Agent-General

An Agent-General was the representative in the United Kingdom of the government of a British colony in Jamaica, Nigeria, Canada, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand and subsequently, of a Nigerian Region, Canadian Province or an Australian State in the United Kingdom. Nigeria, Australia and Canada's federal governments were represented by High Commissions.

Starting in 1886 Canadian provinces and the federal government also appointed agents general to Paris. The first, Hector Fabre, was dispatched by the province of Quebec but was asked by the federal government to represent all of Canada. He and his successor, Philippe Roy, continued to represent both Quebec City and Ottawa in France until 1912 when the federal government asked Roy to resign his Quebec position to avoid conflicts of interest.

Following a military coup in Nigeria in 1966, the federal system was abolished, and the posts of the Agent-General of Nigerian Regions in London were subsumed in the Nigerian High Commission.

By the 1990s, some Australian state governments regarded the office of their Agent-General in London as a costly anachronism, even for promoting tourism and investment, and have since been closed and subsumed into the Australian High Commission. The majority of Australian States continue to have Agents General in London, but operate from Australia House rather than maintain separate premises.

Many Canadian provinces similarly are no longer represented by an Agent-General, although Quebec has a Government Office (Délégation Générale du Québec à Londres) in London.

Read more about Agent-General:  List of Agents-General For New South Wales, List of Agents-General For Queensland, List of Agents-General For South Australia, List of Agents-General For Tasmania, List of Agents-General For Victoria, List of Agents-General For Western Australia, Agent-General For Nigeria, Agent For Jamaica, Agents General of Canada, Agent General of Alberta, Agent General of Ontario, Agent General of New Brunswick, Other Uses