Consulates and legations were operating in Australian cities long before the Commonwealth of Australia was founded in 1901. The United States opened a consulate in Sydney in 1836, with other countries later following including Switzerland (1855), Germany (1879) and Japan (1896, in Townsville). Some countries have chosen not to establish an embassy in Canberra but instead operate a consulate in a major city, such as Melbourne (Oman). Canberra currently hosts 111 embassies/high commissions.