Agent_general

Agent-general

Agent-general

Government representative of certain Commonwealth countries in the UK


An agent-general is the representative in cities abroad of the government of a Canadian province or an Australian state and, historically, also of a British colony in Jamaica, Nigeria, Canada, Malta, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand and subsequently, of a Nigerian region. Australia's and Canada's federal governments are represented by high commissions, as are all Commonwealth national governments today.

The plaque of the Agent General for British Columbia in London

In the 18th and 19th centuries, a growing number of British colonies appointed agents in Great Britain and Ireland and occasionally elsewhere in Europe to promote immigration to the colonies. Eventually, agents-general were appointed by some colonies to represent their commercial, legal, and diplomatic interests in Britain and to the British government and Whitehall.[1] They were appointed, and their expenses and salaries provided, by the governments of the colonies they represented.[2]

Starting in 1886, Quebec and the federal Canadian government also appointed agents-general to Paris. The first, Hector Fabre, was dispatched by the province of Quebec but was asked by the federal government to represent all of Canada. He and his successor, Philippe Roy, continued to represent both Quebec City and Ottawa in France until 1912 when the federal government asked Roy to resign his Quebec position to avoid conflicts of interest. Canadian provinces have also appointed agents-general (called delegates-general by Quebec beginning in the 1970s) to other countries and major cities.

Following a military coup in Nigeria in 1966, the federal system was abolished, and the posts of the agents-general of Nigerian regions in London were subsumed in the Nigerian High Commission.

By the 1990s, some Australian state governments regarded the office of their agent-general in London as a costly anachronism, even for promoting tourism and investment, and have since been closed and subsumed into the Australian High Commission. The majority of Australian states continue to have agents-general in London, but operate from Australia House rather than maintain separate premises.

Many Canadian provinces similarly are no longer represented by an agent-general, although Quebec continues to have a Government Office in London (Délégation générale du Québec à Londres) and in several other cities around the world. Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba have representatives who work out of the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC.[3]

Australia

Agents-general for New South Wales

The New South Wales Office in London was one of several overseas offices established by the colonies of Australia to represent their interests. The London Office was established after the appointment of the first Agent-General on 1 May 1864. In June 1932, the Agent-General's Office was abolished as a cost-cutting measure and was replaced by the New South Wales Government Offices, London, to be headed by an "Official Representative".[4] The title was renamed Agent-General in 1937, but was left vacant from 1939 to 1946 due to the Second World War. From 1972 to 1993, the Agent-General's Office was located in separate premises from Australia House, at the nearby address of 66 The Strand, which was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in May 1972.[5][6]

In October 1992, the position of NSW Agent-General in London was abolished by the Fahey government. This occurred following an expenses scandal by the last Agent-General, Neil Pickard, who had been appointed as a consolation for losing his seat in parliament.[7] Following its abolition, Fahey noted to Parliament: "It was abundantly clear to me, to all Cabinet and to all Government that we no longer needed an agent-general's office in London. That was a throwback to colonial days - to the days when it was important to have garden parties and to participate in ceremonies. Quite frankly, little or no benefit accrued to New South Wales by participating in such a process."[8] The Agent-General's Office was replaced by the NSW Government Trade and Investment Office, London, which had no ceremonial function, but focused on the promotion of investment and trade in the UK and Europe.[9] The NSW Government of Gladys Berejiklian considered reviving the Agent-General position in late-2019, noting that "We know the post-Brexit environment is going to be very different and NSW can gain a lot of opportunities in business from the UK".[10][11]

The position was revived in 2021, with an expanded remit to additionally cover Europe and Israel.[12]

Agents-general for Queensland

More information Years ...

