Maria Randazzo, the Honorary Consul for France in Darwin was appointed on Monday 11 October 2021.
She is available every Tuesdays from 9am to 1pm (appointment only).
Office Location: 3/23 Harvey Street, DARWIN NT 0800
Mail : PO Box 123, Parap NT 0804
To book an appointment call : +61 8 6001 6018 or e-mail : consul.darwin@ambafrance-au.org
Maria Gaetana Randazzo was born and raised in Darwin. Born of Italian parents, Maria took advantage of her Italian-English bilingualism to
open her world to other European languages such as French and Spanish. This passion for languages naturally led Maria to travel to France
and Spain where she successfully completed her multidisciplinary university studies.
Love then led Maria to the United States, where she married Adrian, her University sweetheart. In Washington DC, Maria worked for the
Australian Embassy and the International Monetary Fund, particularly in the area of languages. In 2007, Maria moved back to Darwin to focus
on their family-owned Property Investment business, with Maria also working as a freelance interpreter for the Interpreting and Translating
Service of the Northern Territory (ITSNT) in Italian, French and Spanish. Upon her return to Darwin, Maria was keen to get involved in
multicultural community life, serving on various committees, and in leadership positions, at the Alliance Française de Darwin and the
Italian Festival Association, Inc.
In October 2021, Maria was appointed Honorary Consul of France for the Northern Territory. This appointment, of which she is very proud, will allow her to serve the interests of the French community in the consular district of the Northern Territory, a function that is particularly close to her heart and which she intends to carry out with the dedication and passion that characterise her.
What is your role as Honorary Consul for France?
Honorary Consuls are not full-time employees. We perform our duties on a voluntary basis and report regularly to the Consul-General in
Sydney. For any urgent help please direct your queries to the French Consul of Australia in Sydney. Honorary Consuls are appointed
by the Ministre des Affaires Étrangères for a period of five years. There is an Honorary Consul in every State capital – Adelaide,
Brisbane, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth and also one in Cairns.
We represent France at official functions and look after the needs of French nationals, especially those who are in trouble and need
assistance.
Can the Honorary Consulate help with visa or passport issues?
Honorary Consuls are not entitled to provide advice on visas. The Consulate in Sydney has experts in this area and they are the ones who can help you if you want to visit France and need a visa.Honorary Consuls provide advice about renewing passports or replacing lost or stolen passports, however French nationals who need a new passport normally have to travel to Sydney. I have over the years had a number of people who come to my office and expect to have a new passport within a week! Sadly, that is not possible.
Is there any other option rather than going to Sydney for renewing a passport?
There is one solution: the Tournée Consulaire. A person from the French Consulate travels to the smaller jurisdictions around Australia
with a special machine that enables people to register their fingerprints. The documents are then processed in Sydney and the new
passport are sent back to me to redistribute. it takes about 5 weeks to receive the new passports.
When will the next one happen?
This only happens once a year. Next Tournee Consulaire has not been announced yet. People wishing to renew their passports
should go to the website of the French Consulate in Sydney and see what documents are needed. It is important to check that you have all
the necessary paperwork prior to the Tournée Consulaire. Some documents, birth certificates for example, can take
longer than others to obtain.For more information, please visit the links below:
