Australian Security Intelligence Organization - The protest years. Volume II: the official history of ASIO, 1963-1975

THE OFFICIAL HISTORY OF ASIO

General editor: David Horner

The Spy Catchers, Vol. I, by David Horner

The Protest Years, Vol. II, by John Blaxland

The Secret Cold War, Vol. III, by John Blaxland and Rhys Crawley

The Spy Catchers won the Prime Minister's Prize for Australian History and the 2015 St Ermin's Hotel Intelligence Book of the Year Award

(The St Ermin's Hotel in St James's Park, London, offers this annual award for the best new intelligence book in recognition of the hotel's long connection with the British intelligence community.)

This edition published in 2016

First published in 2015

Copyright The Commonwealth of Australia, as represented by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) 2015

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. The Australian Copyright Act 1968 (the Act) allows a maximum of one chapter or 10 per cent of this book, whichever is the greater, to be photocopied by any educational institution for its educational purposes provided that the educational institution (or body that administers it) has given a remuneration notice to the Copyright Agency (Australia) under the Act.

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ISBN 9781760294182

eISBN 9781925268515

Set by Post Pre-press Group, Australia

Cover design: Kirby Armstrong

Cover photograph: Vietnam War protest, 9 May 1970

(Anton Linsen / The Sydney Morning Herald / Fairfax)

CONTENTS

Figures

Tables

This volume is the second in a three-volume series covering the history of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) from its inception in 1949 until 1989.

As with Volume I, this work is based on unfettered access to the files held in the ASIO archives, together with extensive interviews with former government officials, inside and outside ASIO. In this volume, a number of significant political milestones mark out the historical terrain, providing narrative breaks that correspond with the political era. Part 1 covers the era of the LiberalCountry Party Coalition from 1963 to 1972. Part 2 discusses ASIOs international and overseas engagement, including activities in the Territory of Papua and New Guinea in the lead-up to independence and other liaison overseas. The third and final part of Volume II covers the period of the Whitlam Labor Government.

The third volume will cover the years under the LiberalCountry Party Coalition led by Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser from 1975 to 1983, and the years under the Hawke Labor Government from 1983 to 1989, when the fall of the Berlin Wall effectively marked the end of the Cold War.

I would like to acknowledge several people who have been instrumental in making this history possible. First, I would like to thank David Horner, Emeritus Professor at the Australian National University (ANU) and xii official historian commissioned to write the official history of ASIO, who invited me to co-author this multi-volume history. I am indebted to him for the opportunity to work on such a significant project. He has been a great mentor, colleague and friend, as well as a source of inspiration. His work in editing this volume has also been instrumental in enabling completion of the manuscript on time and to an agreed length. I am very much in Davids debt.

Dr Rhys Crawley is the principal research officer on the project, and the author of , but he has proven to be much more than that. His excellent archival research and summarisation of a considerable body of material has been an invaluable help. It simply would not have been possible to complete the work without his diligence, perseverance and astute historical mind. I am also grateful for the great assistance of Lisa McKibbin, whose grace and good humour helped make this massive project achievable. Many people have been supportive, both at the ANU and at ASIO. Under the leadership of successive heads of the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Professor Hugh White and Associate Professor Brendan Taylor, colleagues have been understanding and a great encouragement. Many of those who have helped at ASIO cannot be mentioned except by first name and in some instances last initial. These include David H, who has been an unstinting supporter of the project, Annie, Christine, Mike L, Jacinta and Shona. Thanks also to the Deputy Director-General of ASIO, Kerri Hartland, and the public research staff.

The Director-General of ASIO throughout the majority of the project, David Irvine, was remarkably supportive, chairing the ASIO History Project Advisory Committee, as were the eminent members of the committee from both sides of the political fence, Jim Carlton and Geoff Gallop. David Irvines successor as Director-General, Duncan Lewis, has been equally supportive, and I am indebted to him for his commitment to seeing this volume through to publication. Together, their involvement and assistance has been crucial.

The staff at Allen & Unwin also deserve credit for the great work in preparing the manuscript for publication. Elizabeth Weiss, Angela Handley and Nicola Young are to be commended for their editorial assistance and patience. My wife, Judith, deserves particular mention for her long-suffering and loving support. To the kids, Emma, Finley and Sophie, my apologies for the times I gave up playing Scrabble, Risk and Monopoly with you as I worked to complete this manuscript.

Disclaimer

Although the vast majority of this book is based on government records, in certain areas the author has drawn on information in publicly available books and articles. It should not be assumed that ASIO has confirmed the veracity of the information sourced from these books and articles.