London, 2 October 1970
Confidential
Mr Tickell told me yesterday that both the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and he were surprised that neither before the Chancellor’s visit to Australia and New Zealand nor after his return had anyone from the Australian High Commission shown any signs of life or of interest in the visit. In particular it seems strange that Sir Alexander Downer had not yet called on the Chancellor.
2. Mr Tickell wondered whether there was any significance in all this. I told him that I did not think so as from my two years in the department I had come across no instances where the Australian High Commissioner had played any part in conducting relations with HMG. I had originally thought that as he was previously a politician, he only wished to deal with Ministers but experience had shown that his contact with British Ministers, at least on the official level, were either minimal or such a nature as not to come to the notice of the department. I added that our contacts with the senior External Affairs officer, Mr Pritchett, and his side of the house were close and continuous. I also said that Mr Hewitt, Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Department, had been looking at the effectiveness of the High Commission when he was here.
3. Mr Tickell suggested that at some suitable opportunity, at a desk level, we might delicately enquire if Sir Alexander Downer were proposing to pay a call on the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. I agreed that we should do this and perhaps the department could keep an eye open for a suitable opportunity. It should not be done over the telephone or by itself. It should just work into the conversation about a number of other things naturally.
[UKNA: FCO 30/804]