List of high commissioners of Australia to Samoa
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The high commissioner of Australia to Samoa is an officer of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the head of the High Commission of the Commonwealth of Australia in Apia, Samoa (formerly known as Western Samoa until 4 July 1997). The position has the rank and status of an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary[1] and the high commissioner is also responsible for relations with American Samoa, an unincorporated territory of the United States.[2] The current high commissioner since January 2024 is His Excellency William Robinson.
| High Commissioner of Australia to Samoa | |
|---|---|
| |
 Incumbent since 20 January 2024Will Robinson | |
| Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
| Style | His Excellency |
| Reports to | Minister for Foreign Affairs |
| Residence | Apia, Samoa |
| Nominator | Prime Minister of Australia |
| Appointer | |
| Inaugural holder | Robert Birch |
| Formation | 13 December 1970 |
| Website | Australian High Commission, Independent State of Samoa |
Posting history
On 13 December 1970, the Australian high commissioner in Suva, Fiji, Robert Birch, was appointed as the non-resident accredited high commissioner to Western Samoa,[3] and accreditation was held by the high commissioners in Suva until September 1977. On 23 March 1977, during a visit of Samoan prime minister Tui Ātua Tupua Tamasese Efi to Australia, Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser announced the establishment of an Australian High Commission in Apia, with an acting high commissioner appointed on 20 September 1977 to hold office until the appointment of a resident high commissioner, which was achieved in October 1979.[4][5]
Heads of mission
| # | Officeholder | Residency | Term start date | Term end date | Time in office | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Robert Birch | Suva, Fiji | 13 December 1970 | 13 January 1971 | 31 days | [3][6] |
| 2 | Rowen Osborn | 13 January 1971 | February 1973 | 2 years | [7][8][9] | |
| 3 | Harold Bullock | February 1973 | August 1976 | 3 years, 6 months | [10][11][12][13] | |
| 4 | Gordon Upton | August 1976 | 20 September 1977 | 1 year, 1 month | [14][15][16] | |
| − | Greg Urwin (Acting) | Apia | 20 September 1977 | October 1979 | 2 years | [5] |
| 5 | Allan Deacon | October 1979 | 1 December 1981 | 2 years, 2 months | [17] | |
| 6 | K. R. Fraser | 1 December 1981 | June 1984 | 2 years, 6 months | [18][19] | |
| 7 | Tony Godfrey-Smith | June 1984 | October 1988 | 4 years, 4 months | [20][21] | |
| 8 | Basil Teasey | October 1988 | November 1991 | 3 years, 1 month | [22] | |
| 9 | David Ritchie | November 1991 | January 1995 | 3 years, 2 months | [23] | |
| 10 | David Hegarty | January 1995 | January 1998 | 3 years | [24] | |
| 11 | Paul O'Callaghan | January 1998 | January 2001 | 3 years | [25] | |
| 12 | Peter Hooton | January 2001 | January 2004 | 3 years | [26][27] | |
| 13 | Phillip Allars | January 2004 | January 2007 | 3 years | [28][29] | |
| 14 | Matt Anderson | January 2007 | January 2012 | 5 years | [30][31][32] | |
| 15 | Stephen Henningham | January 2012 | February 2014 | 2 years, 1 month | [33][34] | |
| 16 | Sue Langford | February 2014 | March 2018 | 4 years, 1 month | [35][36] | |
| 17 | Sara Moriarty | March 2018 | 18 June 2021 | 3 years, 3 months | [37][38][39] | |
| 18 | Emily Luck | 22 June 2021 | Incumbent | 5 years, 100 days | [40][41][42][43] |
