The Rt Hon Alexander Downer has been Australia's Minister for Foreign Affairs since the election of the Howard Government in March 1996, and has held the seat of Mayo for the Liberal Party continuously since 1984.
Born in 1951, Mr Downer was educated at Geelong Grammar School, Victoria; Radley College, Oxford, United Kingdom; and the University of Newcastle on Tyne, United Kingdom. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Politics and Economics and is a Doctor of Civil Laws (honoris causa).
Prior to entering Parliament, Mr Downer held a number of senior positions in government and the private sector:
- Economist, Bank of New South Wales (Westpac) from 1975-1976
- Diplomat, Department of Foreign Affairs from 1976-1982, serving at the Australian Mission to the EEC; Australian
- Representation to NATO; Australian Embassy, Belgium & Luxembourg; and Senior Foreign Affairs Representative in South Australia
- Political Adviser to the former Prime Minister, the Hon. Malcolm Fraser and Political Adviser to the Federal Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. Andrew Peacock from 1982 to 1983
- Executive Director of the Australian Chamber of Commerce from 1982-1984
Mr Downer has held a number of other senior Parliamentary positions. He stepped down as Opposition Leader in January 1995 and became Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs. Mr Downer served in this capacity until the election of the Howard Government.
Through his mother and father moving to Mount Crawford in the 1970's, Mr Downer has had a long association with the Barossa. This has continued through the family involvement in the Barossa Music Festival and vineyard holdings at Mt Crawford. Mr Downer has long enjoyed the wines of the Barossa and has continued to promote them overseas in his role as Foreign Affairs Minister.
Mr Downer is married to Nicky. They have three daughters, Georgina, Olivia and Henrietta and one son, Edward.
