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS). p. 1. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
* ↑ writer, Staff (30 April 2018). "New High Commissioner to Barbados announced". Ministry of Foreign Affairs. beehive.govt.nz (Press Release). New Zealand Government. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
* ↑ writer, Staff (2019). "New Zealand's High Commissioner to Barbados and the Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) - Anton Ojala". NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 29 January 2020. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
* ↑ writer, Staff (22 March 2020). "New Zealand temporarily closes diplomatic posts in Barbados and Myanmar due to COVID-19". NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs. beehive.govt.nz (Press Release). New Zealand Government. Retrieved 9 February 2025.
* ↑ Rawlins-Bentham, Julia (5 September 2022). "New Zealand Remains Committed To Barbados & Caribbean" (Press Release). Barbados Ministry of Foreign Affairs. www.foreign.gov.bb. Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS). Retrieved 9 February 2025. New Zealand remains committed to Barbados and the Caribbean despite closing its office in Barbados. This assurance came from New Zealand Special Envoy to the Caribbean, Jan Henderson, when she paid a courtesy call on Minister of the Environment and National Beautification, with responsibility for the Blue Economy, Adrian Forde; Permanent Secretary for the Blue Economy, Sonia Foster, and other Ministry officials today. She explained that the office was closed over the last two years as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Government was now looking to make use of technology and work from bigger missions or directly from New Zealand with the Caribbean. Ms. Henderson further noted that the ambassador was now based in New Zealand, but would continue to work with governments in the Caribbean to find the best location from which to operate.