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Paul Madden

British Ambassador to Japan

Part of UK in Australia

11th November 2014

Bright sunshine for Remembrance Day at the Australian War Memorial

The sun shone brightly on Canberra’s national war memorial on Remembrance Day, which Australia celebrates actually on 11 November, rather than on the nearest Sunday as in the UK.

Wreaths were laid by the Governor General; Senator Ronaldson (for the Prime Minister who is overseas) and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and senior parliamentary, military and veteran representatives. Former Prime Minister John Howard paid a dignified tribute to past sacrifice, with the authority of one who has known the burden of sending troops into war. He said: “From a population of under five million, 417,000 enlisted, 332,000 served overseas, 152,000 were wounded and 61,000 never came home.”

HE Paul Madden laid a wreath at yesterday's Remembrance Day ceremony at the Australian War Memorial. Pic credit: Jay Cronan/The Canberra Times
HE Paul Madden laid a wreath at yesterday’s Remembrance Day ceremony at the Australian War Memorial. Pic credit: Jay Cronan/The Canberra Times

Then it was the turn of Canberra’s large diplomatic corps to file up and lay wreaths on behalf of our countries. You do it in protocol order, which follows the date you presented your credentials on arriving in country. After nearly four years here, I was in the first batch this year. Soon the memorial was festooned in floral tributes. The UK wreath comprised the familiar poppies.

This is an important annual event when a nation pays tribute to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defence of their country and its values in many conflicts over the years. You always feel privileged to have taken part.

About Paul Madden

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017. He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia…

Paul Madden has been the British Ambassador to Japan from January 2017.

He was Additional Director for Asia Pacific at the FCO in 2015.He was British High Commissioner to Australia until February 2015. Prior to this he was British High Commissioner in Singapore from 2007-2011.

A career diplomat, he was previously Managing Director at UK Trade and Investment (2004-2006), responsible for co-ordinating and
implementing international trade development strategies to support
companies across a wide range of business sectors.

As Assistant Director of Information at the Foreign and Commonwealth
Office (2003-2004) he was responsible for public diplomacy policy,
including managing the FCO funding of the BBC World Service, the British
Council and the Chevening Scholarships programme. He led the team
responsible for the award-winning UK pavilion at the Aichi Expo in Japan
2005.

He was Deputy High Commissioner in Singapore from 2000-2003 and has
also served in Washington (1996-2000) and Tokyo (1988-92). Between
1992-96 he worked on EU enlargement and Environmental issues at the FCO
in London.

Before joining FCO he worked at the Department of Trade and Industry
(1980-87) on a range of industrial sectors and trade policy, including
two years as a minister’s Private Secretary.

He has an MA in Economic Geography from Cambridge University, an MBA
from Durham University, studied Japanese at London University’s School
of Oriental and African Studies, and is a Fellow of the Royal
Geographical Society. His first book, Raffles: Lessons in Business
Leadership, was published in 2003.

Married to Sarah, with three children, he was born in 1959, in Devon.

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