Australian Embassy

Zimbabwe

Address: 1 Green Close, Borrowdale, Harare - Telephone: +263 4 853 23 555 - Fax: +263 4 870 566

Welcome to The Australian Embassy

Welcome to the Australian Embassy in Harare. We hope you find this website useful and informative. We welcome Australians living in the area to contact the Embassy about our regular social events on zimbabwe.embassy@dfat.gov.au.

The Australian Embassy in Harare represents the people and Government of Australia in the countries of:

The Embassy provides a range of services to Australians living or visiting these countries.

Register

All Australians travelling overseas, whether for tourism or business or for short or long stays, are encouraged to register with Smart Traveller, with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

AusAID

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) Zimbabwe office is also located at the Embassy.

Vacancies

There is currently a vacancy in the Gardening Section. See Jobs at the Embassy for more details

There is currently a vacancy in the Consular Section at the Embassy. See Jobs at the Embassy for more details.
Please Note: This position has now been shortlisted and only successful candidates have been contacted.

There is currently an Admin vacancy in AusAID. See Jobs at the Embassy for more details. Please Note: This position has now been shortlisted and only successful candidates have been contacted.

Latest News

Message from the Australian Ambassador

I am delighted to be here in Zimbabwe as Australian Ambassador. For me, this is an especially exciting appointment because I grew up in Africa – in Tanzania – as the son of Australian missionary parents. I have previously served in Kenya and as High Commissioner to Nigeria and Ghana and have undertaken academic work on Zimbabwe.

Australia is a robust democracy and a society built by people from many nations and races. It is that democracy which is the foundation of our prosperity. We wish the same for Zimbabwe. Many thousands of Zimbabweans, black and white, now live in Australia and I constantly meet Australians working here for Zimbabwe's development.

Since the formation of the Inclusive Government under the Global Political Agreement, the Australian Government has provided close to $100 million in official development assistance to Zimbabwe. This assistance has focused on critical development issues such as food security and agriculture, water and sanitation, health, education and economic growth. Australia will continue to provide support to the people of Zimbabwe as the political and economic situation in this country stabilises.

As we look to the future together, we are committed to working with Zimbabwe, as we do with other African nations, for a peaceful and prosperous future. Essential to that future are regular democratic elections which reflect the will of the people; an open economy which welcomes investment and recognises that successful companies and economies in the modern world are global in their ownership and enterprise; and a just society based on the rule of law where all people are free to express their opinions without fear of harassment.

Matthew Neuhaus, Ambassador

News Feed

Courageous Zimbabwean politician wins 2012 Sydney Peace Prize

2 May 2012
Senator Mrs. Sekai Holland, Co Minister for Reconciliation Healing and Integration in the Cabinet of President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, was announced as the recipient of the 2012 Sydney Peace Prize, in a ceremony hosted by the Australian Embassy in Harare, Zimbabwe on April 30

The Sydney Peace Prize jury’s citation reads: ‘ Sekai Holland: for a lifetime of outstanding courage in campaigning for human rights and democracy, for challenging violence in all its forms and for giving such astute and brave leadership for the empowerment of women.’

The announcement of the choice of Sekai Holland was made by Dr Meredith Burgmann at a reception hosted by Australian Embassy in Harare on Monday 30 April. Professor Stuart Rees, Chair of the Sydney Peace Foundation said, ‘In addition to her work for the education of rural women and her founding of Australia’s anti Apartheid movement fifty years ago, Sekai Holland has been a significant leader of non violent, democracy campaigns, and is a key figure in her country’s national dialogue on how to heal the deep wounds of social conflict.’

In response Senator Holland commented, ‘This award comes as a wonderful surprise but one which is so encouraging. I accept on behalf of the brave women I have worked with for so many years and for my colleagues in our present Organ for National Healing Reconciliation and Integration. I also acknowledge the long term support and friendship which I have received from Australian Aboriginal campaigners for human rights and for peace with justice.’
Sekai Holland will travel to Australia in November to give the City of Sydney Peace Prize Lecture in the Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday November 7th and will receive the 2012 Peace Prize ($50,000 and a trophy crafted by the artist in glass Brian Hirst) in a gala ceremony on November 8th.

For more information about the Sydney Peace Foundation, and the full press release visit the Sydney Peace Foundation website.

Strength, Purpose and Empowerment

The Art Exhibition Message Stick, Indigenous Identity in Urban Australia, was officially opened on Thursday 19 April in the Courtauld Gallery of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. The Exhibition will run until 6 May and will be shown as part of the Harare International Festival of Arts during the last week.

