Ric Smith

Ric Smith is the former Australian Ambassador to Indonesia.

"Mr Smith is a senior career officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Born in Perth (1944) and educated at the University of Western Australia, he taught in Western Australian High Schools before joining the then Department of External Affairs in 1969. Between then and 1989, he served in Australian posts in New Delhi, Tel Aviv, Manila and Honolulu.

"From 1989 to 1992, Mr Smith was Head of the Pacific, Africa and Middle East Division, and in 1992 was appointed a Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. In this capacity he oversighted the then Asia Division and was the Senior Official for Australia at successive ASEAN Regional Forum meetings. From March 1994 to the end of 1995 he served on secondment to the Department of Defence as Deputy Secretary.

"Mr Smith was named as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in the 1998 Australia Day Honours List. He is married, and he and his wife Janet have two adult sons."


 * Governing Board, John Fawcett Foundation
 * Governing Council, Australian Strategic Policy Institute