Dr Helena Studdert appointed as the Consul-General in Bali

Dr Helena Studdert has been appointed as Australia's next Consul-General in Bali, Indonesia.

Studdert will replace outgoing Consul-General Majell Hind who has serviced since 2014. She will take up her appointment in January 2016. Studdert, a Graduate Diploma in Foreign Affairs and Trade from Monash University, got her BA Hons and PHD (History) from UNSW.

The announcement comes from Foreign Minister Julie Bishop who believes the consulate-general has an important role in strengthening business, develoment, education and cultural connections, in Bali and Western Nusa Tenggara.

Australia shares an important bilateral relation with Indonesia. Bishop earlier announced hosting the third Australia-Indonesia Foreign and Defence Ministers 2+2 Dialogue in Sydney on Monday, Dec. 21.

Bishop said she was looking forward to welcoming and the Minister for Defence, General (retired) Ryamizard Ryacudu, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ibu Retno Marsudi, for discussions regarding strengthening the bilateral relationship between Indonesia and Australia.

Nearly a million Australian travel to Bali every year. According to Bishop, Australia has a “highly productive and diverse partnership with Indonesia that straddles business, politics, defence, security, culture and education.”

“The Government is committed to deepening our engagement with Indonesia, including fostering the important people-to-people links that keep our countries deeply engaged and build trust and mutual understanding,” Bishop said in a media release.

The consulate-general, Australia’s third busiest post in providing consular service, is expected to deliver high quality consular and passports assistance to Australian travellers and residents.

Studdert, a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was most recently seconded as International Adviser to the Australian-Civil Military Centre. She has also served overseas as Counsellor at the Australian High Commission in Wellington (2003-2005).and Ambassador to Serbia (2010-2013).

In Canberra, Studdert served as Director, Ministerial and Executive Liaison Section (2000-2003); Director APEC Task Force (2005-2008) and Director, Consular Information Section (2008-2010).

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