A short history of the Australian Intelligence Corps

Introduction -- Federation -- Formation of the Corps -- World War 1
Between the World Wars -- World War 2 -- Asian Engagements -- Vietnam
Peacekeepers -- Reservists, Regulars & The Future
Official Contributers

Formation of the Corps

From the late 1890's section of the Australian community became increasingly concerned over the rising power of Japan. The defeat of the Russian Fleet in the Battle of Tsushima Strait in 1905 dramatically enhanced Australian perceptions of the need to develop its own local defence capability. Within two weeks of the Japanese victory, the leader of the Opposition in the Federal Parliament, Alfred Deakin exhorted the Government to spend more on defence in order to provide reasonable guarantees for the safety of Australian interests.

In July 1905, Deakin became Prime Minister of Australia. He was alarmed to find that there was no military plans prepared for the defence of Australia, nor was there a system to collect information on Australian geography, transportation and communications, and there were no reliable maps of Australia. Deakin took action to rectify these shortcomings by approving the formation of an Australian 'Intelligence Department'.

Bridges' responsibilities for intelligence were reaffirmed. He was sent overseas to study intelligence management in Switzerland, Canada, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. In 1905 the War Office in London directed that the British Army was to form an Intelligence Corps, this decision arose from the success of the Boer War "Field Intelligence Department", in which a number of Australians served. Undoubtebly the War Office decision and desire for an Intelligence Corps would have been communicated to the Australian and other Army's in the British Empire.

Subsequently, on the 7th November 1907, Bridges sent a five page minute to the Minister for Defence advocating the establishment of an 'Intelligence Corps' in the Army. The Government replied on the 2nd December 1907 advising that the proposal had been accepted and that it was to be placed before the Military Board. Acting on this advice, the Military Board approved the formation of the Australian Intelligence Corps on the 3rd December 1907. The Military Board directed that the Corps be placed seventh on the precedence list of Corps of the Army, and declared it an 'Arm'.

The Corps was to consist of sixty militia officers who were to be recruited from such employment as government surveyors, State Land and Works Departments, road superintendents and shire engineers, as well as doctors, and stock and station agents. Lieutenant Colonel James McCay was appointed Director of Intelligence and Head of Corps for the Australian Intelligence Corps.

In Military Order 305, the Governor General of Australia approved the formation of the Australian Intelligence Corps on the 6th December 1907. This date is acknowledged as the birthday of the Corps. On the 18th February 1908, Military Order 41 directed that the Australian Intelligence Corps be established for the purposes of:

• training officers and other ranks in intelligence work for both peace and war, and supplying officers for intelligence purposes at manoeuvres and in war
• collecting information about topography of the Commonwealth and its dependencies, and their military resources in personnel, material and means of communications
• collecting like information about foreign countries, especially those in the Pacific region
• preparing strategic and tactical maps and plans
• compiling and recording all information for immediate use

The headquarters of the Corps was situated at Victoria Barracks, Melbourne. Sections were established throughout the six States of the Commonwealth. Each regional section had a local commanding officer who was responsible to the Corps Commanding Officer, presumably through the various State Commandants. In each State a military library was established under Corps control and military mapping was commenced. Other activities included experiments in aviation and military radio communications. At the same time formal training for Corps personnel was conducted in various locations. Intelligence Diaries were exchanged with other Dominions of the Empire.

The Corps continued its uncoordinated activities under many difficulties. The part time nature of the Corps made its tasks almost impossible and full credit must be given for the real achievements of the Corps in that period. The successful mobilisation and embarkation for overseas service of the first contingent of the Australian Imperial Force in 1914 owed much to the information collected and collated by the Australian Intelligence Corps.

Ironically, just as its hard labour was bearing fruit, the Army simplified the chain of command, and the formal structure of the Australian Intelligence Corps was abandoned. On the 30 September 1914, the Australian Intelligence Corps was removed from the Army List. Henceforth the various State intelligence sections would be integrated into the staff of its Military District Headquarters. For personnel management purposes, the former member of the Corps were either discharged or transferred to the manning list of other Corps. It became the norm for intelligence specialists to be seconded from another Corps, some for relatively short times, others more or less permanently. This situation persisted for the next two decades.



Introduction -- Federation -- Formation of the Corps -- World War 1
Between the World Wars -- World War 2 -- Asian Engagements -- Vietnam
Peacekeepers -- Reservists, Regulars & The Future
Official Contributers