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.^[2] 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).

Ambassador of Australia to Italy
Incumbent Julianne Cowley since 23 October 2024
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style	Her Excellency
Reports to	Minister for Foreign Affairs
Nominator	Prime Minister of Australia
Appointer	Governor General of Australia
Inaugural holder	Cedric Kellway (as Minister)
Formation	10 November 1949[1]
Website	Australian Embassy, Rome

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.^[3] 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.^[4] 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.^[5] Since 1968 the ambassador has been assisted by a consulate-general in Milan run by Austrade.^[6]

Officeholders

Heads of mission

Ordinal	Officeholder	Title	Other offices	Term start date	Term end date	Time in office	Notes
1	Cedric Kellway	Minister to Italy	A	10 November 1949 (1949-11-10)	1954 (1954)	4–5 years	[7]
2	Paul McGuire		A	1954 (1954)	22 January 1958 (1958-01-22)	3–4 years	[8][9]
		Ambassador of Australia to Italy	A	22 January 1958 (1958-01-22)	1958 (1958)
3	Hugh McClure Smith		AB	1958 (1958)	November 1961 (1961-11)	2–3 years	[10][11]
4	Alfred Stirling	Ambassador of Australia to Italy	AB	17 August 1962 (1962-08-17)	1967 (1967)	4–5 years	[12]
5	Walter Crocker		AB	3 October 1967 (1967-10-03)	1970 (1970)	2–3 years	[13]
6	Malcolm Booker		AB	1 May 1970 (1970-05-01)	1974 (1974)	3–4 years	[14][15]
7	John Ryan		AB	4 March 1974 (1974-03-04)	1977 (1977)	2–3 years	[16]
8	R. H. Robertson		ABC	September 1977 (1977-09)	1981 (1981)	3–4 years	[17][18]
9	Keith Douglas-Scott		ABC	1981 (1981)	1985 (1985)	3–4 years	[19]
10	Gerry Nutter		ABC	22 April 1985 (1985-04-22)	1987 (1987)	1–2 years	[20]
11	Duncan Campbell		ABD	13 March 1988 (1988-03-13)	July 1993 (1993-07)	5 years, 4 months	[21]
12	Lance Joseph		ABDE	22 July 1993 (1993-07-22)	1996 (1996)	2–3 years	[22]
13	Rory Steele		ABDE	1997 (1997)	2001 (2001)	3–4 years	[23]
14	Murray Alexander Cobban		ABCDE	2001 (2001)	2004 (2004)	2–3 years	[24]
15	Peter Woolcott		ABCE	2004 (2004)	2007 (2007)	2–3 years	[25]
16	Amanda Vanstone		ABCE	26 April 2007 (2007-04-26)	2010 (2010)	2–3 years	[26][27]
17	David Ritchie		ABCDE	2010 (2010)	2013 (2013)	2–3 years	[28]
18	Mike Rann		ABCDE	May 2014 (2014-05)	8 January 2016 (2016-01-08)	1 year, 8 months	[29]
(n/a)	Jo Tarnawsky	Chargé d'Affaires		January 2016 (2016-01)	May 2016 (2016-05)	4 months	[30]
19	Greg French	Ambassador of Australia to Italy	ABCDE	May 2016 (2016-05)	July 2020 (2020-07)	4 years, 2 months	[31][32]
20	Margaret Twomey		ABCDE	July 2020 (2020-07)	incumbent	5 years	[32]

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	Notes
1	C.C. Booth§	3 March 1968 (1968-03-03)	10 January 1969 (1969-01-10)	313 days	[6]
2	Arthur Barclay Jamieson	10 January 1969 (1969-01-10)	1972 (1972)	2–3 years	[33]
3	R. K. Scott	1973 (1973)	1976 (1976)	2–3 years	[6]
4	D. F. C. McSweeney	1977 (1977)	1979 (1979)	1–2 years	[6]
5	B. Conduit	1980 (1980)	1982 (1982)	1–2 years	[6]
6	Thomas Walton	1983 (1983)	1986 (1986)	2–3 years	[6][34][35]
7	A. Karas	1988 (1988)	1989 (1989)	0–1 years	[6]
8	J. McFarlane	1989 (1989)	1991 (1991)	1–2 years	[6]
9	B. Hain	1991 (1991)	1993 (1993)	1–2 years	[6]
10	Gerard Lanzarone	1993 (1993)	1996 (1996)	2–3 years	[6]
11	Rod Morehouse	1996 (1996)	2000 (2000)	3–4 years	[36]
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	[37]
(n/a)	Sheila Lunter (acting)	2019 (2019)	2020 (2020)	0–1 years	[38]
16	Naila Mazzucco	20 June 2020 (2020-06-20)	incumbent	5 years, 16 days	[38]

^§: Named Consul.