Consul-General in Honolulu

Today I announce the appointment of Ms Jane Hardy as Australia's next Consul-General in Honolulu.

Australia's Consulate-General in Honolulu maintains close liaison with US Pacific Command (PACOM), headquartered in Honolulu. PACOM commands US military forces in an area stretching from the west coast of the United States to the western border of India, and from Antarctica to the North Pole.

Australia cooperates closely with PACOM, which works on a wide range of foreign policy, strategic and defence issues. The Australian Defence Force trains regularly with PACOM forces, and the Commander of PACOM typically participates in the annual Australia – US Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN), led by Australian Foreign and Defence Ministers and US Secretaries of State and Defence.

With over 250,000 Australians visiting Hawaii in 2016, Australia's Consulate-General in Honolulu also provides consular services to Australians visiting and living in Hawaii, as well as to Canadian nationals. The Consulate-General is one of seven Australian missions across the United States advancing our broad and deep bilateral agenda.

Ms Hardy is a senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Assistant Secretary, Arms Control and Counter-Proliferation Branch. She has held a range of positions including Assistant Secretary United States Branch, Assistant Secretary Strategic and Intelligence Liaison Branch and Director of the Nuclear Policy and Koreas sections. She has previously served as Australia's Ambassador to Spain, Andorra and Equatorial Guinea, and Counsellor in Australia's embassies in Washington and Seoul.

Prior to Australian Government service, Ms Hardy worked in the overseas aid NGO sector, and lectured in fine arts. She is a published author on Australian indigenous art and aid programs. Ms Hardy holds a Masters of Arts degree from Monash University; a Graduate Diploma (Foreign Affairs and Trade) from the Australian National University; a Bachelor of Arts from Flinders University; and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of South Australia.

I thank outgoing Consul-General Jeff Robinson for his contributions to advancing Australia's interests in Honolulu since 2015.