Agent-general


An agent-general is the representative in the United Kingdom 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 and Canada's federal governments are represented by high commissions, as are all Commonwealth national governments today.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, a growing number of British colonies appointed agents in Great Britain and Ireland 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. They were appointed, and their expenses and salaries provided, by the governments of the colonies they represented.
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 agent-generals 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 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.

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". 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.
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. 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." 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. 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".
Agents-GeneralYearsNotes
William Colburn Mayne1864–1871
Charles Cowper1871–1876
William Forster1876 – 7 October 1879
Alexander Stuart25 November 1879 – April 1880
Sir Saul Samuel11 August 1880 – 1 October 1897
Sir Daniel Cooper, Bt.1 October 1897 – 27 March 1899
Sir Julian Salomons27 March 1899 – 14 May 1900
Henry Copeland14 May 1900 – 18 July 1903
The Earl of Jersey18 July 1903 – 1 April 1905
Sir Timothy Coghlan1 April 1905 – 26 May 1915
Bernhard Wise26 May 1915 – 21 September 1916
Sir Timothy Coghlan21 September 1916 – 2 May 1917
Sir Charles Wade2 May 1917 – 15 March 1920
David Hall17 March 1920 – 6 May 1920
Sir Timothy Coghlan6 May 1920 – 20 April 1925
Sir Arthur Cocks20 April 1925 – 21 September 1925
Sir Timothy Coghlan21 September 1925 – 30 April 1926
Edward McTiernan 2 May 1926 – 14 June 1926
The Viscount Chelmsford14 June 1926 – 14 April 1928
Sir George Fuller14 April 1928 – 14 April 1931
Albert Charles Willis14 April 1931 – 30 July 1932
Office abolished30 July 1932 – 15 February 1934
Albert Edward Heath 15 February 1934 – 26 January 1937
Albert Edward Heath26 January 1937 – 27 May 1938
Clifford Henderson Hay20 June 1938 – November 1939
Office vacantNovember 1939 – 1 June 1946
Jack Tully1 June 1946 – 1 July 1954
Francis Buckley1 July 1954 – 24 September 1965
Abe Landa24 September 1965 – 5 November 1970
Sir John Pagan5 November 1970 – 18 January 1973
Sir Davis Hughes18 January 1973 – December 1977
Peter Valkenburg18 January 1978 – April 1980
Jack RenshawApril 1980 – January 1983
Reginald WatsonJanuary 1983 – March 1986
Kevin StewartMarch 1986 – February 1989
Norman BrunsdonFebruary 1989 – August 1991
Neil PickardAugust 1991 – 4 March 1993

Agents-general for Queensland

Agents-general for South Australia

Agents-general for Canada

;to the United Kingdom:
;to France
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.

Agents-general for New Brunswick

; to the United Kingdom
; to Asia-Pacific
; to France
;to Japan
;to New York City
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 Lésage began to open additional offices abroad appointing in Paris, London, Rome and Milan and subsequent governments opened offices in Chicago, Boston, Lafayette, Dallas and Los Angeles, Munich and Berlin, Brussels, Atlanta, Washington, Mexico City and Tokyo, Beijing and Santiago, Shanghai and Barcelona, Mumbai, São Paulo and Moscow. 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 2016, the government of Quebec has delegates-general in London, Brussels, Mexico City, New York, Paris, and Tokyo; delegates to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Rome, and offices headed by directors offering more limited services in Barcelona, Beijing, Dakar, Hong Kong, Mumbai, São Paulo, Shanghai, Stockholm, and Washington. In addition, there are the equivalent of Honorary consuls, titled antennes, in Atlanta, Berlin, Houston, Qingdao, Seoul, and California's Silicon Valley.
; to the United Kingdom
;
;to France
; to Belgium
; to Germany
; to Japan
; to Mexico
; to the United States
Source: Historic Jamaica.
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 suggested former Colonial Secretary and Agent-General of Western Australia in London, Sir James Connolly. 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.
Agents-GeneralYearsNotes
Sir James Connolly30 January 1929 – 23 December 1932
Constantine John Colombos 23 December 1932 – 2 November 1933

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.
Agents-GeneralYearsNotes
Richard Ernest BroungerAugust 1908 – 31 May 1910

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.
Agents-GeneralYearsNotes
Sir Richard Solomon3 May 1907 – 31 May 1910

Agents-general for the Cape Colony

The Cape Colony sent separate agents-general until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Agents-GeneralYearsNotes
Sir Charles MillsOctober 1882 – 31 March 1895
Sir David Tennant1896 – 31 December 1901
Sir Thomas Ekins Fuller1 January 1902 – 31 December 1907
Sir Somerset Richard French1 January 1908 – 31 May 1910

Agents-general for Natal

The Colony of Natal sent separate agents-general until the creation of the Union of South Africa in 1910.
Agents-GeneralYearsNotes
Sir Walter PeaceDecember 1893 – 28 January 1904
Sir William Arbuckle1 November 1904 – November 1909
Robert C. Russell November 1909 – 31 May 1910

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.
Agents-GeneralYearsNotes
Isaac Featherston1871 – 19 June 1876
W. Tyrone Power 1876
Sir Julius Vogel1876–1880
Sir Dillon Bell1880–1891
Sir Westby Perceval1891–1895
William Pember Reeves1895–1905

Nigerian regions

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