H.E The Hon. Tim Fischer AC

Australia's Ambassador to the Holy See; former deputy prime minister; company director & patron

H.E. The Honourable Tim Fisher AC is the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See. He is due to complete the Rome posting and step down from DFAT in January 2012. He is a former Australian Army Officer, NSW State Parliamentarian, Leader of the National Party, Minister for Trade and Deputy Prime Minister. Tim Fischer has also been a consultant, Company Director, author, broadcaster, and multiple patron. A consummate speaker, Tim draws on his broad range of experience in public and private life to deliver challenging and informative presentations on a range of issues.

More about Tim Fischer:

Tim Fischer was born in Lockhart, New South Wales, and educated at Boree Creek and Xavier College, Melbourne. He is married with two sons. After graduating as an Australian Army Officer he served in the infantry in Australia and Vietnam (1966-1969). He served in the New South Wales Parliament (1971-84) and the Australian Federal Parliament (1984-2001) including as Leader of the National Party, Minister for Trade and Deputy Prime Minister (1996-99). Tim has been the Shadow Minister for Energy and Resources, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Federal Parliamentary National Party Liaison Officer for Western Australia. He has served on the Transport Safety Committee, Committee on Aircraft Noise and the Standing Committee on Transport, Communications and Infrastructure. From 26 August to 1 September 1999, Tim was Leader of the Official Australian Delegation which oversaw the popular consultation or ballot held on 30 August 1999 in East Timor.

Mr Fischer has a range of agricultural, export and transport business interests. He was Chairman of Tourism Australia 2004-07, and of the Australia Thailand Institute 2005-08.

Since retiring from parliament, Tim has accepted positions including:

• Chair of the Crawford Fund on International Agricultural Research;
• Chair of the Australian Winemakers Foundation;
• National Patron of Frontier Services;
• Patron of various charitable organizations;
• Director The AA Company, Ausmore and Asia Pacific Transport;
• Chairman Royal Flying Doctor Service.

Tim Fischer has also authored several books, including joint writing Bold Bhutan Beckons, and he hosted a popular radio series: The ABC Great Train Show. A number of foreign honours and decorations have been bestowed upon Tim Fischer:

• Argentina's Grand Cross of the 'Orden de Mayo al Merito
• Chile's Grand Cross of the 'Orden de Bernardo O'Higgins
• Brazil's Grand Officer of the National Order of the Southern Cross
• Thailand's Blue Ribbon, Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant

In 2005 Tim Fischer was appointed Companion of the Order of Australia. On July 21 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd nominated Tim Fischer as the first resident Australian Ambassador to the Holy See since 1973, when diplomatic relations with the Vatican and Australia was first established. He presented Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI as Ambassador to the Holy See on 12 February 2009. Tim Fischer worked closely with the Vatican on all aspects of the Canonisation of Australia's first saint, Mary MacKillop.

Tim Fischer talks about:

• Local and International Trade
• The Un-level Playing Field: Tariffs and Free Trade
• The Global Trading Village: The Future, Business Issues & the Community Framework
• The Inner Workings of Cabinet and its Implications for your Business
• Knowledge and Experience in Trade with our Asian Partners
• The Renaissance of Rail, 200 Years On: Rail and Other Transport
• The Himalayan Humbug: A lighthearted look at one of Tim's favourite places, Bhutan
• Diggers to Damascus - Tim recounts how Australian film producer Charles Chauvel, arrived in Damascus two days before Lawrence of Arabia