Harvey Barnett
Australian security intelligence director
| Harvey Barnett
| |
|---|---|
| Born | 25 December 1925[1] Albany, Western Australia |
| Died | 23 June 1995[1] Melbourne |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Intelligence officer; intelligence director |
| Known for | Director-General of Security, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation 7 September 1981 – 28 July 1985[2] |
| Education | University of Western Australia[1] |
| Predecessor | Edward Woodward |
Harvey Barnett led the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) as director-general of security, from 1981 to 1985.[2]
Office held
| Office | Start | End | Predecessor | Successor | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director-General of Security, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation | 7 September 1981 | 28 July 1985 | Edward Woodward | Alan Wrigley | [2] |
Intelligence career
Harvey Barnett served in the Royal Australian Navy during the Second World War and completed an arts degree at the University of Western Australia. He joined the Australian Secret Intelligence Service in the 1950s and later ran stations in Singapore, Cambodia and South Vietnam. He was its deputy director for operations from 1973 to 1976 before moving into Australian Security Intelligence Organisation leadership.[1]
The Combe–Ivanov affair
As head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Harvey Barnett briefed Bob Hawke in 1983 on the relationship between David Combe, a former Australian Labor Party national secretary, and Soviet diplomat Valery Ivanov. Robert Milliken’s obituary describes ASIO’s concern that Combe was being cultivated for recruitment and records the subsequent expulsion of Ivanov. Milliken reported that the ensuing royal commission vindicated Barnett’s actions, while Combe’s supporters considered ASIO’s response excessive.[1]
Memoirs
After retiring, Harvey Barnett published Tale of the Scorpion in 1988. Robert Milliken interpreted it as an attempt to increase public understanding of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation without revealing major operational secrets.[1]