This month the Australian Institute of International Affairs mourns the death of Geoffrey (Geoff) Miller AO FAIIA, one of Australia’s most distinguished diplomats and strategic advisers, and one of the most committed members of the AIIA community.
Geoff’s professional career was one of exceptional distinction. He served Australia across key diplomatic postings including Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, New York at the United Nations, and New Delhi, experiences that shaped his deep knowledge of Asia and the multilateral system. He later represented Australia as Ambassador to the Republic of Korea and Ambassador to Japan, and served as High Commissioner to New Zealand.
In Canberra, Geoff held senior roles at the centre of Australian foreign policy and national security. He served as Deputy Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs, and later as Director of the Office of National Assessments, providing independent strategic assessments to government. He was widely respected for judgement and balance — qualities that made him a trusted figure in a system where clarity is often hard-won.
John McCarthy AO FAIIA, former National President of the AIIA, captured this quality simply in reflecting that “Geoff was a mentor.” During the period when Australia’s attention was shaped by the drawn-out conflicts and diplomacy of Southeast Asia, Geoff served in senior policy roles that intersected with John’s own overseas work. Geoff, he noted, brought both experience and understanding: “He was close enough in age to understand the uncertainties and insecurities of young officers in difficult circumstances. I valued his counsel greatly.”
That capacity for insight, offered with kindness rather than authority, remained a hallmark throughout Geoff’s career. John recalled Geoff’s continued correspondence through later moments of upheaval in Indonesia and the region. Geoff “who had been in Indonesia during 1965, the Year of Living Dangerously, corresponded frequently with me as Suharto fell from power and the 1999 Timor Crisis developed. His understanding of Indonesian dynamics had remained as acute as ever.” John noted that “Geoff was a bright, energetic, thoughtful and kind man. He had a genuine foreign policy mind. His wisdom will be missed.”
It was that same combination of seriousness and generosity that Geoff brought to the Australian Institute of International Affairs.
His contribution to the institute was extensive and enduring. He served as President of AIIA New South Wales from 2000 to 2005, and then as National Vice President from 2005 to 2010, years during which he played an important role in shaping the institute’s national direction.
But Geoff’s commitment was never only expressed through formal titles. He was a visible and engaged presence in the life of the institute: a frequent speaker at AIIA NSW events, a lively participant in discussion, and a consistent supporter of annual conferences. Many members will recall masterclasses delivered with the ease of someone who had spent a lifetime thinking carefully about international affairs, and with the accessibility of someone committed to public understanding.
Ian Lincoln, President of AIIA NSW, wrote that Geoff “made an enormous contribution to understanding of international affairs in the Australian community, through both his involvement in the institute at national and NSW level and his wider participation in debate on international issues.” Geoff, he said, brought to that work “his enormous breadth of knowledge, his judgment and balance and, above all, his deep concern about the problems and hazards arising for Australia in international affairs.” Ian concluded: “I shall deeply miss his guidance and friendship.”
Geoff’s influence within the institute was felt not only through his public contributions, but through the steady presence he offered to colleagues across many years. He combined the authority of a senior diplomat with an approachability that made others feel included and valued.
Those years of national leadership were remembered particularly warmly by Zara Kimpton OAM FAIIA, former AIIA Vice President, who recalled Geoff’s appointment as National Vice President in 2005 and his close partnership with then National President Clive Hildebrand. “They were an ideal team,” she wrote, and “both had a deep understanding and I’d even say a love of our institute.”
Zara’s reflections also capture Geoff’s personal generosity over many years. “During my almost 15-year tenure as national vice president Geoff was always there when I needed guidance,” she wrote. “I appreciated his wisdom and friendship during all that time.” She concluded with gratitude: “The AIIA has been lucky to have someone of Geoff’s calibre who was prepared to give us so much of his time.”
Melissa Conley Tyler FAIIA, former National Executive Director of the AIIA, also recalls Geoff as both leader and example, particularly for younger members of the institute. “He was a model to young people of what a senior diplomat can be,” she wrote. Geoff, she said, “was an incisive analyst, never afraid to speak his mind, and at the same time a real gentleman in how he treated others.”
Even after an extraordinary career of national service, Melissa observed, Geoff “didn’t really retire given how much he contributed to the AIIA and its mission of engaging Australians in international affairs.”
In recognition of this sustained contribution, Geoff was appointed a Fellow of the Australian Institute of International Affairs in 2014, an honour reflecting both his distinguished national service and his deep commitment to the institute’s work.
Geoff Miller’s legacy within the AIIA is inseparable from the values he embodied: careful judgement, seriousness about Australia’s place in the world, and a belief that informed public discussion matters. He understood that institutions like the AIIA play an important role in sustaining Australia’s international outlook across generations.
Above all, Geoff will be remembered as a man of wisdom and balance: a respected diplomat, a trusted mentor, and a devoted servant of the institute.
Geoff will be deeply missed by his family and friends, by his wide circle of professional colleagues, and by all of us in the Australian Institute of International Affairs who benefited so greatly from his insight, energy, and leadership.
The thoughts of the AIIA are with Rachel Miller and Geoff’s family.
Dr Bryce Wakefield is the CEO of the Australian Institute of International Affairs and a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University. He has lived, worked and researched in the United States, Japan, Europe and New Zealand. He trained as a political scientist with particular expertise in International Relations and the international affairs of East Asia.
This article is published under a Creative Commons License and may be republished with attribution.
