Wiki: Agent-general - upcScavenger

An Agent-General ( or Déléguée générale, masculine and feminine respectively) 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.

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.

Roy MacLaren (2006). 9780773560123, McGill–Queen's University Press. . ISBN 9780773560123

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 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.

Diplomatic and legal status

Status in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, Agents-General of Australia and Canada (and their Staff) are granted the same Diplomatic Privileges and Immunities held under international law by virtue of the , this privilege is granted under , these privileges including the right to freedom from arrest and exemption of duties and taxes. Agents-General of other countries are not afforded these privileges.

Status in Australian and international law

Under international Agents-general have no diplomatic or legal status, privileges or immunities under international but may be granted the privilege of a Diplomatic Passport by some originating countries during their commission.

Australia

In the Australian colonies and Province of South Australia, prior to each achieving responsible government, each was represented in the United Kingdom by the Colonial agent. The position was appointed by the British Secretary of State for the Colonies to work within the Crown Agency; each colony was represented by the same Agent, Edward Barnard, who was not appointed or paid by the colonies.

Growing dissatisfaction among colonial governments led, following each colony and province achieving responsible government, to the appointment of individual Agents-General appointed by the relevant colonial government to represent their interest to the Crown and Empire.

South Australia was the first Australian colonial government to appoint an Agent-General, with Gregory Seale Walters taking the post in January 1859. Only a few Australian states continue to maintain Agents-General in London.

Agents-general for South Australia

Agents-general for New South Wales

Agents-general for Queensland

1869–1870
1870–1872
1872–1876
1876–1881
1881–1885
1885–1885
1885–1888
1888–1890
1890–1895
2 October 1895 – 31 October 1895
31 October 1895 – 25 November 1896
1896–1897
29 December 1897 – 1898
2 March 1898 – 1909
1910–1919
1 January 1920 – 1922
8 February 1922–1924
1 August 192431 July 1929
1 August 192914 August 1931
14 August 193130 September 1951
3 October 19519 January 1964
1 April 1964 – 1970
1971–1973
1973–1974
6 December 1974–1980
August 1980March 1981
April 1981September 1984
September 1984March 1988
April 1988January 1991
June 1991September 1995
February 1996October 2000
October 2000April 2001
April 2001September 2007
October 2007April 2008
April 2008June 2011
July 2011May 2017
20 July 2017March 2021
David Stewart	15 March 2021 - present

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

Hugh Culling Eardley Childers, 1857–1858
Charles Pasley, 1864–1867 (acting)
George Frederic Verdon, 1867–1872
Hugh Culling Eardley Childers, 1872–1873
James McCulloch, 1873 (acting from January to April)
Archibald Michie, 1873–1879
Charles Pasley, 1880–1882 (acting)
Robert Murray Smith, 1882–1886
Graham Berry, 1886–1891
James Munro, 1892–1893
Duncan Gillies, 1893–1897
Andrew Clarke, 1897–1902 (and for Tasmania)
John William Taverner, 1903–1913
Peter McBride, 1913–1922
John McWhae, 1922–1924
George Fairbairn, 1924–1927
Walter Leitch, 1929–1933
Richard Linton, 1933–1936
Murray Bourchier, 1936–1937
Albert Louis Bussau, 1938–1944
Norman Angus Martin, 1945–1950
John Lienhop, 1950–1956
William Watt Leggatt, 1956– 1964
Horace Petty, 1964–1969
Murray Porter, 1970–1976
John Rossiter 1976–1979
The Hon Joseph Anstice Rafferty 1979–1983
Ian Haig, 1983–1985
Kenneth Andrew Finnin, 1985–1988
Ian Haig, 1988–1989
Ken Crompton, 1993–1996
Alan Brown, 1996–2000
Peter Hansen, 2000–2004
David Buckingham, 2004–2009
Sally Capp, 2009–2012
Geoffrey Conaghan, 2013–2016
Ken Ryan AM, 2017–2020
Tim Dillon, 2020–present

Agents-general for Western Australia

Hon Septimus Burt KC, 1891–1892 (Acting)
Hon Sir Malcolm Fraser, 1892–1898
Hon Sir Edward Wittenoom, 1898–1901
Hon Sir Henry Lefroy, 1901–1904
Hon Sir Walter James, 1904–1907
Hon Sir Cornthwaite Rason, 1907–1911
Hon Sir Newton Moore, 1911–1917
Hon Sir James Connolly, 1917–1923
Hon Sir Hal Colebatch, 1923–1927
Hon William Angwin, 1927–1933
Hon Sir Hal Colebatch, 1933–1939
Hon Michael Troy, 1939–1947
Hon William Kitson, 1947–1952
Hon James Dimmitt, 1953–1957
Hon Ernest Hoar, 1957–1965
Hon Gerald Wild, 1965–1971
Hon Sir Stewart Bovell, 1971–1974
Jim Richards, 1975–1978
Les Slade, 1978–1982
Ron Douglas, 1982–1986
Hon Ron Davies, 1986–1990
David Fischer, 1990–1992
Gary Stokes, 1992–1994
Bill Hassell, 1994–1996
Hon Clive Griffiths, 1997–2001
Robert Fisher, 2001–2005
Noel Ashcroft, 2005–2008
Dr. Kerry Sanderson, 2008–2012
Kevin Skipworth, 2012–2015
John Atkins, 2015–2018
Commodore Michael Deeks CSC RAN Rtd, 2018–2021
John Langoulant, 2021–present

