Embassy Of Australia In Washington, D.C.
Australia and the US have had strong diplomatic relations for over a century. For many years Australia was represented in Washington, D.C. by trade ministers. The two countries formed official bilateral relations in 1940. The diplomatic mission in Washington D.C., Australia's second-oldest one overseas, included a legation that opened in 1940. The second location for the legation was a large house called White Oaks, located in Woodley Park, and has served as the ambassadorial residence since that time.
In 1946, the US upgraded both legations of Australia and the US from legations to embassies, with Robert Butler serving as the first Australian ambassador to the US. For approximately two decades, the embassy was located in the Wilkins House, currently the Embassy of Peru. After running out of office space, embassy officials announced plans to build a new embassy one block east of their current location. The new marble-clad modernist embassy made of glass, steel, and concrete, opened in 1969.
By the 2010s, the embassy needed serious repairs. The Australian government chose to demolish the embassy and build a new 213,600-square-foot (19,844 sq m) replacement with a projected price tag of A$236.9 million (US$154.7 million). After several years of planning and bureaucratic approvals, the new embassy opened in August 2023 at a total cost of $A337 million. It was designed by Bates Smart and Washington, D.C. local firm KCCT. The exterior is clad in copper alloy panels, and a large atrium is in the center of the building to provide natural lighting.
Location
The embassy is located at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW on the northwest corner of Scott Circle and a few blocks north of the White House. The traffic circle is where 16th Street NW, M Street NW, Massachusetts Avenue NW, and Rhode Island Avenue NW converge. The property is in Square 181 on Lot 141. Australia's embassy is often called the starting point of Embassy Row, a stretch of Massachusetts Avenue NW and nearby streets where the majority of the embassies and other diplomatic offices are located, often in palatial former residences. The end of Embassy Row is approximately at Observatory Circle, where the US vice president resides at Number One Observatory Circle. In addition to the embassy in Washington, D.C., there are Australian consulates in Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.
History
Early diplomatic relations
![Richard Gardiner Casey was the first Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the US.](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5e/Washington%2C_D.C._The_Australian_Legation._Minister_Casey_8d22912v.jpg/220px-Washington%2C_D.C._The_Australian_Legation._Minister_Casey_8d22912v.jpg)
Although Australia was still a crown colony of the United Kingdom in the late 19th century, there was already foreign representation to the United States. Although these were not official legations, they were referred to as legations in news reports in 1876 and 1890. From 1918 to 1930, after the Great Depression began, the Federation was represented to the US by trade ministers. Representation by trade ministers resumed in 1938 and continued until 1940.
On January 8, 1940, the Australian and American governments established official diplomatic relations. The United States is home to Australia's second-oldest overseas diplomatic mission. The first legation was temporarily located in a nine-room house at 1811 24th Street NW in Sheridan-Kalorama. By March of that year, the legation moved into White Oaks, a large house at 3120 Cleveland Avenue NW (also known as 3117 Woodland Drive NW) in Woodley Park that has served as the ambassadorial residence since that time. When the legation first opened, there were only five staff members. In March of that year, Richard Gardiner Casey was appointed the first Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the US. A few months later in July, Clarence E. Gauss was appointed the first Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Australia. In 1941, Prime Minister Robert Menzies became the first Australian prime minister to visit the new legation. His visit to Washington, D.C. was a time to speak with government officials, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, about World War II.
Embassy
1700 Massachusetts Avenue NW
On January 9, 1946, White House officials announced the upgrading of both legations to embassy status. Robert Butler served as the first American ambassador to Australia and Norman Makin served as the first Australian ambassador to the US. Beginning in 1947, the embassy operated out of the Wilkins House, which is currently the Embassy of Peru and was designed by Jules Henri de Sibour. In 1973 the building was sold to the Peruvian government. In 1951, the two countries joined New Zealand to form a security agreement called ANZUS, a treaty that is still in force between Australia and the US.