Agents-general for South Australia

Agents-general for Tasmania

  • Hon Adye Douglas (later Sir, Kt), 1886–1887
  • Sir Arthur Blyth (acting), 1887–1888
  • James Arndell Youl CMG (later Sir, KCMG) (acting), 1888
  • Hon Edward Braddon, (later Right Hon Sir, PC KCMG), 1888–1893
  • Sir Robert Herbert, 1893–1896
  • Sir Andrew Clarke (acting), 1896
  • Sir Westby Perceval, 1896–1898
  • Sir Andrew Clarke (acting), 1898–1899
  • Hon Sir Philip Oakley Fysh, KCMG, 1899–1901
  • Sir Andrew Clarke (acting), 1901
  • Hon Alfred Dobson, CMG, 1901–1908
  • Sir John McCall, KCMG, Kt., 1909–1919
  • Alfred Henry Ashbolt (later Sir, Kt), 1919–1924
  • Lieut.-Colonel R. Eccles Snowden (later Sir, Kt), 1924–1930
  • Darcy W. Addison, CMG, ISO, MVO, 1930–1931
  • Herbert W. Ely, ISO (acting), 1931–1937
  • Hon Sir Claude Ernest Weymouth James, Kt, 1937–1950
  • Sir Eric E. von Bibra, Kt, OBE 1950–1958
  • Hon Sir Alfred J White, Kt 1959–1971
  • Royce R. Neville, 1971–1978
  • Hon Bill Neilson AC, 1978–1981

Agents-general for Victoria

Agents-general for Western Australia

Canada

Agents-general for Canada

to the United Kingdom
to France

Agents-general for Alberta

Agents-general for British Columbia

Agents-general for Manitoba

  • Anthony John McMillan (c.1890–1900)
  • R. Murray Armstrong (1955–1963)[27][28]

As it was difficult to compete with larger provinces like Ontario and Quebec, the province of Manitoba decided to leave trade promotion to the federal government and accordingly recalled their agent-general in 1965 without appointing a replacement.[29]

Agents-general for New Brunswick

Agents-general for Nova Scotia

Agents-general for Ontario

to the United Kingdom
  • Southworth (1908–?)
  • Richard Reid (1913–1916) Died in office
  • Brigadier-General Manley R. Sims (1918–1920)
  • G. C. Creelman (1920–1921)
  • William C. Noxon (1921–1934)
  • vacant (1934–1944)
  • James S. P. Armstrong (1944–1967)
  • Allan Rowan-Legg (1968–1972)
  • Ward Cornell (1972–1978)
  • W. Ross DeGeer (1978–1985)
  • Thomas Leonard Wells (1985–1992)
  • Robert Nixon (1992–1994)
  • Sophia Arvanitis (2021-present)[35]
to Asia-Pacific
  • Tim (Thomas E.) Armstrong (1986-1990)
to France
to Japan
to New York City
  • Carlton Masters (1992)

Agents-general for Prince Edward Island

  • Harrison Watson (1902–?)[36]

Agents-general for Quebec

Quebec uses the title agent-general or delegate-general. In 1936, legislation was passed by the government of Maurice Duplessis closing all Quebec government offices abroad. The government of Adélard Godbout repealed the legislation and opened an office in New York City in 1940. When Duplessis returned to power in 1944, his government retained the New York City office and its agent-general but opened no others. In the early 1960s, the government of Jean Lesage began to open additional offices abroad appointing in Paris (1961), London (1962), Rome and Milan (1965) and subsequent governments opened offices in Chicago (1969), Boston, Lafayette, Dallas and Los Angeles (1970), Munich and Berlin (1971), Brussels (1972), Atlanta (1977), Washington (1978), Mexico City and Tokyo (1980), Beijing and Santiago (1998), Shanghai and Barcelona (1999), Mumbai (2007), São Paulo (2008) and Moscow (2012).[37] In 1971, the title of agent-general was officially changed to delegate-general although previous title is still often used, particularly for the government's representative to London.

As of 2024, the Government of Quebec has 35 offices abroad, including 9 delegates-general.[38]