Canada

Agents-general for Canada

to the United Kingdom

Edward Jenkins, MP for Dundee (1874–1876)
William Annand (1876–1878)

to France

Hector Fabre (1886–1910)
Philippe Roy (1911–1912)

Agents-general for Alberta

John Alexander Reid (Great War)
Herbert Greenfield (1927–1931)
R. A. McMullen (circa 1966)
James McKibben (1980s)
Mary LeMessurier (1986–1992)

Agents-general for British Columbia

Gilbert Malcolm Sproat (1872–1876)
Thomas Stahlschmidt
Henry Coppinger Beeton (1893–1895)
Forbes George Vernon (1895–1898)
William Walter (1898–1901)
John Herbert Turner (1901–1915)
Sir Richard McBride (1915–1917)
Frederick Coate Wade (1917–1925)
Frederick Arthur Pauline (1925–1931)
Frederick Parker Burden (1931–1934)
W. A. McAdam (1934–1958)
Bert Hoffmeister (1958–1961)
J. V. Fishei (1961–1964)
Earle Cathers Westwood (1964–1968)
Rear Admiral M. G. Stirling (1968–1975)
R. M. Strachan (1975–1977)
L. J. Wallace (1977–1980)
WR. Smart (Acting) (1980)
A. H. Hart (1981–1987)
Garde Gardom (1987–1992)
Mark Willson Rose (1992–1995)
Paul William King (Acting) (1995–2002)

Agents-general for Manitoba

Anthony John McMillan ()
R. Murray Armstrong (1955–1963)

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

Frederick W. Sumner (1915–)

Agents-general for Nova Scotia

Joshua Maugher (1761–1768)
William Annand (1878–1887)
John Howard (1892–1929)
Miss Jean Iris Howard (Acting, 1929–1930s)
Charles Arthur Richardson (1969–1972)
John Elvin Shaffner (1973–1976)
Rear Admiral Desmond Piers (1977–1979)
Donald MacKeen Smith (1980–?)

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)


to Asia-Pacific

Tim (Thomas E.) Armstrong (1986-1990)


to France

Patrick J. Lavelle (1981-1983)
Adrienne Clarkson (1983–1988)


to Japan

Robin Sears (1990–1994)


to New York City

Carlton Masters (1992)

Agents-general for Prince Edward Island

Harrison Watson (1902–?)

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).

Min Reuchamps (2014). 9781317634720, Routledge. . ISBN 9781317634720

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.

, the Government of Quebec has 35 offices abroad, including 9 delegates-general.

to the United Kingdom

Jean-Marie-Joseph-Pantaléon Pelletier (1911–1924)
Louis-Joseph Lemieux (1925–1936)
vacant (1936–1961)
Hugues Lapointe (1961–1966)
Guy Roberge (1966–1971)
Jean Fournier (1971–1977)
Gilles Loiselle (1977–1983)
Patrick Hyndman (1983–1987)
Reed Scowen (1987–1992)
Harold Mailhot (1992–1995)
Richard Guay (1995–2000)
Daniel Audet (2000–2003)
George R. MacLaren (2003–2008)
Pierre Boulanger (2008–2012)
Stéphane Paquet (2012–2014)
Christos Sirros (2014–2017)
John A. Coleman (2017–2019)
Pierre Gabriel Côté (2019–present)


to France

Hector Fabre (1882–1910)
Philippe Roy (1911–1912)
vacant (1912–1961)
Charles Lussier (1961–1964)
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

Godfroy Langlois (1914–1928)
vacant (1936–1972)
Jean Deschamps (1972–1977)
Jean Chapdelaine (chargé des affaires) (1977)
André Patry (1978)
Jean-Marc Léger (1978–1981)
Jean-Paul L'Allier (1981–1984)
Jean Tardif (1984–1986)
Claude Roquet (1986–1989)
Pierre Lorrain (1989–1993)
Gérard P. Latulippe (1993–1996)
Denis de Belleval (1996–1999)
Richard Guay (1999–2001)
Nicole Stafford (2001–2004)
Christos Sirros (2004–2014)
Michel Audet (delegate general) (2014–present)

to Germany (Munich)

Claude Trudelle (delegate general) (as of 2016)

to Japan

Claire Deronzier (delegate general) (2013–present)

to Mexico

Christiane Pelchat (delegate general) (2011–2014)
Eric R. Mercier (delegate general) (as of 2016)

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)

Agents-general for Saskatchewan

Graham Spry (1946–1968)
Edward Arthur Boden (1973–1977)
Merv Johnson (1977–1983)
Robert Larter
Paul Emile Rousseau (1986–1991)

Jamaica

Source: Historic Jamaica.

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. 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. The Colonial Office List, H.M. Stationery Office, 1964, page 194

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.

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-general for the Cape Colony

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

Agents-general for Natal

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

(2025). 9780230270398, Macmillan & Co.. . ISBN 9780230270398

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.

John Henniker Heaton (1879). 9780790582641, S. W. Silver & Co.. . ISBN 9780790582641

(1975). 9780705505505, Price Milburn for Victoria University Press. ISBN 9780705505505

Nigerian regions

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