Embassy of Australia, Paris

The Australian Embassy in Paris is located 400 metres southwest of the Eiffel Tower, on Rue Jean Rey in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, near the Bir-Hakeim bridge on the Seine. The embassy is situated on a triangular shaped block, and comprises a pair of nine-storey buildings. The Chancellery Building houses Australia's missions to France, to UNESCO and to the OECD, and the apartment of the ambassador to France; the other building contains 34 staff apartments, all with views of the Seine and the Eiffel Tower.[1][2]

Embassy of Australia, Paris
Location4 Rue Jean Rey
Paris 75724

The embassy, and several pieces of its original furniture, were designed in a modernist style by Australian architect Harry Seidler, with Marcel Breuer and Pier Luigi Nervi as consulting designers. Like many of Seidler's other works, the Embassy was built from precast modularised concrete, with a quartz and granite faced exterior and prestressed precast floors.[1][3] Its two buildings are curved to form two quarter circles, the two arcs of an "S"-shaped complex, with the radii of the circles lined up to match the axes of the Eiffel Tower and the Champ de Mars.[1]

The land for the embassy, that was a part of the disused railway depot near the old station of the Champ de Mars, was purchased by the McMahon government of Australia in 1972.[3] Construction started on the Embassy in 1975, and it was completed in 1977.[3]

History of the Embassy

Australia’s diplomatic mission, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFAT), represents the Commonwealth of Australia on foreign soil. Australia’s current number of diplomatic missions is over 100 globally with one crucial one with France, and the Australian embassy in Paris spearheading the diplomatic mission there. There is a mutual bond between France and Australia based on common ideals of democracy, historical contacts, deep economic ties, and a strong interest in each other’s culture.[4] The Australian Embassy in Paris represents Australia’s national interest within France and serves to see Australia’s diplomatic mission in France. To reinforce Australian, French prosperity and interests, the Australian-French diplomatic relationship cooperates on topics such as culture, economic and political affiliations. A designer named Harry Seidler built the complex as it has begun its bilateral operation in 1977.[5] The Australian Embassy in Paris manages a foundation that is shared between Australia-France facilitating cultural events and exchanges by publishing an annual newsletter called L’Australia en France supporting Australian affairs placed in France. The cultural awards scheme of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has also fostered ties between France and Australia. His excellency, Mr. Brendan Berne, is the current Australian ambassador to France. He has previously held numerous prestigious positions, including first assistant secretary, Australian Ambassador for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and Deputy Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy in Seoul, South Korea. He is currently also the Seniors Careers Officer within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).[5]

Architecture & Construction
A view of the two curved complexes following the axis of the Champ de Mars.

The Embassy’s construction started in 1973, was finalised in 1977, and officially opened in 1978. Australian architect Marcel Breuer, Pier Luigi Nervi together with Harry Seidler, as the main architect, designed the uniquely contemporary embassy with some parts of its original amenities.[6] The embassy’s architectural floor plans offer an interesting look into Harry Seidler’s traditional sense behind the architecture. There is a detailed overview of the office and the residential areas which offer a valid appreciation of his architectural work. Harry Seidler has employed various methodologies to construct his designs and the architectural reports from him provide insight into various design approaches which consist of technology preparation and aesthetic orientation.[7][1] The embassy’s design was formulated from precast modularised combined with a quartz and granite-faced exterior and pressured precast story similar to Seidler’s different models. The embassy is located on a triangular-shaped complex and consist of quadrant-structured development on nine floors.[8] The two curved complexes were situated to prevent contact with each other as it was designed to maximise a view of the scenery of the river with the city in the same frame. The buildings together follow the axis of the Champ de Mars. The Chancery’s residence in the complex is Australia’s missions to UNESCO and OECD and further office rooms are currently rented out in one building with the additional including 34 employees’ apartments.[9]

