In Fiji—At Last!
pp. 41-42 · Read in the full issue
Australia To Put Permanent Post In Fiji—At Last!
Negotiations which had been continuing for some months came to fruition in late November when Australia announced that an Aus tralian Commission will be estab lished in Suva early in 1964.
THE first Australian Commissioner will be Mr. R. N. Hamilton, at present councillor in the office of the Senior External Affairs Repre sentative in London.
Sir Garfield Barwick, Australian Minister for External Affairs, said it was important for the Australian Government to have direct contact with the Government and people “of this important Pacific Territory, where there are many Australian private interests and citizens”.
Top officers in the Australian External Affairs Department have been pressing for such a posting for some time. In the last year or two the Australian Consul in Noumea has been given the additional task of keeping a general eye on develop ments in the New Hebrides and in Fiji, and has done the job as well as can be expected considering the difficulties of movement from Noumea.
But it has been obvious to some Australians that closer attention was required in Fiji affairs. The political pressures in Fiji are growing and Australia has not always created the
kind of public image in the colony that Australian diplomats would like.
Fiji, although so closely linked with Britain through the Deed of Cession, certainly has very strong ties with Australia. Apart from a big Australian population in the Colony, most of the big corporations are Australian-owned.
Australia has a tremendous trade with Fiji and has displaced Britain as the biggest exporter to Fiji, although Britain still buys more from the Colony.
In the last few years the Qantas sales representative in Suva has had
the title of “Trade Correspondent”, but the title is no more than the name implies. He passes on to the Australian Trade Department trade inquiries he may receive, and vice versa.
From time to time there is criticism that Australia should do more to adjust the unfavourable trade balance, In a statement in December the Fiji Government welcomed the decision, saying it would mean even closer links commercially, culturally and socially between the peoples of the two countries.
The Fiji Times in an editoriat commented; “The establishment of an Ausc tralian Commission is probably pan of a perfectly legitimate Australiai push into the Pacific. It might perhaps be said that the Australiai flag is following trade, rather thai the other way round.
“Meanwhile, it may be recalle* that at the time of the Suva tradJ fair, authoritative Australian state ments were made to the effect tha; it was realised that Fiji-Australiai trade must be a sound two-wa; business, but, as far as can b« discerned, nothing has been done t» put the precept into practice.
“Nobody has yet explained wlr Fiji should buy more and more frorr Australia, mainly at the expense ot Britain, the country which does more for Fiji than the rest of the work put together.”
The Australian Commissione; should have as much work to do ii explaining Australia’s policies to Fiji as in explaining Fiji’s problems to Australia.
Mr. Hamilton, 40, joined tin External Affairs Department in 194" and served as Third Secretary a* Australia’s Embassy at Bangkok from 1950 to 1952. In 1953 he was j member of an Australian mission to the United Nations.
He saw active service with tin AIF in World War 11. Mr. Hamiltoi is married, and has two sons and two daughters.