Lumen Winter 2014 - Flipbook - Page 23
1980s Alumni Voice
Susan Coles
A legal path to diplomacy
Rhodes Scholar Susan Coles, a career officer with the
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, was recently
appointed Australia’s new High Commissioner to
Mauritius, the Seychelles, Madagascar and the Comores
Islands. She graduated from the University of Adelaide with
a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws (Hons) in 1989.
I spent the first year living at
Lincoln College, which was an
excellent way to launch into
University life. At Law school I met a great
group of friends and by the end of first term
we did a camping trip on ‘the Ghan’ up to
Uluru. It was a real bonding experience, and
those friendships have lasted until today.
I spent a lot of time down in the law library
—two floors below ground among the
leather-bound law reports—and I worked
part-time at the Uni Bar and Bistro. With a
combined degree, my Arts tutorials were a
favourite. A course on the history of ideas,
taught by the legendary Hugh Stretton, made
a huge impact. I took another inspiring
course in Arts, ‘Women in Politics’, with
Dr Carol Bacchi, and became involved in
student politics on the Students Association,
then spent a year as Union President.
I have some great memories of those times
—running elections, campaigning on student
issues and learning about academic
leadership on the University Council.
At the time, Adelaide was the only university
offering undergraduate law in South Australia.
It was also the natural choice, following in
my older sister Jenny’s footsteps. There
was a nine-year age gap between us
and as a child, attending her very formal
graduation ceremony in the imposing
Bonython Hall made a huge impression.
My study of the history of ideas and politics
opened up a world of awareness on the
importance of social justice, fairness and
responsibility in leadership. Intellectually,
the combination of politics and law sparked
Susan Coles with Governor Sir Donald
Beaumont Dunstan and Dame Roma Mitchell, 1989
interests which I was able to explore
studying international, EU and human
rights law later on at Oxford. Presenting
arguments to University Council for
enhanced security for women on campus
and improved access to campus child care,
shaped my commitment to the importance
of empowerment of girls and young women
through education and career choices.
My most recent appointment to my first
Head of Mission posting was a great
honour, and I am delighted to have arrived
in the beautiful Indian Ocean Island nation
of Mauritius. I have welcomed the recent
revival of an Australian Alumni network
here and am engaged in setting up new
networks in two of the other countries I
cover, the Seychelles and Madagascar.
It sounds clichéd but winning a Rhodes
scholarship was a dream come true, again
following in the footsteps of my sister Jenny,
who was the first South Australian female
Rhodes scholar nine years ahead of me.
It has been fantastic to meet the local
Australian community here and see the
quiet contribution Australians are making
across law, policing, and correctional
services toward ensuring improved
maritime security in the Indian
Ocean neighbourhood.
Immediately after completing the Oxford
Bachelor of Civil Law, I spent six months
teaching back at Adelaide Law School
before I was lured away by what I hoped
would be my dream job with the UN.
But when I met some
Department of Foreign Affairs
and Trade (DFAT) lawyers
there in Kuala Lumpur, and
learned I could practise
International law for Australia,
my course was set.
By Susan Coles
So began five years in the
DFAT legal office in Canberra
and then my first posting to
one of the UN headquarters
in Vienna where I spent a lot
of time negotiating a legal
inspections regime against
nuclear testing. After Vienna
I moved into regional trade
diplomacy in APEC with a
posting to Singapore.
High Commissioner Coles presenting funding to Seychelles
Anti-Piracy support team Commander
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