
Allan Gyngell Obituary, Allan Gyngell Has Passed Away
- by James Lucas
Allan Gyngell Obituary, Death Cause – The passing of Allan Gyngell AO has left me with a profound sense of grief. When it came to Australian foreign policy, Allan was our most brilliant intellect. Throughout the decades, he served as a trusted advisor to the Australian government, providing both official and unofficial counsel. He was the preeminent authority when it came to the history of Australian foreign policy. I gained a lot from his observations both during my time as Foreign Minister and later on when I was in the Opposition. He was kind and helpful to everyone who sought his advice, giving generously of his time.
His lengthy and illustrious career in Australian international affairs included stints as National President of the Australian Institute of International Affairs from 2017 to 2023 and Director-General of the Office of National Assessments from 2009 until 2013. In addition to his current position as an honorary professor at the Australian National University, he served as the founding Executive Director of the Lowy Institute for International Policy for a period of six years beginning in 2003. Between the years 1993 and 1996, Allan worked for Prime Minister Paul Keating as his Senior International Adviser.
He began his career in international policy as an officer in the Department of international Affairs and Trade, where he worked as a diplomat in Rangoon (1970–1972), Singapore (1973–1976), and Washington (1981–1984). His first post was in Rangoon. As a result of Allan’s contributions to the field of international relations in 2009, he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia. Allan has made it his life’s mission to foster a civil and well-informed national conversation about Australia’s foreign policy. But in addition to this, he possessed the intellectual and personal bravery to state things exactly as he perceived them. Allan frequently referred to the influential role that his history teacher in high school played in shaping his natural interest about the outside world.
Allan Gyngell Obituary, Death Cause – The passing of Allan Gyngell AO has left me with a profound sense of grief. When it came to Australian foreign policy, Allan was our most brilliant intellect. Throughout the decades, he served as a trusted advisor to the Australian government, providing both official and unofficial counsel. He was the…