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Clarence Gauss -

The first ever American ambassador to Australia was Clarence Gauss, serving from 1940 to 1941 before becoming ambassador to China. 

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Nelson T. Johnson -

For the remaining duration of WWII, Nelson T. Johnson served as ambassador from 1941 to 1945 after being ambassador to China. 

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Robert Butler -

Robert Butler served simultaneously as ambassador to Cuba as well as ambassador to Australia from 1946 to 1948 and was subject to an assassination threat.  

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Myron M. Cowen -

Myron M. Cowen served as ambassador to Australia from 1948 to 1949 before being moved to ambassador to Philippines.   

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Pete Jarman -

Pete Jarman was ambassador from 1949 to 1953 after serving in WWI as well as Alabama's Secretary of State. 

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Amos J. Peaslee -

The role of ambassador to Australia is a highly sought after job usually reserved for business associates of the president. Not much is known about Amos J. Peaslee who served from 1953 to 1956, but his diplomatic passport went up for auction on April 26, 2018. 

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William J. Sebald -

William J. Sebald was a lawyer with American naval intelligence during WWII, ambassador to Burma and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affair before serving as Aussie ambassador from 1957 to 1961.

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William C. Battle -

William C. Battle worked on the campaign trail for John F. Kennedy before serving as ambassador from 1962 to 1964.

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Ed Clark -

Ed Clark is most famous for being accused of aiding in the assassination of John F. Kennedy in the book 'Blood, Money & Power: How LBJ Killed JFK' and served as Aussie ambassador from 1965 to 1967.

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William H. Crook -

William H. Crook, appointed as ambassador by Lindon B. Johnson, and served as ambassador from 1968 to 1969

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Walter L. Rice -

Walter L. Rice served as ambassador from 1969 to 1973, though not much information on him is publicly available. 

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Marshall Green - Marshall Green was a career diplomat who served as ambassador to Indonesia, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and as ambassador to Australia from 1973 to 1975, after being nominated by Richard Nixon.

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James W. Hargrove -

James W. Hargrove was appointed by Gerald Ford and served as Aussie ambassador from 1976 to 1977.

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Philip H. Alston -

Philip H. Alston was a naval officer and confidant of Jimmy Carter who appointed him as Aussie and Nauru ambassador, serving from 1977 to 1981. 

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Robert D. Nesen -

Robert D. Nesen served as Assistant Secretary to the U.S. Navy and worked with Ronald Reagan since his time as Governor of California before being appointed Aussie ambassador in 1981 to 1985. 

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Bill Lane -

Bill Lane founded a publishing business and served as mayor of a small town before becoming ambassador to Japan. Later, he was appointed by Reagan as ambassador to Australia from 1985 to 1989. 

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Mel Sembler -

Mel Sembler founded a controversial drug therapy company and a shopping centre before being named Australian ambassador from 1989 to 1993. He later served as Italian ambassador. 

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Edward J. Perkins -

Edward J. Perkins is a career diplomat who served as the American ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, the UN, and then finally Australia from 1993 to 1996. 

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Genta H. Holmes -

Genta H. Holmes appointed by George H.W. Bush, served as Aussie ambassador from 1997 to 2000, after serving as ambassador to Namibia.  

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Edward Gnehm -

Edward Gnehm was ambassador to Kuwait during the Gulf War before becoming Aussie ambassador in 2000, only serving one year in the role. 

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Tom Schieffer -

Tom Schieffer is a former business partner of George W. Bush and served as Aussie ambassador before being appointed by Bush to Aussie ambassador, serving from 2001 to 2005. He later became ambassador to Japan. 

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Robert McCallum Jr. -

Robert McCallum Jr. was the Associate and Deputy Attorney General of the U.S. before being appointed ambassador to Australia, where he'd never been before, serving from 2006 to 2009.

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Jeff Bleich -

Jeff Bleich is a long time friend of Barrack Obama and served from 2009 to 2013 as Australian ambassador. 

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John Berry -

John Berry is the former president of the Australian American Association, and worked in the U.S.'s Department of the Interior before serving as ambassador to Australia from 2013 to 2016. 

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Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr. -

There hasn't been an American ambassador to Australia since John Berry resigned in 2016. However, Donald Trump recently announced the nomination of Arthur B. Culvahouse Jr., who helped vet Sarah Palin and Mike Pence. 

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