Drawn from the active urban art scene in Australia, the exhibition features a selection of significant works by indigenous Australia artists at the forefront of contemporary arts in Australia and there is a deep sense of grieving, dislocation and loss yet also offering humour, energy, optimism and most importantly, a moving political and social perspective of Australian history.

In his opening speech, Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, HE Mr Matthew Neuhaus touched on the suffering and marginalization of the Australian Aboriginal communities and drew attention to the subsequent achievement of their rights in recent decades. He quoted from the Apology made by Prime Minister Rudd in 2008 the following words which he felt could resonate in Zimbabwe:

“There comes a time in the history of nations when their peoples must become fully reconciled to their past if they are to go forward with confidence to embrace their future”.

“It is time to say sorry. It is time to move forward together”

“We apologise for the hurt, the pain and the suffering that we have caused by past laws … we apologise for the indignity, the degradation and the humiliation these laws embodied.”

The exhibition features second generation indigenous art created by the urbanised, younger people, bringing together traditional and international influences. A sense of strength, purpose and empowerment is predominant as indigenous culture has become mainstreamed, and all Australians now take pride in the country's indigenous culture.

Last but not least, Ambassador Neuhaus stressed the importance of the Harare International Festival of Arts for Zimbabwe as artistic expression illustrates the strength of the human spirit. The exhibition is Australia’s contribution, showing indigenisation and empowerment at its best, to HIFA this year. It's theme "Show of Spirit is directly relevant to the exhibition.

The exhibition is showing at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe and is open to the public until May 6th from Mon. to Fri. 8.00-16.30. During HIFA the Gallery will be open to the public daily from 08.00-16.30. Please follow the link to download the Message Stick brochure.

Australia and the United Kingdom provide over US$25 million to improve infrastructure in Zimbabwe

23 March 2012
United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID) and the Australian Government today announced that Britain and Australia will provide more than $25 million to support the second phase Zim-Fund infrastructure rehabilitation programme.

Australia has committed over US$10 million, making Australia one of the top donors to the ZimFund. This follows US$10 million provided by Australia to the ZimFund in 2010.

The programme, managed by the African Development Bank (AfDB), will enhance access to affordable and reliable electricity and clean water, particularly in a number of urban areas such as Harare, Chitungwiza, Ruwa, and Redcliff.

Tendai Biti MP, Minister of Finance, said: “This generous contribution from the UK and Australia will ensure millions more Zimbabweans have access to an improved water source, reliable sanitation and reliable electricity which in turn will promote economic growth and poverty reduction”.

The Australian Ambassador, Mr Matthew Neuhaus said: “Australia’s further support to the Zim Fund is a clear demonstration of our commitment to help improve the lives of Zimbabweans through better access to clean water and more reliable power supply for the delivery of basic services”.

Click here for the complete press release.

Archived News Stories

The Australian Embassy presents the travelling art exhibition:

MESSAGE STICK - Indigenous Identity in Urban Australia

3 April 2012
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs in conjunction with Artbank, the Australian Government’s contemporary art rental and initiative board present Message Stick: Indigenous Identity in Urban Australia.

A selection of works by 11 indigenous artists living in urban areas through out Australia, Message Stick will be exhibited in the National Gallery of Zimbabwe’s Courtauld Gallery from April 12 to May 6, 2012. The last week the exhibition will be part of the Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA).

Drawn from the active urban art scene in Australia, the exhibition features a selection of significant works by artists at the forefront of contemporary arts in Australia and there is a deep sense of grieving, dislocation and loss yet also offering humor, energy, optimism and most importantly, a moving political and social perspective of Australian history by indigenous artists.

These works make one think differently about what it means to be indigenous in Australia today. They are dynamic and adaptable, presenting a fresh view of contemporary indigenous identity, reflecting the enormous contributions of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Communities to modern Australian society.

The works which are in most cases personal and provocative, have been produced during the last 25 years with striking images that have at their core, the stories of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people and cultures.
Click here for the complete press release.

International Women's Day: Australia supports global efforts to promote gender equality

7 March 2012
Australia recently appointed a designated Ambassador to advocate on the behalf of women and girls. Career diplomat Penny Williams has been appointed as Australia's first Global Ambassador for Women and Girls. The theme for International Women’s Day this year is 'Supporting Economic Empowerment for Women. For more information, please click here.

Australia will remove 82 individuals from the autonomous financial and travel sanctions list for Zimbabwe. Prime Minister’s Special Envoy visits the Democratic Republic of the Congo

5 March 2012
Acting Foreign Minister Craig Emerson said the 82 people to be removed from the list no longer posed a threat to the restoration of democracy, the rule of law, or progress under the Zimbabwean Government’s power sharing deal. For more information, please click here.