List of ambassadors of Australia to Croatia
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The ambassador of Australia to Croatia 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 Croatia in Zagreb. The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary and is held by Richard Rodgers, since February 2023.
| Ambassador of Australia to Croatia | |
|---|---|
| |
 Incumbent since February 2023Richard Rodgers | |
| Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Residence | Zagreb, Croatia |
| Nominator | Prime Minister of Australia |
| Appointer | Governor General of Australia |
| Inaugural holder | Michael Wilson |
| Formation | 13 February 1992 |
| Website | Australian Embassy in Zagreb |
Croatia and Australia have enjoyed official diplomatic relations since 1967, when Australia opened an Embassy to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (which included the Socialist Republic of Croatia) in Belgrade. However, with the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Prime Minister Bob Hawke acted quickly to recognise the newly independent former Yugoslav Republics of Slovenia and Croatia.[1] Australia became one of the first countries to recognise Croatia's independence, on 16 January 1992, and diplomatic relations were established on 13 February 1992, with the Australian Ambassador in Vienna receiving non-resident accreditation as the first Australian Ambassador to Croatia. The first Ambassador, Michael Wilson, presented his credentials to President Franjo Tudjman in March 1992. A resident embassy was not established until October 1999, when the Australian Government appointed Neil Francis as the first Ambassador resident in Zagreb.[2]
The Ambassador of Australia to Croatia currently holds non-residency accreditation as the Ambassador of Australia to Kosovo.[3]
List of ambassadors
| Ordinal | Name | Other offices | Residency | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael Wilson | Vienna, Austria | 13 February 1992 | 1993 | 0–1 years | ||
| 2 | Ronald Walker | 1993 | 1996 | 2–3 years | [4] | ||
| 3 | Lance Joseph | February 1997 | October 1999 | 2 years, 8 months | [2] | ||
| 4 | Neil Francis | Zagreb, Croatia | October 1999 | November 2003 | 4 years, 1 month | [2] | |
| 5 | Anna George | November 2003 | September 2006 | 2 years, 10 months | [5] | ||
| 6 | Tracy Reid | A | September 2006 | December 2009 | 3 years, 3 months | [6] | |
| 7 | Beverly Mercer | A | December 2009 | December 2012 | 3 years | [7] | |
| 8 | Susan Cox OAM | A | December 2012 | 2017 | 4–5 years | [8][9][10] | |
| 9 | Elizabeth Petrović | A | January 2017 | August 2020 | 9 years, 7 months | [11][12] | |
| 10 | Richard Rodgers | February 2023 | Incumbent | [13] |
Notes
- ^A Also non-resident Australian Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo, 21 May 2008-present.