H.E. Mr Matthew Neuhaus was appointed as Australian Ambassador to the Netherlands on 8 August and presented his credentials to H.M. King Willem-Alexander on 29 August 2018.
Mr Neuhaus headed the Middle East and Africa Division in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) from May 2017. He was Assistant Secretary, Africa Branch from July 2015 to April 2017. Prior to this, he was the Australian Ambassador to Zimbabwe from January 2011 to March 2015 (accredited also to DRC, Malawi and Zambia).
He has served in several senior positions in the DFAT in Canberra, including as Head of the Pacific Engagement Taskforce and Head of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Policy Task Force in 2010.
Mr Neuhaus was Director of the Political Affairs Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat in London 2002-2008.
His previous postings with DFAT include Kenya (1983-1985), Papua New Guinea (1988- 1989), New York (1991-94) and Australian High Commissioner to Nigeria – accredited also to Ghana, Sierra Leone, Senegal and The Gambia (1997-2000). He was seconded to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet (Senior Adviser, International) from 2001-2002.
Mr Neuhaus has a B.A. (Hons) LLB from the University of Sydney and a Master of Philosophy (International Relations) from the University of Cambridge. He also attended the Harvard University Kennedy School Leaders in Development Program in June 2006, and was a Visiting Fellow at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law at Cambridge University in 2015.
