History of Australia’s intelligence agencies

The Australian Government assumed responsibility for national security and intelligence at Federation in 1901. However, there was no single agency responsible for these areas and there was initially considerable overlap between civilian and military authorities.

Australia's intelligence effort started in the lead-up to the first world war, devoted primarily to counter-espionage. During the war, the government created security and intelligence agencies to deal with perceived threats within Australia.

The British Government established an Australian branch of the Imperial Counter Espionage Bureau in January 1916. Known as the Australian Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), it maintained a close relationship with the police forces.

The Commonwealth Police Force was created in 1917. In 1919, the Commonwealth Police Force and the Special Intelligence Bureau merged to form the Investigation Branch. The Investigation Branch was responsible for security intelligence until after the second world war. It investigated people and organisations whose activities were considered subversive or detrimental to the security of Australia.

Australia began its signals intelligence activities in 1942, when the Australian Army and RAAF created Central Bureau with the US Army. The same year, the Royal Australian Navy and US Navy created Fleet Radio Unit, Melbourne (FRUMEL). Both agencies were set up to obtain intelligence by intercepting Japanese military communications.

During the Second World War, the Department of Defence's intelligence assessment functions were shared between the three Australian Defence Force services (Army, Navy and Air Force).

The new Commonwealth Investigation Service (CIS) took over security intelligence functions in 1946. But by late 1947, serious security leaks in Australia had left British and US intelligence authorities unwilling to continue sharing information.

These concerns (and other security issues) led to the establishment of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in 1949. ASIO became responsible for security functions that previously belonged to the Commonwealth Investigation Service.

In the late 1940s, the Australian Government established a special operations organisation in the Department of Defence for responsible collecting secret intelligence overseas. In 1952, this became the Australian Secret Service. The organisation was transferred to the Department of External Affairs in 1954 and renamed the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS).

In 1947, the Australian Government established a permanent signals intelligence agency in the Department of Defence. Initially called the Defence Signals Bureau, it changed its name to the Defence Signals Branch in 1949, the Defence Signals Division in 1964 and the Defence Signals Directorate in 1978. The agency was renamed the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) in 2013.

Also in 1947 the Department of Defence established the Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB) to collate, evaluate and distribute intelligence on particular countries. In 1970, the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) was formed through a merger of JIB with most of the foreign assessment elements of the three armed services. In 1969, the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) was formed through a merger of JIB with most of the foreign assessment elements of the three armed services. Following a 1989 review of Defence intelligence, the Defence Intelligence Organisation (DIO) was established from JIO as Defence's sole strategic-level all-source intelligence assessment agency.

A new Commonwealth Police Force was formed in 1960. It took on the responsibilities of the Commonwealth Investigation Service (CIS) that were not transferred to ASIO as well as broader law enforcement responsibilities. The force has had several name changes, becoming the Australia Police in 1975 before reverting to the Commonwealth Police Force the same year. In 1979 it was renamed the Australian Federal Police.

Australia's imagery intelligence analysis capability has existed since 1964, but until 1998 it was an integrated part of DIO. In 2000, the various imagery analysis functions in the Australian Government were formally combined under a new organisation — the Defence Imagery and Geospatial Organisation (DIGO) — which later changed its name to the Australian Geospatial-Intelligence Organisation (AGO).

Since the 1970s, Australia’s intelligence agencies have evolved, grown and become more publicly accountable. These changes were driven both by shifts in our strategic and security environment and by a series of external reviews of the intelligence community that shaped the work and structure of the intelligence community today. The findings of these reviews are summarised in the External Reviews and Inquiries section below.

Following Justice Robert’s Hope first Royal Commission into Intelligence and Security, the Office of National Assessments was established and the existence of ASIS and ASD (then known as DSD) was publicly acknowledged (in 1978 and 1979 respectively).

Following Justice Hope’s second Hope Royal Commission in 1984, the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security was established in 1987, followed by the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO and the Joint Select Committee on the Intelligence Services in 1998.

The Australian Transactions and Reporting Centre (AUSTRAC) was established in 1989 under the Financial Transaction Reports Act 1988. It was formally incorporated into the National Intelligence Community in 2017.

In the first decade of the 21st century, the intelligence community’s work evolved significantly in response to rapid changes in the international security environment. In 2001, the Intelligence Services Act established a unified legislative framework for the work of ASIS, AGO and ASD and created the Parliamentary Joint Committee on ASIO, ASIS and DSD, which was expanded to become the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security in 2005 with a broader mandate over the wider intelligence community.

The early 2000s also saw significant inquiries conducted by the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, including into the Tampa (2001-02) and the Bali Bombings (2002). In 2003, there was also a Parliamentary Inquiry into Intelligence on Iraq's Weapons of Mass Destruction (2003-04)

In 2004, the Flood Inquiry into Australian Intelligence Agencies made recommendations to improve the accountability and management of the intelligence community, which led to amendments to the Intelligence Services Act, Office of National Assessments Act, Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Act and Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Act

In 2008, the completion of the Homeland and Border Security Review, the appointment of a National Security Adviser and the creation of the National Intelligence Coordination Committee led to further changes in the coordination of intelligence activities.

In 2011, the first regular Independent Review of the Intelligence Community, as recommended by the Flood Inquiry, found that Australia's intelligence agencies were performing well following a period of significant growth in response to the security challenges of the previous decade.

The Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) was established on 1 July 2016, following the merger of the Australian Crime Commission (ACC) and CrimTrac. It was formally incorporated into the National Intelligence Community the following year.

In 2017, a second Independent Intelligence Review was held and resulted in a series of recommendations to expand the National Intelligence Community and create an Office of National Intelligence out of the existing Office of National Assessments.

The National Intelligence Community (NIC), comprised of ten agencies, was officially formed following the Australian Government's adoption of the 2017 Review's recommendations. The Government also created a Department of Home Affairs at the same time, bringing together several members of the National Intelligence Community within the portfolio.

The Australian Intelligence Medal was instituted in 2020 to recognise those members of the National Intelligence Community who have given distinguished service that directly contributed to national intelligence priorities, requirements or capabilities.