July 2, 2025, 6:04 am
Australian officials were stationed in Japan as early as 1903. It was not until 1940, however, that formal state diplomacy commenced between the two countries with the opening of Australia’s first diplomatic mission in Tokyo. Amongst mission staff were such notable figures as Sir John Latham, Keith Officer, Albert Hard, Patrick Shaw, and Tom Eckersley. Latham (improbably) was on leave from the High Court, Officer was a legendary figure in External Affairs; Shaw (later Sir Patrick) rose to become Ambassador in Washington where his untimely death occurred, and Eckersley became one of the Department’s Japan specialists. One of the Australia-appointed staff—a Gallipoli veteran born in Nagasaki—gained notoriety for being the first individual employed by External Affairs and sent to a foreign post, to die as a result of their service.
Content Creator – Australian Institute of International Affairs
