Revealing Secrets An unofficial history of Australian Signals intelligence and the advent of cyber

What is Australian signals intelligence? Why do we have a national signals intelligence agency and why are our three armed services involved? What do they all do and why is it controversial? And how significant are our ties with, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand, the formidable Five Eyes partnership?

Clare Birgin’s career in DFAT spanned thirty years, with a focus on national security and intelligence. She had postings in Warsaw, Moscow, Geneva, and Washington DC as the Liaison Officer of the Office of National Assessments, followed by postings as Ambassador in Hungary, Serbia, Kosovo, Romania, North Macedonia and Montenegro. Subsequently she was a Visiting Fellow at the ANU before joining John Blaxland’s history writing team. She has been awarded the Polish Government’s Knight’s Cross Medal and the Benito Merito Medal by the former Polish Foreign Minister. John Blaxland is Professor of International Security and Intelligence Studies in the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre (SDSC), Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs at the Australian National University (ANU). He is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales. He is also formerly a military intelligence officer, Head of SDSC and Director of the ANU Southeast Asia Institute. He is the author and editor of several publications on military history, intelligence and international security affairs.

Introduction Chapter 1: Early Cryptology, Secrets and Intelligence Chapter 2: From Federation and the Anglo-Boer War to the First World War Chapter 3: First World War Allied Sigint Chapter 4: Australian Sigint and the Interwar Years Chapter 5: Sigint in the Second World War, 1939– 41 Chapter 6: Sigint Arrangements and the War in the Pacific Chapter 7: Wartime Sigint successes, bureaucratic and other challenges Chapter 8: Post-War Sigint to Vietnam Chapter 9: Reform, computers and military Sigint since the 1970s Chapter 10: Legislative reform and the coming of cyber Conclusion and looking ahead Appendix A: Central Bureau Brisbane Work Flow Chart Appendix B: Navy, Army and Air Force Wartime Special Wireless Units Acknowledgements Glossary Acronyms Bibliography Notes Index