Alexander Downer was born in Adelaide, South Australia. Educated at Geelong Grammar School (Victoria, Australia), Radley College (Oxfordshire, UK), and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne (UK), he worked as an economist, diplomat, and political advisor before being elected to Australian federal parliament in 1984 as Liberal member for Mayo.
After a brief period as Opposition Leader, Downer became Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1996, a position that he held for twelve years.
