Phoebe Smith will be Australia’s next High Commissioner to the Cook Islands.

Australia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong announced the appointment yesterday.

Ms Smith is a career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was most recently Assistant Director, Indo-Pacific Strategy and Regional Maritime Branch. 

She has previously served in Hong Kong. 

Wong thanked previous High Commissioner Christopher Watkins and Chargé d'Affaires Ruth Baird for their contributions to advancing Australia’s interests in the Cook Islands since March 2020 and August 2022. 

Cook Islands News requested more details about the appointment, but Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and was unable to supply them before the newspaper went to print.