to the United Kingdom
to France
  • Hector Fabre (1882–1910)[49]
  • Philippe Roy (1911–1912)
  • vacant (1912–1961)[37]
  • Charles Lussier (1961–1964)[50]
  • Jean Chapdelaine (delegate general) (1964–1976)
  • François Cloutier (delegate general) (1976–1977)
  • Jean Deschamps (delegate general) (1977–1979)
  • Yves Michaud (delegate general) (1979–1984)
  • Louise Beaudoin (delegate general) (1984–1985)
  • Claude Pug (delegate general) (1985–1986)
  • Jean-Louis Roy (delegate general) (1986–1990)
  • Marcel Bergeron (delegate general) (1990–1991)
  • André Dufour (delegate general) (1991–1994)
  • Claude Pug (delegate general) (1994–1995)
  • Marcel Masse (delegate general) (1995–1997)
  • Michel Lucier (delegate general) (1997–2000)
  • Clément Duhaime (delegate general) (2000–2005)
  • Wilfrid-Guy Licari (delegate general) (2005–2010)
  • Michel Robitaille (delegate general) (2010–present)
to Belgium
to Germany (Munich)
  • Claude Trudelle (delegate general) (as of 2016)[48]
to Japan
  • Claire Deronzier (delegate general) (2013–present)[48]
to Mexico
to the United States (New York City)
  • Charles Chartier (1940–1967)
  • Jean-Marc Roy (1967–1969)
  • Général Jean V. Allard (1969–1971)
  • Guy Poliquin (1971–1977)
  • Marcel Bergeron (delegate general) (1977–1980)
  • Richard Pouliot (delegate general) (1980–1982)
  • Raymond Gosselin (delegate general) (1982–1984)
  • Rita Dionne-Marsolais (delegate general) (1984–1987)
  • Léo Paré (delegate general) (1987–1992)
  • Reed Scowen (delegate general) (1992–1994)
  • Kevin Drummond (delegate general) (1994–1997)
  • David Levine (delegate general) (1997–1998)
  • Diane Wilhelmy (delegate general) (1998–2002)
  • Michel Robitaille (delegate general) (2002–2007)
  • Bruno Fortier (delegate general) (2007–2008)
  • Robert Keating (delegate general) (2008–2009)
  • John Parisella (delegate general) (2009–2012)
  • André Boisclair (delegate general) (2012–2013)
  • Dominique Poirier (delegate general) (2013–2014)
  • Jean-Claude Lauzon (delegate general) (2014–present)[48]

Agents-general for Saskatchewan

Jamaica

Source: Historic Jamaica.[53]

  • 1664–1666: Sir James Modyford
  • 1682–?: Sir Charles Lyttelton
  • William Beeston
  • 1688: Ralph Knight
  • Gilbert Heathcote
  • 1693–1704: Bartholomew Gracedieu
  • 1714: P. Marsh
  • 1725: Alexander Stephenson
  • 1725–1726: Edward Charlton
  • 1728–1733: Charles de la Foy
  • 1733: John Gregory
  • 1733–1757: John Sharpe
  • 1757–1762: Lovell Stanhope (MP for Winchester)
  • 1764–1795: Stephen Fuller
  • 1795–1803: Robert Sewell
  • 1803–1812: Edmund Pusey Lyon
  • 1812–1831: George Hibbert
  • 1831–1845: William Burge
  • 1845 Office abolished

Malta

With the granting of responsible self-government to Malta in 1921, a proposal of the government of Lord Strickland to appoint an agent-general to "encourage the migration of Maltese to the Northern Territory and north-west Australia" was presented to the parliament. Strickland, who was Governor of Western Australia (1909–1913) suggested former Colonial Secretary and Agent-General of Western Australia in London, Sir James Connolly.[54] The position was discontinued with the suspension of the constitution in November 1933 and was replaced by a Trade Commissioner, who was in turn replaced by a Commissioner-General in 1947.[55]

More information Agents-General, Years ...

South Africa

Prior to the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910, the four constituent British colonies of southern Africa all sent agents-general to London, coinciding with the establishment of responsible self-government in each colony.

Agent-general for the Orange River Colony

The Orange River Colony sent an agent-general from 1908 until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910. Brounger was a former Director of the Orange Free State Railways.

More information Agents-General, Years ...

Agent-general for the Transvaal Colony

The Transvaal Colony sent an agent-general from the establishment of responsible self-government in 1907 until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910. Solomon then served as the first South African High Commissioner in London from 1910 to 1913.

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Agents-general for the Cape Colony

The Cape Colony sent separate agents-general until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

More information Agents-General, Years ...

Agents-general for Natal

The Colony of Natal sent separate agents-general until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.

More information Agents-General, Years ...

New Zealand

After 1905 the position of Agent-General was replaced by that of High Commissioner, with the final Agent-General becoming the first High Commissioner.

More information Agents-General, Years ...

