Richard Woolcott

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Richard Woolcott

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AC}}

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| office1 = Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs

| term_start1 = 1988

| term_end1 = 1992

| birth_name = Richard Arthur Woolcott

| birth_date = {{birth date|1927|06|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Sydney, Australia

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|02|02|1927|06|11|df=y}}

| death_place = Canberra, Australia

| occupation = {{hlist|Public servant|diplomat|author}}

| years_active =

| website =

| parents =

| siblings =

| spouse = {{marriage|Birgit Christensen|July 1952|2008|end=d}}

| alma_mater = University of Melbourne

| children = 3, including Peter

}}

Richard Arthur Woolcott {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|AC}} (11 June 1927 – 2 February 2023) was an Australian public servant, diplomat, author, and commentator.

Early years

Woolcott was educated at Geelong Grammar School and the University of Melbourne, before becoming a member of the Australian Diplomatic Service.{{cite web |title=Richard Woolcott was a diplomatic giant |newspaper=Australian Financial Review |first=Andrew |last=Clark|date=2 February 2023 |url=https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/richard-woolcott-was-a-diplomatic-giant-20230202-p5chi5 |access-date=2 February 2023}} Woolcott's first posting in the diplomatic service was as third secretary at the Australian Embassy in Moscow.{{citation|url=http://russia.embassy.gov.au/mscw/interview_RW_eng.html|title=Interview: Richard Woolcott AC Third Secretary,1952–54; Second, then First Secretary 1959–61; Australian Embassy Moscow|publisher=Australian Government|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140211194052/http://www.russia.embassy.gov.au/mscw/interview_RW_eng.html|archivedate=11 February 2014}}

Later career

In 1967, Woolcott drafted a speech for Prime Minister Harold Holt that said Australia was geographically part of Asia and that it was "a basic tenet of our national policy to live in friendship and understanding with our Asian neighbours".{{cite news|url=http://www.afr.com/brand/boss/true-leaders-2015-dick-woolcott-has-been-preaching-for-australia-to-engage-with-asia-since-60s-20150729-gin5jy|title=True Leaders 2015: Dick Woolcott has been preaching for Australia to engage with Asia since '60s|first=Joanne|last=Gray|publisher=Fairfax Media|date=14 August 2015|newspaper=Australian Financial Review}} Between 1967 and 1970, Woolcott was the Australian high commissioner to Ghana. In the role, he regularly visited several capitals and cities throughout West Africa.{{cite news|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/136948220|title=Back from Ouagadougou|page=3|newspaper=The Canberra Times|date=7 August 1969}} From 1975 to 1978 he was Australia's ambassador to Indonesia, at the time of the Indonesian invasion of East Timor.{{cite news|url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/110842794|title=Ambassador criticised|date=24 February 1977|page=30|newspaper=The Canberra Times|first=Bruce|last=Juddery|author-link=Bruce Juddery}} In a series of oft-cited and highly-influential cables throughout his ambassadorship, he urged his country to take a 'pragmatic' or 'Kissingerian' approach to the Indonesian incorporation of East Timor, largely due to the importance of the Suharto regime to Australia's strategic and foreign policy goals and its relations with ASEAN and the region, although also informed by the under-sea oil resources that Australia was claiming close to Timor. Subsequently, Woolcott was appointed Australia's ambassador to the Philippines between 1978 and 1982.{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/07/1046826531514.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130412004328/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/07/1046826531514.html|archivedate=12 April 2013|date=8 March 2003|title=What Australia lost in Timor|first=Richard|last=Woolcott}}

American cables leaked by Wikileaks reveal that Woolcott had been an informant to the US, providing consular officials with information of internal government processes during 1974.Embassy of the United States in Canberra, 14 January 1974, Wikileaks.

Woolcott was the Australian ambassador to the United Nations from 1982 to 1988, and served as the president of the United Nations Security Council for Australia's term in November 1985. Woolcott also served as secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the most senior diplomatic position in Australia, from 1988 to 1992.{{cite news|title=Richard Woolcott and Mandyam Srinivasan|url=http://www.abc.net.au/queensland/conversations/stories/s2018564.htm|work=The Backyard|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|date=29 August 2007|accessdate=17 December 2007}} As DFAT Secretary, he was involved in the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum.{{cite news | last=Maley | first=Paul | title=Old warhorse Richard Woolcott back in harness to smooth regional ties | date=5 June 2008 | publisher=News Corp|newspaper=The Australian | url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23812645-5013871,00.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607031135/http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23812645-5013871,00.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=7 June 2008}}{{cite news|url=http://asiasociety.org/australia/tribute-richard-woolcott|title=A Tribute to Richard Woolcott|date=20 July 2010|publisher=Asia Society|first=Robert|last=Zoellick|access-date=28 December 2016}} On 4 June 2008, Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that Woolcott had been appointed an envoy to conduct discussions to form a new Asian regional forum.

