Richard Smith (diplomat)

For other people of the same name, see Richard Smith.

Richard Smith AM
Born	Richard John Smith (1934-12-14)14 December 1934 Tamworth, New South Wales
Died
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Occupation	Public servant, diplomat

Richard John Smith AM (14 December 1934 – 26 July 2015) was an Australian diplomat.

Smith was born in Tamworth, New South Wales and educated at Sydney High School and the University of Sydney. He worked as a teacher in London in the late 1950s, then as a solicitor in New South Wales, before joining the Australian Department of External Affairs in 1961. He had several postings in the United States, with the United Nations, and in Switzerland.

Smith's first ambassadorial posting was as Ambassador to Israel from 1975 to 1977. He was Ambassador to Thailand from 1985 to 1988, and Ambassador to the Philippines from 1994 to 1996. After serving as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Canberra, he was appointed as Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 1991 to 1994.

From 1996 to 1998, he was the Director-General of the Office of National Assessments, an Australian intelligence agency reporting to the Prime Minister. As head of ONA, he was responsible for advising the Prime Minister and the Government on political, strategic and economic developments affecting Australia's national interests.

He died on 26 July 2015.

References

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Rawdon Dalrymple	Australian Ambassador to Israel 1975–1977	Succeeded by Walter Handmer
Preceded by Gordon Jockel	Australian Ambassador to Thailand 1985–1988	Succeeded by Richard Butler
Preceded by Doug McClelland	Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 1991–1994	Succeeded by Neal Blewett
Preceded by Mack Williams	Australian Ambassador to the Philippines 1994–1996	Succeeded by Miles Kupa
Government offices
Preceded by Philip Flood	Director-General of the Office of National Assessments 1996–1998	Succeeded by Kim Jones