Nigerian regions

Signing the visitors' book at Nigeria House with Arthur Prest (left) and Alhaji Sa'adu Alanamu (right)

The First Nigerian agents-general to the United Kingdom were appointed in December 1959 and include:

  • Northern Region: Alhaji Sa'adu Alanamu
  • Eastern Region: Jonah Chinyere Achara
  • Western Region: Chief Akitoye Emmanuel Coker

The last Nigerian Agent-Generals in London were:

  • Northern Region: Baba Gana
  • Eastern Region: A. Ekukinam-Bassey
  • Western Region: Prince Delphus Adebayo Odubanjo
  • Mid-West Region: Josiah A.P. Oki

Notes

  1. MacLaren, Roy (1 January 2006). Commissions High: Canada in London, 1870–1971. McGill-Queen's Press. ISBN 9780773560123.
  2.  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Agent-General". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 374.
  3. "Agency-General". The Sydney Morning Herald. 22 June 1932. p. 13. Retrieved 16 February 2018 via Trove.
  4. "People and Fashion". The Australian Women's Weekly. 14 June 1972. p. 13. Retrieved 16 February 2018 via Trove.
  5. New South Wales (1972), A House in the Strand : a history of the site of New South Wales House, New South Wales Govt, retrieved 16 February 2018
  6. "Greiner admits broken promise on plum London post". The Canberra Times. 29 March 1991. p. 3. Retrieved 16 February 2018 via Trove.
  7. Fahey, John; Carr, Bob (3 May 1994). "Former Agent-General Neil Pickard". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). New South Wales: Legislative Assembly. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  8. "NSW Government Trade and Investment Office, London". Archives Investigator – Agency Detail. NSW Government State Records. Retrieved 11 March 2021.
  9. Risso, Angelo (1 September 2019). "NSW could revive UK agent-general role". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  10. Smith, Alexandra (1 September 2019). "'Throwback to colonial days': NSW considering reinstating plum posting in London". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2020.
  11. "AGENT-GENERAL FOR QUEENSLAND". The Australian Star. No. 2392. New South Wales, Australia. 4 October 1895. p. 6. Retrieved 15 February 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  12. "THE AGENT-GENERAL OF QUEENSLAND". South Australian Register. Vol. LX, no. 15, 280. South Australia. 2 November 1895. p. 5. Retrieved 15 February 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  13. "Sir Henry Wylie Norman". Australian Town and Country Journal. Vol. LIII, no. 1400. New South Wales, Australia. 5 December 1896. p. 20. Retrieved 15 February 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  14. "Queensland Agent-General". Evening News. No. 9536. New South Wales, Australia. 29 December 1897. p. 5. Retrieved 15 February 2018 via National Library of Australia.
  15. Lack, Clem (1967). "Some Agents-General: Horace Tozer and those who followed him" (PDF). 8 (2). Retrieved 23 September 2020. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
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  30. Blatherwick, John. "Awards to the Royal Canadian Navy (P)". Royal Canadian Navy in World War II. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  31. "Ontario Newsroom". news.ontario.ca. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  32. "Court Circular". The Times. No. 36784. London. 3 June 1902. p. 9.
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  35. "Louis-Joseph Lemieux (1869–1952)". Assemblée nationale du Québec. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
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  48. "AGENT-GENERAL FOR MALTA". The Age. Victoria, Australia. 26 March 1928. p. 10. Retrieved 17 April 2020 via Trove.
  49. The Colonial Office List, H.M. Stationery Office, 1964, page 194
  50. "SIR JAMES CONNOLLY". The Brisbane Courier. Queensland, Australia. 31 January 1929. p. 12. Retrieved 17 April 2020 via Trove.
  51. "TO RESIGN". The Brisbane Courier. Queensland, Australia. 27 December 1932. p. 9. Retrieved 17 April 2020 via Trove.
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  53. "News in Brief". The Gloucester Advocate. New South Wales, Australia. 22 August 1908. p. 2. Retrieved 11 April 2020 via Trove.
  54. "GENERAL CABLE NEWS". The Age. Victoria, Australia. 4 May 1907. p. 13. Retrieved 11 April 2020 via Trove.
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  56. "SECOND EDITION. The King's Birthday. Presentation of the Cullinan Diamond". The Sydney Morning Herald. New South Wales, Australia. 11 November 1907. p. 5. Retrieved 10 April 2020 via Trove.
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  65. The Natal Who's Who (PDF). Durban: The Natal Who's Who Publishing Company. 1906. p. 16.
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  70. Dalziel, R.M. (1975). The origins of New Zealand diplomacy : the Agent-General in London, 1870-1905. Wellington: Price Milburn for Victoria University Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-0705505505.
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Bibliography


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