From 1997, Woolcott was the founding director of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre.{{cite web |title=A Tribute to Richard Woolcott |publisher= Asia Society |url=https://asiasociety.org/australia/tribute-richard-woolcott |access-date=2 February 2023}}{{cite web |title=Indonesia and Australia in the Asian Century |date=16 May 2018 |publisher=University of Melbourne|url=https://law.unimelb.edu.au/centres/cilis/research/publications/cilis-policy-papers/indonesia-and-australia-in-the-asian-century |access-date=2 February 2023}}

In 2003, Woolcott wrote a personal memoir entitled The Hot Seat: Reflections on Diplomacy from Stalin's Death to the Bali Bombings,{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/07/1046826531514.html|title=What Australia lost in Timor|first=Richard|last=Woolcott|date=8 March 2008|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|publisher=Fairfax Media|archivedate=15 March 2003|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20030315192059/http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/03/07/1046826531514.html}}HarperCollins (2008). [http://www.harpercollins.com.au/books/9780732271251/The_Hot_Seat/index.aspx The Hot Seat: Reflections on Diplomacy from Stalin's Death to the Bali Bombings]. Retrieved 5 June 2008. and he also wrote a book called Undiplomatic Activities in 2007.Scribe Publications (2008). [http://www.scribepublications.com.au/book/undiplomaticactivities Undiplomatic Activities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080722070709/http://www.scribepublications.com.au/book/undiplomaticactivities |date=22 July 2008 }}. Retrieved 5 June 2008.

Personal life and death

Woolcott was a supporter of the Australian Republican Movement, and gave the Inaugural National Republican Lecture in 2003.{{cite web |url=http://act.republic.org.au/woolcott%20transcript.htm |title=Away with the Anachronism: A Republic will serve Australia's Domestic and International Interests |accessdate=3 June 2015 |url-status=bot: unknown |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040815041430/http://act.republic.org.au/woolcott%20transcript.htm |archivedate=15 August 2004}}

Woolcott married Danish-born Birgit Christensen in London in July 1952 and the couple moved to Moscow shortly after the wedding.{{cite news |date=20 July 1952 |title=Her Home's in Moscow Next Month |page=24 |newspaper=The Sunday Herald |url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/18518824}} Birgit died from lung cancer in 2008.{{cite news|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/12/29/richard-woolcott-an-exemplary-envoy.html|newspaper=The Jakarta Post|first=Warief Djajanto|last=Basorie|date=29 December 2010|title=Richard Woolcott: An exemplary envoy}} The couple's son, Peter, is also a diplomat and has served as the Australian ambassador to Italy and chief of staff to Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. Woolcott died in Canberra on 2 February 2023, at age 95.{{Cite news |newspaper=The Australian |last=Packham |first=Ben |date=2 February 2023 |title='Giant of diplomacy': Richard Woolcott dies, aged 95 |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/giant-of-diplomacy-richard-woolcott-dies-aged-95/news-story/179d2f3708d2a2b93655399ce48f7d63 |url-access=subscription |access-date=2 February 2023 }}

Awards and honours

For his services to diplomacy and international relations, he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1985,It's An Honour (2008). [https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/885198 WOOLCOTT AO, Richard Arthur]. Retrieved 5 June 2008. and advanced to a Companion of the Order in 1993.It's An Honour (2008). [https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/885279 WOOLCOTT AC, Richard Arthur]. Retrieved 5 June 2008.

In July 2008, Woolcott was selected as one of the inaugural fellows of the Australian Institute of International Affairs to highlight his distinction in and contribution to Australia's international affairs. Also that year, Woolcott was awarded the Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop Asia Medal, in recognition of his contribution to Australia's relationships with Asia.{{citation|url=http://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1987197/Citation-for-Richard-A-Woolcott-AC-Dick-Woolott-AC.pdf|archivedate=7 October 2016|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007011839/http://asialink.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/1987197/Citation-for-Richard-A-Woolcott-AC-Dick-Woolott-AC.pdf|title=Citation: Richard Woolcott AC|publisher=University of Melbourne|work=Sir Edward 'Weary' Dunlop Asialink Medal|date=2008}}