Australia-France relations
Flag of Australia
Flag of France

The relations between Australia and France share many historical ties, common ideals of democracy, essential trade connections, and a deep interest in each respective culture.  Both nation-states still currently maintain diplomatic connections on both the respective country’s soil and hold a bilateral relationship. The relation maintained with France continually remains to stay positive and welcoming due to the strong and lasting historical ties that support their bilateral relations. Australia and France’s involvement commenced in 1842 through consular and diplomatic events as well as cooperation in both the First World War and Second World War.[10]  Within the bilateral relationship, the history of Australian presence on French soil played an essential role during the First and Second World wars. Within the conflict, more than 45,000 Australians have passed away on French soil. With this event, many Australians fly to the Western From every year to mourn the thousands of Australians killed and wounded there during the First World War.[11] In recent years, dialog and substantive collaboration between the two nations on core international issues have been enhanced in many areas, which includes the joint partnership of major forums such as ASEM summits (Asia-Europe meeting) Paris climate agreement, and G20. Australia has also worked alongside France on the UN Security Council in 2013.[10] Australia’s presence in these global forums has expanded the space for advanced bilateral interaction.The Joint declaration of strengthened strategic cooperation between France and Australia contracted in 2017 enabled both nations to deepen their presence in the Indo-Pacific region. The declaration encourages vice versa collaboration in the following focus area: policy define, infrastructure, technology, common remembrance of the WW1, climate issues, international development, consular services, environmental and economic development. Regular contacts between the ministers and senior officers of Australia and France have assisted to advance the adoption of the collaboration goals in recent years.[10]

Australia and France have participated at different stages of the anti-terrorism alliance, including as leading partners of the proliferation cooperation initiative to tackle the sale of weapons for mass murder. It was also stated that Australia and France would further intensify defence collaboration in the Pacific region. In recent years, the defence relationship between France and Australia has expanded. A new security cooperation agreement was contracted in 2006 to establish a basis for collaboration.[12][13] Australian and France routinely engage in joint force training exercises and France has supported the Australian INTERFET campaign in East Timor. In the Pacific and Southern Seas, French and Australian forces have both participated in humanitarian response, crisis relief, and also against illicit fishing. A significant subject of bilateral involvement tends to be located in the Pacific area, which is in the interest of both nations. In addition, Australia and France have been improving on many fronts recently which involves crucial global security issues such as terrorism, non-proliferation, disarmament, and weapons control. Business and commercial relations are extensive and both significant sources of direct investments and technologies, especially in the defence area to enrich Australian forces. Cooperation in the monitoring of important fishery is another field of both Australia and French interest engagements.[14]

Ambassadors
Current Ambassador (Gillian Bird)

The Ambassador of Australia to France is the representative of the Embassy of the Commonwealth of Australia to the French republic and an official of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The position of the Australian Ambassador to France is currently placed with Brendan Berne.In 1945, Australia opened its legation in Paris, Australia and France commenced their official diplomatic tie. During this time, Keith Officer was appointed as the Ambassador at the legation in April 1950 to take the place of William Hodgson when it had refurbished to embassy status. Making Keith Officer the first Ambassador of Australia to France at the Embassy of Australia in Paris.[15]

List of all the Ambassadors
Ambassador[14] In office
Keith Officer 1950 1955
Alfred Stirling 1955 1959
Edward Ronald Walker 1959 1968
Alan Renouf 1968 1973
Harold David Anderson 1973 1978
John Rowland 1978 1982
Peter Curtis 1982 1987
Ted Pocock 1987 1991
Clive Jones 1991 1993
Alan Brown 1993 1996
John Spender 1996 2000
Bill Fisher 2000 2005
Penny Wensley 2005 2008
David Ritchie 2008 2011
Ric Wells 2011 2014
Stephen Brady 28 September 2014 16 October 2017
Brendan Berne 2017 2020
Gillian Bird 2020 Present

Deputy Head of Mission to France Megan Anderson

Megan Anderson graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Government and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the University of Queensland. Megan Anderson currently serves at the Australian Department of foreign affairs and Trade as a senior career officer. On top of that, Ms. Anderson holds the position as a Deputy head of Mission to France as an Australian representative and ambassador to the United Nations education science and cultural organisation which Is known as (UNESCO) and also maintains the status of Australian Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission in Paris.[14] In addition, she also performs duties as a non-resident envoy to Chad. Ms. Anderson served in Canberra as Assistant secretary, Nog’s and volunteers department, Humanitarian and collaboration sections and as a director of education in the development policy division prior to taking up her current position, As counselor, development partnership, Australian Embassy in Cambodia, Australian high commission in New Delhi and Vanuatu. She was also part of the Bougainville Peace Monitoring Group.[14]

