The current ambassador is former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Deputy Head of Mission is Paul Myler.

The exterior is clad in copper alloy panels, and a large atrium is in the center of the building to provide natural lighting.

The embassy is located at 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW on the northwest corner of Scott Circle and a few blocks north of the White House.

[4] In addition to the embassy in Washington, D.C., there are Australian consulates in Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco.

A few months later in July, Clarence E. Gauss was appointed the first Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Australia.

His visit to Washington, D.C. was a time to speak with government officials, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, about World War II.

[15] In 1951, the two countries joined New Zealand to form a security agreement called ANZUS, a treaty that is still in force between Australia and the US.

In 1965, the Australian government purchased a lot on Scott Circle for A£523,500, with the total project expected to cost A£3.1 million.

[2]: 77 In 1967, a groundbreaking ceremony took place with Australia's Minister for External Affairs Paul Hasluck and US Secretary of State Dean Rusk in attendance.

[19][3] The interior featured an eclectic design, including swivel chairs resting on blue kangaroo rugs.

Artwork by Sidney Nolan, Albert Tucker, and John Perceval, along with sculptures by Arthur Boyd and Inge King, were featured throughout the embassy.

Previous events and artists hosted by embassy officials include: an eight-week course on the history of Australia;[20] an exhibit of John Coburn's tapestries;[21] an exhibit featuring Ben Shearer's watercolor paintings of the Outback;[22] drawings of World War II sailors and soldiers by Louis Kahan;[23] co-hosting an exhibit with the National Museum of Women in the Arts featuring art by Aboriginal Australian women;[24] a ceramic installation by Gwyn Hanssen Pigott;[25] artworks by Aboriginal members of the Papunya, Balgo, and Yuendumu communities;[26] a painting exhibit by Aboriginal artist Loongkoonan;[27] and renaming the embassy's art gallery after academic and Governor-General of Australia Quentin Bryce.

[28] Behind the embassy stood a memorial to the victims of the Bakers Creek air crash, in which 40 American World War II soldiers died in Australia in 1943.

[11][36] In regard to the façade, facing one of the city's many traffic circles, Bates studio director Tim Leslie said it "is quite significant for Canberra...you are approaching this building from a multitude of different angles".

"[34] In June 2017, embassy officials began the process of seeking approval from the local Office of Zoning to build the new facility.

Along with the money sent, embassy officials included a letter of approval from the US State Department, a copy of the surveyor's plat, and other documents.

Due to the previous embassy's date of construction and design, it was not included as a contributing property to the historic district.

[38] In 2019, embassy staff, numbering over 250 people, were moved to a temporary office space owned by the National Geographic Society at 1145 17th Street NW.

[42] According to Wish's Luke Slattery, Bates designer Kristen Whittle "felt strongly that this time the firm needed to build something uniquely Australian, and not just lard it with Australiana".

[18] Bates' design was inspired by the "red centre, canopies of grey-green eucalyptus" and the exterior resembling salt pans in the Australian desert.