Surveillance research: Expand director biography and sourced appointments from approved draft; preserve existing material

2026-11-08T13:45:43Z

Expand director biography and sourced appointments from approved draft; preserve existing material

Surveillance research: Expand and source intelligence-director biography; preserve existing material and add licensed portrait where available

2026-11-08T08:18:41Z

Expand and source intelligence-director biography; preserve existing material and add licensed portrait where available

New page

{{short description|'''Australian security intelligence director'''}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alan Wrigley
| nationality = Australian
| occupation = Public servant; intelligence director
| known_for = Director-General of Security, [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]]<br>{{Start date|1985|7|29}} – {{Start date|1988|10|7}}<ref name="ASIOList">Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100212085319/http://www.asio.gov.au/About/content/DirectorsGeneral.aspx Directors-General of Security], archived 12 February 2010, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref>
| predecessor = [[Harvey Barnett]]
}}
[[Alan Wrigley]] led the [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] (ASIO) as director-general of security, from 1985 to 1988.<ref name="ASIOList" />

== Office held ==
{| class="wikitable"
|+ [[Alan Wrigley]] — intelligence leadership
! Office !! Start !! End !! Predecessor !! Successor !! Source
|-
| Director-General of Security, [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] || {{Start date|1985|7|29}} || {{Start date|1988|10|7}} || [[Harvey Barnett]] || [[John Moten]] || <ref name="ASIOList" />
|}

== ASIO relocation and reform ==
[[Alan Wrigley]] led the [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] during its relocation from Melbourne to Canberra in late 1986. In a lecture based on the official history, [[John Blaxland]] described him as determined to carry out the move, which brought the service closer to ministers and the Commonwealth public service.<ref name="BlaxlandSpeech">John Blaxland, [https://thesydneyinstitute.com.au/blog/australias-secret-cold-war-2/ Australia’s Secret Cold War], The Sydney Institute, speech delivered 5 December 2016, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref>

[[John Blaxland]] presented the move as improving responsiveness and accountability to government. Former intelligence officer [[John Miller]], by contrast, argued that the relocation and Wrigley’s changes to specialist careers cost the service valuable experience when officers left. These are differing assessments of the organisational consequences of the reforms.<ref name="BlaxlandSpeech" /><ref name="MillerReview">John Miller, [https://nationalobserver.net/2006_summer_miller.htm A view from an ASIO Director-General’s desk], ''National Observer'', no. 67, Summer 2006, pp. 26–39, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref>

== Succession ==
The [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]]’s published chronology records [[Alan Wrigley]] succeeding [[Harvey Barnett]] on 29 July 1985 and serving until 7 October 1988. [[John Moten]] followed him the next day.<ref name="ASIOList" />

== Notes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Spooks|Wrigley, Alan]]
[[Category:Australia|Wrigley, Alan]]

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 | nationality = Australian
 | occupation = Public servant; intelligence director
-| known_for = Director-General of Security, [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]]<br>{{Start date|1985|7|29}} – {{Start date|1988|10|7}}<ref name="ASIOList">Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100212085319/http://www.asio.gov.au/About/content/DirectorsGeneral.aspx Directors-General of Security], archived 12 February 2010, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref>
+| known_for = Director-General of Security, [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]]<br>{{Start date|1985|7|29}} – {{Start date|1988|10|7}}<ref name="ASIOList">Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, [https://web.archive.org/web/20100212085319/http://www.asio.gov.au/About/content/DirectorsGeneral.aspx Directors-General of Security], archived 12 February 2010, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref><br>Author of The Defence Force and the Community (1990)
 | predecessor = [[Harvey Barnett]]
 }}
-[[Alan Wrigley]] led the [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] (ASIO) as director-general of security, from 1985 to 1988.<ref name="ASIOList" />
+'''[[Alan Wrigley]]''' led the [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] (ASIO) as director-general of security, from 1985 to 1988.<ref name="ASIOList" />
 == Office held ==
@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 [[Alan Wrigley]] led the [[Australian Security Intelligence Organisation]] during its relocation from Melbourne to Canberra in late 1986. In a lecture based on the official history, [[John Blaxland]] described him as determined to carry out the move, which brought the service closer to ministers and the Commonwealth public service.<ref name="BlaxlandSpeech">John Blaxland, [https://thesydneyinstitute.com.au/blog/australias-secret-cold-war-2/ Australia’s Secret Cold War], The Sydney Institute, speech delivered 5 December 2016, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref>
-[[John Blaxland]] presented the move as improving responsiveness and accountability to government. Former intelligence officer [[John Miller]], by contrast, argued that the relocation and Wrigley’s changes to specialist careers cost the service valuable experience when officers left. These are differing assessments of the organisational consequences of the reforms.<ref name="BlaxlandSpeech" /><ref name="MillerReview">John Miller, [https://nationalobserver.net/2006_summer_miller.htm A view from an ASIO Director-General’s desk], ''National Observer'', no. 67, Summer 2006, pp. 26–39, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref>
+[[John Blaxland]] presented the move as improving responsiveness and accountability to government. Former intelligence officer [[John Miller (intelligence officer)|John Miller]], by contrast, argued that the relocation and Wrigley’s changes to specialist careers cost the service valuable experience when officers left. These are differing assessments of the organisational consequences of the reforms.<ref name="BlaxlandSpeech" /><ref name="MillerReview">John Miller, [https://nationalobserver.net/2006_summer_miller.htm A view from an ASIO Director-General’s desk], ''National Observer'', no. 67, Summer 2006, pp. 26–39, accessed 8 November 2026.</ref>
 == Succession ==

Alan Wrigley - Revision history

Surveillance research: Expand director biography and sourced appointments from approved draft; preserve existing material

Surveillance research: Expand and source intelligence-director biography; preserve existing material and add licensed portrait where available