The Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) was established on 13 May 1952, as a collector of foreign intelligence, primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. For a period of over twenty years, the existence of ASIS remained a secret, even from members of the Australian Government. The Service was first referred to in Parliament in 1975 and was not publicly avowed until 1977. The then Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, informed Parliament that "ASIS's capacity to serve Australia's national interest will continue to depend on its activities being fully protected by secrecy". This statement has been reaffirmed by successive Governments. Today, ASIS is a part of the Foreign Affairs portfolio and is responsible to the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Based on a recomendation by a Commission of Inquiry in 1995, the Intelligence Services Act 2001 ('the Act') came into being in 2001. It provides a legislative footing for ASIS and, for the first time, placed on the public record our functions and limits. Our primary role is to produce secret intelligence from human sources overseas, but it allows for additional tasks to be added to our mandate, as directed by the Government.
ASIS works closely with other members of the Australian Intelligence Community (AIC) to deliver Whole-of-Government outcomes. This active engagement and communication ensures a coordinated approach to intelligence activities and appropriate use of government resources. We operate as part of a wider group of intelligence allies, having close links to allied services and a wide range of ties with the intelligence services of other countries.
