Australian Embassy
The Netherlands

The Embassy

The Australian Embassy in the Netherlands

 

About the Embassy's Work

The Australian Embassy in The Hague is Australia's only representation in the Netherlands.  As such, we have a number of tasks:

  • Providing consular assistance and other Government services to Australian citizens in the Netherlands

  • Promoting Australian interests in the Netherlands and maintaining good bilateral relations with the Netherlands Government

  • Representing Australia at the international courts, tribunals and organisations based in The Hague

 

Accreditations

As well as being the bilateral mission to the Netherlands, the Embassy in The Hague represents Australia at the following international bodies:

  • the International Court of Justice

  • the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

  • the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia

  • the Permanent Court of Arbitration

  • the International Criminal Court

  • The Hague Conference on Private International Law

  • Europol

  • the Special Tribunal for Lebanon

  • the Residual Special Court for Sierra Leone

  • The Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals

 

Visiting the Embassy

The Embassy is located on Carnegielaan in The Hague.  Full address details and opening hours can be found on our Contact Us page.

 

History of Australia's Representation in the Netherlands

Although the Netherlands and Australia first made "contact" over 400 years ago, when Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon reached cape York aboard his ship the Duyfken, the establishment of formal diplomatic relations did not occur until much later. 

It was 1942 when the Rt Hon Stanley Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne and Australia's High Commissioner in London, was also made Minister to the Netherlands' Court in Exile (the Dutch Government of the time resided in London due to the Second World War). 

In 1945, after the end of the  War, Australia established a representation (a legation) in the Netherlands itself under John Hood as the first Charge d'affaires.  In March 1950, the Netherlands and Australia announced that they were to increase the status of their diplomatic missions.

In September 1950, Alfred T Stirling (a former Counsellor with the legation in London) was accredited as Australia's first Ambassador to the Netherlands.

Since then, Australia has sent a further twenty two Ambassadors to the Netherlands, most recently Ambassador Dr. Greg French in 2023.