PM Transcripts

N EWS RLEAS
N9 DATE
M/ 34 4 March 1974
FOREIGN AFFAIRS APPOINTMIENTS
The Prime Minister and Acting Minister for Foreign
Affairs, Mr Whitlam, announced today two senior diplomatic
appointments. Mr M. R. Booker, currently Ambassador to Italy, has been
appointed Australian Ambassador to Yugoslavia. He has also been
concurrently appointed as non-resident Ambassador to Romania
and Bulgaria. Mr J. E. Ryan, at present First Assistant
Succeedry M naBookae srD usvriaeia nAbssori toe Detay enil
secetary Manageentkervtaies Divisori the Deartenyil
Mr'Booker was born in 1915. He attended the University
of Sydney where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree. He joined
the A ustralian Public Service in 1940 and the Department of
Foreign Affairs in 1942. Mr Booker's overseas postings have
included Chungking 1943-44, The Hague 1945-46, Berlin 1946-47,
Manila 1950-52, Rangoon 1952-53, and Washington 1956-60, where
he was Consellor and later Minister. From 1960 to 1963 1Mr Book.-er
was Australian Ambassador to Thailand. In 1963 he transferred to
the Department of External Territories as Deputy Secretary and
returned to the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1964 as
First Assistant Secretary in charge of European and Middle East
Af fairs and Economic Relations and Information activities. He
has been Ambassador to Italy since 1970. Mr Booker is married
with four children.
Mr Ryan was born in 1923 and was educated at St Patrick's
College, Goulburn and the University of Sydney. He joined the
Department of Foreign Affairs in 1946. Mr Ryan was Australian 1iligh
Commissioner to Ghana in 1965/ 67 and Ambassador to Laos in 196S/' 69.
He was Minister at the Australian Embassy, Washington from 1969 to
1971 during which time he acted as Charge d'Affaires on several
occasions. He has been First Assistant Secretary, Management
Services Division since 1971. Mr Ryan is married with three