Richard Mathews

Richard Mathews was Australia’s first Consul-General in Makassar, eastern Indonesia from 2016 – 2020. He retired from DFAT in 2021 after a 30-year career which included postings to Brunei, Greece, Taiwan and Indonesia. Since retirement he has published articles in the Canberra Times and Lowy Interpreter on climate change and is currently writing a crime-thriller set in eastern Indonesia, and short-stories about travel.

Recent articles by Richard Mathews

Before 1770, produced, written and directed by Sheikh Wesam Charkawi

Before 1770, produced, written and directed by Sheikh Wesam Charkawi

In 2019, I was Australia’s Consul-General in Makassar, and I remember meeting a group of Muslim Australians from western Sydney: they were planning to make a film about the Makassar-Northern Australia relationship. Their leader was Sheikh Wesam Charkawi, a tall, bearded man of middle-age, in haji cap and long white robes.

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