The diplomats — the ups and downs of life in Australia's foreign embassies

from Big Ideas · host Australian Broadcasting Corporation

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia has some 120 embassies, high commissions, consulates-general and representative offices located across five continents. So when an Australian gets into trouble overseas, or a politician travels abroad on government business, or other countries take actions that damage Australia's national interest, it's likely a diplomat is not far away. In their recent books, two former diplomats reveal what the job is really like as Australia's representatives abroad.This event was recorded at the 2025 Canberra Writers Festival.SpeakersLachlan StrahanFormer Australian diplomatAuthor, The Curious Diplomat: A Memoir from the Frontlines of DiplomacyGrant DooleyFormer Australian diplomatAuthor, Bomb Season in Jakarta — A personal account of a turbulent period in Australian diplomacyKaren Middleton (host)Political journalistAuthor, Albanese: Telling it Straight

What this episode covers

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia has some 120 embassies, high commissions, consulates-general and representative offices located across five continents. So when an Australian gets into trouble overseas, or a politician travels abroad on government business, or other countries take actions that damage Australia's national interest, it's likely a diplomat is not far away. In their recent books, two former diplomats reveal what the job is really like as Australia's representatives abroad. This event was recorded at the 2025 Canberra Writers Festival. Speakers Lachlan Strahan Former Australian diplomat Author, The Curious Diplomat: A Memoir from the Frontlines of Diplomacy Grant Dooley Former Australian diplomat Author, Bomb Season in Jakarta — A personal account of a turbulent period in Australian diplomacy Karen Middleton (host) Political journalist Author, Albanese: Telling it Straight

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The diplomats — the ups and downs of life in Australia's foreign embassies

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This episode is 55 minutes long.

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This episode was published on April 6, 2026.

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