Her Excellency Ms. Gillian Bird

Ms. Gillan Bird was an Australian Diplomat and a Permanent ambassador to the United Nations since 2015-2019. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney and has also graduated in 1980 from French Ecole Nationale d’Administraid of Foreign Affairs in France.[14] Since 2008-2013. Ms.Bird was Australia’s First Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Her current position is the Ambassador to France with a non-resident commission to Mauritania, Monaco, and Algeria2013, she was Australia's first Representative to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Her current position is the Ambassador to France with a non-resident commission to Mauritania, Monaco, and Algeria. Her Excellency Ms. Gillian Bird served as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of International Affairs and Trade.[14] Prior to taking office as Deputy Secretary, Ms. Bird served as the first assistant secretary, Foreign Section, Prime Minister’s Department, and Cabinet. Furthermore, prior to that position, she was the director of the Foreign and exchange policy white paper task Force (Advancing National Interest) within the Department of Foreign affairs and trade. Previous vacancies in the Department include the First Assistant Secretary in the South East Asian division. Before this, she was the First assistant secretary, Weapons control and disarmament branch, foreign organisations and legal division, assistant secretary, executive Branch, Office of trade relations minister. She has completed tasks overseas with the UN New York office and Paris OECD in 1980. Ms. Bird has also entered the Department of International Affairs in 1980. In 2012, Ms. Bird was awarded the Public service medal for exemplary service in the area of foreign affairs.[13][16]

See also

References
  1. Australian Embassy Archived 2011-07-21 at the Wayback Machine on the web site of Harry Seidler & Associates
  2. Seidler, Harry (2003), "Australian Embassy Apartment", Houses & Interiors 2, Images Publishing, pp. 34–41, ISBN 978-1-86470-105-0.
  3. Barker, Geoffrey (January 23, 1978), "Australia Flies a Lavish Flag in Paris", The Sydney Morning Herald.
  4. Evans, G., & Grant, B. (1993). Australia's Foreign Relations in the World of the 1990s. Taylor & Francis, Ltd., 15(4), 854-855.
  5. Macdonald, S. (2007). Harry Seidler and the Legacy of Modern Architecture in Australia. Journal Of Architectural Conservation, 13(2), 101-116.
  6. "Harry Seidler & Associates: Australian Embassy". seidler.net.au. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  7. Lomholt, I. and Welch, A., 2020. Australian Embassy Paris Building - E-Architect. [online] e-architect. Available at: <https://www.e-architect.com/paris/australian-embassy-paris> [Accessed 20 November 2020].
  8. Associates, H. (2020). Harry Seidler & Associates: Seidler Offices & Apartments. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from http://seidler.net.au/index.php?id=21
  9. Associates, H. (2020). Harry Seidler & Associates: Seidler Offices & Apartments. Retrieved 15 September 2020, from http://seidler.net.au/index.php?id=21
  10. Sloan, E. (2002). Allied Approaches to the RMA: Britain, Australia, France, and Germany. In Revolution in Military Affairs. Mcgill-Queen's University Press, (1), 56-76.
  11. Edwards, P (2016). Robert O’Neill and the Australian Official War Histories: Policy and Diplomacy. Australian National University Press, 16(1), 61-72.
  12. Woo, S. and Cha, H., 2017. The Effect of Foreign Embassies’ Communication on Facebook and Social Presence on Embassy-Public Relationship, Embassy Image and Country Image : Focused on the U.S., U.K., Australia, German Embassy. The Korean Journal of Advertising, 28(3), pp.83-127.
  13. O’niell, R. (2008). Problems in Australian Foreign Policy, July–December 1971. Australian Journal Of Politics & History, 18(1), 1-17.
  14. "Minister for Foreign Affairs". Retrieved 20 November 2020.
  15. Watt, A. (1964). Australia and the Ambassadorial Issue. The Australian Quarterly, 36(4), 11-18.
  16. Homepage DFAT https://www.dfat.gov.au/

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