Australian Consul-General in Houston | |
---|---|
Incumbent Benson Saulo since January 2021 | |
Residence | Houston |
Formation | 1982 |
Website | Australian Consulate-General, Houston |
The Australian Consul-General and Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner in Houston represents the Australian Government in Houston, Texas. Although it is run and managed by Austrade, the Consulate-General carries out visiting and reporting responsibilities on behalf of the Australian Ambassador in Washington for Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana. [1]
It is in suite 1310 of 3009 Post Oak Boulevard in Uptown Houston. [2]
On 11 February 1982, Deputy Prime Minister Doug Anthony announced the opening of a new consulate-general jointly managed by DFAT and Austrade in Houston, Texas, thereby becoming the fifth Australian consulate-general in the United States. [3] In 1993, the posting was fully transferred to Austrade management and was closed on 31 December 1996 due to financial constraints and a restructuring of resources to the Austrade consulates in Atlanta and Los Angeles. [4] [5] Following the closure, the Australian Government appointed an Honorary Consul in Houston, Nana Booker, who served from 1999 until 2015. In 2005 Booker was appointed as an Honorary Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her continued service as honorary consul. [6]
The consulate-general was reopened in March 2015 to seek major trade opportunities for Australian companies and foster closer education and research links. [7] [8] The opening had previously been flagged in media in June 2014. [9] After its reopening the Parliamentary Secretary to the Foreign Minister, Steven Ciobo, praised former honorary consul (and now Honorary Consul Emeritus) Booker's work: "The Australian Government is highly appreciative of the good work done by the Honorary Consul, Ms Nana Booker, over the years. The opening of the Consulate General is solid proof of the importance of her work and of our high regard for it." [10]
Name | Start of term | End of term | References |
E. J. L. Ride | November 1982 | 1986 | [11] |
Bob Whitty | 1986 | 1989 | [12] [13] |
Peter Urban | 1989 | 1994 | [14] |
G. McHugh | 1994 | 31 December 1996 | [15] |
Posting closed | |||
Nana Booker AM (Honorary Consul) | 1999 | 2015 | |
Alastair Walton | November 2015 | 23 June 2017 | [16] [17] |
Peter McGauran | 26 January 2018 | December 2020 | [18] |
Benson Saulo | January 2021 | incumbent | [19] |
Peter John McGauran is a former Australian politician who served as a National Party member of the Australian House of Representatives. He represented the Division of Gippsland in Victoria from 5 March 1983 to 9 April 2008. He is the brother of former Senator Julian McGauran. He was born in Yallourn, Victoria, and was educated at Xavier College, Kew and the University of Melbourne. He was a barrister and solicitor before entering politics.
A consul is an official representative of the government of one state in the territory of another, normally acting to assist and protect the citizens of the consul's own country, as well as to facilitate trade and friendship between the people of the two countries.
A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country, usually an embassy or – between Commonwealth countries – high commission. Like the terms embassy or high commission, consulate may refer not only to the office of consul, but also to the building occupied by the consul and the consul's staff. The consulate may share premises with the embassy itself.
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The High Commission of Canada in Australia is the diplomatic mission of Canada to Australia. It is located on Commonwealth Avenue, near State Circle, in the Australian capital city of Canberra. In addition to responsibility for bilateral relations between Canada and Australia, it is also responsible for relations with several Pacific Island nations, including the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.
The Australian Consulate-General in Hong Kong and Macao represents the Commonwealth of Australia in Hong Kong, and is also accredited to Macau. As Hong Kong was linked to the Commonwealth during British administration, Australia's diplomatic presence was exercised by an Australian Commission, until 1 January 1986, when it was renamed the Australian Consulate-General. From 1946 to 1972, Australia was represented by the Australian Trade Commission.
The Australian Consulate-General in Noumea, New Caledonia represents the Commonwealth of Australia in New Caledonia, a special collectivity of France, and is also accredited to the Pacific French Overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna. The Consul-General also serves as Australia's representative to the Noumea-based Pacific Community. The Consulate-General, one of four in New Caledonia, has since 1976 had its offices at 19 avenue du Maréchal Foch, Nouméa.
For service to the Australian Government as the Honorary Consul for Houston, Texas.