Australian Secret Intelligence Service
Revision as of 23:37, 6 November 2026 by Surveillance research (talk | contribs) (Complete name links and reference formatting; preserve all content)
| Australian Secret Intelligence Service
| |
|---|---|
| Logo |  The R. G. Casey Building in Canberra, headquarters of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. |
| Type | Foreign human-intelligence service; non-corporate Commonwealth entity[1] |
| Founded | 13 May 1952[1] |
| Status | Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio; responsible to the Minister for Foreign Affairs[2] |
| Headquarters | R. G. Casey Building, Barton, Canberra[1] |
| Area served | Australia; overseas intelligence collection |
| Services | Foreign intelligence collection and distribution; counter-intelligence; overseas intelligence liaison[1] |
| Key people | Kerri Hartland — Director-General (official page checked November 2026)[3] |
| Website | Official website |
| Remarks | Moved from Melbourne to Canberra in the 1980s; ministerial authority shifted to Foreign Affairs in 1954[2] |
The Australian Secret Intelligence Service is Australia's overseas secret HUMINT (human intelligence) collection agency.[4]
People
Leadership checked in November 2026
The official ASIS leadership page identifies Kerri Hartland as Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. Her public account describes earlier roles including Deputy Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation.[5]
Selected historical appointments
- Alfred Brooks 13 May 1952-22 August 1957
- Ralph Harry 23 August 1957-31 March 1960
- William Robertson (Acting Capacity) 1 ASpril 1960-31 August 1960
- General Sir Walter Cawthorn 1 September 1960-2 July 1968
- William Robertson 3 July 1968-7 November 1975
- Ian Kennison 8 November 1975-10 July 1981
- John Ryan 5 November 1981-21 December 1983.
- Brigadier James Furner 27 February 1984-24 November 1992.
- Rex Stevenson Acting capacity 25 November 1992, appointed 9 December 1992-28 February 1998.
- Allan Taylor 1 March 1998-28 February 2003
- David Irvine appointed 1 March 2003[6]
- Nick Warner appointed 17 August 2009.[7]
External resources
- East Timor spying scandal: Tony Abbott defends ASIO raids on lawyer Bernard Collaery's offices, ABC News, 4 December 2013.
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Australian Government Directory, "Australian Secret Intelligence Service", undated, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Australian Secret Intelligence Service, "Our story", undated, accessed 6 November 2026.
- ↑ Australian Secret Intelligence Service, Our leadership (undated), accessed 6 November 2026 (Europe/London, GMT).
- ↑ Mission and Values, Australian Secret Intelligence Service, accessed 28 December 2011.
- ↑ Australian Secret Intelligence Service, Our leadership (undated), accessed 6 November 2026 (Europe/London, GMT).
- ↑ QUESTIONS IN WRITING Australian Secret Intelligence Service , Parliament of Australia, 28 May 2007.
- ↑ Message from the Director-General, Secret Intelligence Service, accessed 28 December 2011.