Bruce Haigh

Bruce Douglas Haigh (born 6 August 1945) is an Australian political commentator and former diplomat. Haigh joined the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs in 1972. He served in South Africa from 1976 to 1979 with the Australian Embassy (now High Commission), as well as Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Sri Lanka.[1][2]

Bruce Haigh
Born (1945-08-06) 6 August 1945
OccupationPublic servant, diplomat
Websitewww.brucehaigh.com.au

Working life

Before entering the foreign service, Haigh spent time working as a jackaroo in the north west of Western Australia.[3]

Haigh initiated Australian Embassy contact with members of the black South African resistance,[4] including the Black Consciousness Movement in 1976. Included amongst the friends he made at this time were Steve Biko (murdered by police whilst being held in detention in 1977) and Dr. Mamphela Ramphele (Vice Chancellor of the University of Cape Town and a Director of the World Bank). Haigh helped banned newspaper editor, Donald Woods, escape from South Africa. His role in that escape was portrayed by Australian actor John Hargreaves in the film Cry Freedom, produced and directed by Richard Attenborough. Haigh helped a number of other political activists escape from South Africa.[5][6]

Haigh grows olives and grapes at Mudgee, New South Wales.[7]

References
  1. Edwards, Lorna (8 February 2003). "The man who won't shut up". The Newcastle Herald. p. 1011.
  2. Barrowclough, Nikki (9 June 2001). "The man who saw too much". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 45.
  3. "Former diplomat Bruce Haigh". ABC Queensland. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 October 2007. Archived from the original on 10 December 2007.
  4. "Steve Biko letters return to South Africa". PM. 4 February 2004. ABC Radio. Archived from the original on 1 August 2016. Transcript.
  5. Moses, Alexa (6 April 2005). "Return to Africa for artwork that escaped apartheid". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 31 March 2016.
  6. Daley, Paul (9 October 2007). "Enviro-Envoy". Bulletin with Newsweek. Haigh was a controversial diplomat who, while in South Africa, used his diplomatic immunity to help black activists flee repression. He famously helped the newspaper editor Donald Woods—a fierce critic of apartheid — escape from South Africa, an incident portrayed in the film Cry Freedom.
  7. Ramsey, Alan (24 November 2004). "Seven weeks to assess advice and do nothing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 20 September 2006.


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