Alan Wrigley
Australian security intelligence director
| Alan Wrigley
| |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Public servant; intelligence director |
| Known for | Director-General of Security, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation 29 July 1985 – 7 October 1988[1] |
| Predecessor | Harvey Barnett |
Alan Wrigley led the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) as director-general of security, from 1985 to 1988.[1]
Office held
| Office | Start | End | Predecessor | Successor | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director-General of Security, Australian Security Intelligence Organisation | 29 July 1985 | 7 October 1988 | Harvey Barnett | John Moten | [1] |
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.[2]
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.[2][3]
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.[1]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, Directors-General of Security, archived 12 February 2010, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 John Blaxland, Australia’s Secret Cold War, The Sydney Institute, speech delivered 5 December 2016, accessed 8 November 2026.
- ↑ John Miller, A view from an ASIO Director-General’s desk, National Observer, no. 67, Summer 2006, pp. 26–39, accessed 8 November 2026.