James Cumes

Cumes was born in Rosewood, Queensland in August 1922. He was educated at Wooloowin State School and Brisbane Grammar School, before matriculating to the University of Queensland.^[1] Cumes attended the London School of Economics, where he produced his PhD thesis Foreign economic policy: a study of the use of economic means to promote foreign-policy objectives since 1918, with special reference to Australia^[2] in 1951.

During World War II, Cumes was in the Australian Army, and fought on the Kokoda Track.^[3] His selection as a diplomatic staff in cadet in 1944, was reported as being believed to be the first appointment of its kind to a Queenslander.^[4]

Early in his diplomatic career, Cumes was posted in Paris, London, Bonn and Berlin. In the early 1960s, he was Charge d'Affaires (Accounting Head of Mission) in Bonn (1955–56) Brussels (1961–65) (prior to Australia having an Ambassador in Berlin).^[5] Later, Cumes was High Commissioner to Nigeria (1965–1967), Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Communities (1975–1977),^[6] Ambassador to Austria and Hungary (1977–1980),^[7] and Ambassador to the Netherlands (1980–1984).^[8][9]

In his 1988 book A Bunch of Amateurs, Cumes critiqued the performance of Australia's foreign ministers,^[10] offering an unfavourable assessment of then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Bill Hayden.^[11]

In a review of Cumes' 1990 book How to Become a Millionaire Without Really Working that appeared in The Canberra Times, Peter Bowler praised Cumes for his sunny, cheerful, sensible and interesting take on money-making.^[12]

Cumes's wife, Heide Schulte von Bauminghaus Cumes was Austrian. He moved between houses in Australia, Austria, Monaco and the South of France.^[13] He died in Vienna, Austria in November 2013 at the age of 91.^[14]