Australia has appointed former New South Wales premier Barry O’Farrell as the next High Commissioner to India, one of Canberra’s closest and most significant partners in the Indo-Pacific. Barry O’Farrell, 60, will succeed Harinder Sidhu who has been in the office since 2016.
“Barry O’Farrell is Australia’s next High Commissioner to the Republic of India — one of our closest and most significant partners in the Indo-Pacific. Thanks to outgoing HC Harinder Sidhu,” Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne tweeted on February 18.
Barry Robert O’Farrell AO was the 43rd Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Western Sydney from 2011 to 2014. He was the Leader of the New South Wales Liberal Party from 2007 to 2014, and was a Member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1995 to 2015, representing Northcott until 1999 and representing Ku-ring-gai on the Upper North Shore of Sydney from 1999 to 2015. At the time of his high-profile appointment, he was the president and independent board chair of Diabetes Australia, chair of the Wests Tigers Rugby League Football Club and CEO of Racing Australia Ltd.
Australia India Business Council (AIBC) has congratulated The Hon Barry O’Farrell AO on his appointment as the incoming High Commissioner to the Republic of India. “We look forward to working closely with him as we have with the outgoing High Commissioner of Australia to the Republic of India HE Harinder Sidhu,” Mr Jim Varghese AM, National Chair, AIBC, said in a statement.