Gordon Noel Upton (24 December 192023 February 2010) was an Australian public servant and

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

. He served as Australian High Commissioner to Ceylon (1965–70), Fiji (1976–1979) and India (1979–1984). While Upton was posted to India, a confidential report that he had authored in October 1980 was leaked to a journalist for ''The Age'', that included criticism of the then Indian Prime Minister

Indira Gandhi Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 un ...

. The report was confirmed genuine and some members of the Indian parliament called for Upton's expulsion, but the Australian Government's apology satisfied the Indian Government and Upton was allowed to stay. Upton was made an Officer of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

in 1982 in recognition of his services as a diplomat.

Life and career

Upton was born in Sydney, New South Wales, in 1920. He was educated at

Canterbury Boys' High School Canterbury Boys' High School (CBHS) is a public secondary day school for boys located in Canterbury, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is near the Canterbury Park Racecourse and about 200 metres north of Canterbu ...

, before matriculating to the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

where he gained a Bachelor of Arts in 1940. Upton served in the

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, as a flight lieutenant. In 1946, Upton joined the

Commonwealth Public Service The Australian Public Service (APS) is the federal civil service of the Commonwealth of Australia responsible for the public administration, public policy, and public services of the departments and executive and statutory agencies of the Gov ...

in the Department of External Affairs. While he was Australian embassy counsellor in Jakarta, Upton's dog Susa suffered from rabies and died. Then Prime Minister

Robert Menzies The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, praise, reno ...

announced Upton's appointment as High Commissioner to Ceylon in December 1965. After a time at the Joint Intelligence Organisation in the early 1970s, Upton returned to the foreign affairs department and was posted to London as Minister in 1973. In 1975, when Sir Patrick Shaw died in office as Australian Ambassador to the United States, Upton was appointed Chargé d'Affaires ad interim. In May 1976, Upton was appointed Australian High Commissioner to Fiji. In December 1979,

Andrew Peacock Andrew Sharp Peacock (13 February 193916 April 2021) was an Australian politician and diplomat. He served as a cabinet minister and went on to become leader of the Liberal Party on two occasions (1983–1985 and 1989–1990), leading the part ...

, then foreign affairs minister, announced Upton's appointment as High Commissioner to India. Whilst he was living in New Delhi, details of a confidential report that Upton sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs in October 1980 was published in ''The Age''. The published report included critical remarks about the then Indian Prime Minister,

, who had been in office for less than a year at the time. After the leak, five members of the Indian Parliament reportedly demanded that Upton be recalled, but the statement was not made on behalf of the Indian Government and Upton retained his position. Upton, in his position as High Commissioner to India in 1983, presented

Mother Teresa Mary Teresa Bojaxhiu (born Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, ; 26 August 1910 – 5 September 1997), better known as Mother Teresa or Saint Mother Teresa, was an Albanian-Indian Catholic Church, Roman Catholic nun, founder of the Missionaries of ...

with an Order of Australia, for her work with the poor. She was the seventh non-Australian to be honoured with the award. Upton died on 23 February 2010 and was buried in Woden Cemetery.

Awards

In 1982, Upton was made an Officer of the

for his public service as a diplomatic representative.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Upton, Gordon 1920 births 2010 deaths Ambassadors of Australia to Nepal Ambassadors of Australia to the United States High commissioners of Australia to Fiji High commissioners of Australia to India High commissioners of Australia to Samoa High commissioners of Australia to Tonga University of Sydney alumni Officers of the Order of Australia