High Summer

Grassroots diplomacy rules at Stoke Lodge, the London residence of Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK, where the beautiful garden is often the setting for official events during the warmer months.

- Janna Schreier

When Alexander Downer kicked a footy around the backyard during his father’s posting to London as High Commissioner from 1964 to 1972, he had no idea he would return to live in the same house some 50 years later. But diplomacy was clearly destined to run in the family, as Alexander followed in the footsteps of his father (also Alexander Downer) and became Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK in 2014, after a long career in Federal politics.

Stoke Lodge, the High Commissioner’s official residence, is in Kensington, not far from Hyde Park in West London. Built in the 1830s and purchased by the Australian government in 1950, it’s home to Alexander and his wife Nicky until at least the end of the year, and a new generation of Downers – their grandchildren – now play on its immaculate striped lawns. The velvety greens have been traversed by many notable figures over the years, from the Queen, hosted by then High Commissioner Philip Flood in the late 1990s, to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in July this year. In addition, many prominent Australians have visited, from dignitaries to cultural icons and sporting legends.