Editing Joseph Cook (section)

==High Commissioner to the United Kingdom==
Cook arrived in London on 13 January 1922, where career diplomat [[Malcolm Shepherd (public servant)|Malcolm Shepherd]] had been ''[[chargé d'affaires]]'' for a year. His primary duties were to promote immigration, investment, and trade, as well as to assist in securing favourable loans for the state and federal governments.{{sfnp|Bebbington|1988|p=79–80}} He played a key role in organising the Australian pavilion at the [[British Empire Exhibition]] of 1924.{{sfnp|Bebbington|1988|p=82}} Cook represented Australia at the [[International Labour Conference]]s and the [[Genoa Conference (1922)|1922 Genoa Conference]], but did "little more than attend and subsequently report to his government".{{citation needed|date=June 2020|reason=a quote needs a direct citation}} He was a more active participant at the [[League of Nations]], where he was Australia's [[Permanent representative|chief delegate]]. He appeared before the [[Permanent Mandates Commission]] on a number of occasions to answer questions about the administration of its [[League of Nations mandate]]s, [[Mandate of Nauru|Nauru]] and [[Territory of New Guinea|New Guinea]].{{sfnp|Bebbington|1988|p=84}} Cook overhauled the administration of [[Australia House]], significantly reducing the number of staff and the annual running costs. This brought him into conflict with Shepherd, his official secretary, who complained that he was "not an easy man to get on with".{{sfnp|Murdoch|1996|p=138}}

Cook particularly enjoyed the social and ceremonial aspects of his new position. His first major engagement as High Commissioner was to represent Australia at the wedding of [[Mary, Princess Royal and Countess of Harewood|Princess Mary]], and he also attended the wedding of the future [[George VI]] and [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother|Queen Elizabeth]] and the funeral of [[Queen Alexandra]].{{sfnp|Bebbington|1988|pp=81–83}} He hosted regular social functions at Australia House, and mixed more easily in high society than his predecessor, whose partial deafness tended to make him withdrawn. Observers noted his "bonhomie and accessibility" in comparison to the "asperity and seclusiveness of Mr Fisher".{{sfnp|Murdoch|1996|p=137}} Cook's term as High Commissioner formally concluded on 10 August 1927, after a six-month extension from the original five-year term. Leaving England ten days later, he and his wife were serenaded at the [[Port of Tilbury]] by the Australian opera singer [[Nellie Melba]], who had become a close friend of theirs.{{sfnp|Bebbington|1988|p=84}} [[John Cockburn (Australian politician)|John Cockburn]] wrote that "rarely has the retirement of one of the representatives in London of the Dominions been attended with such widespread expressions of regret".{{sfnp|Murdoch|1996|p=138}}