Australian Federal Police The First Thirty Years i © Commonwealth of Australia 2009 ISBN: 978-0-646-52588-4 Copyright Notice Cover Images The cover design shows the six AFP Commissioners from 1979 to 2009. Second Revision: May 2012 From left to right they are: This work is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior written permission from the Sir Colin Woods KCVO CBE QPM 1979–1982 Commonwealth. Requests and enquiries concerning reproduction and rights should be Major General Ron Grey AO DSO 1983–1988 addressed to: Peter McAulay AO QPM 1988–1994 The AFP History Project Mick Palmer AO APM 1994–2001 Recognition and Ceremonial Mick Keelty APM 2001–2009 Australian Federal Police Tony Negus APM 2009–current GPO Box 401 Canberra City ACT 2601. Emails regarding this document can be addressed to [email protected] Other contact information can be found on the AFP website: www.afp.gov.au ii Dedication This work is dedicated to the men and women of the AFP, sworn and unsworn, who over the past three decades have taken the AFP from an idea to a reality. By their daily commitment to protect the nation and its citizens, AFP members serve communities, not only in Australia, but in trouble spots around the world making the AFP a unique arm of Australian law enforcement. iii About this Document While the AFP is still relatively young, it has grown almost continually since 1979. In that time it has had to deal with constantly changing trends in technology and corporate structure in order to keep pace with Government expectations and the business of fighting crime in Australia and overseas. This document captures the facts and figures of the AFP’s growth since 1979. The report recommending the creation of the AFP written by Sir Robert Mark in 1978 in the wake of the Sydney Hilton bombing laid out the foundations for the AFP’s creation. That report was tapped out on an electric typewriter and printed as a small booklet for the Australian Government to consider. The distribution of this booklet was limited to the interested few. Australian Federal Police: The First Thirty Years is available to view on the World Wide Web and was created using technology that was impossible to imagine in 1979. This publication is a summary of the AFP’s history drawn from annual reports, media releases and other corporate documents; it does not offer an interpretation of the AFP’s achievements, leaving the facts to speak for themselves. iv Contents i Title Page iii Dedication v Contents vii Foreword viii Past Commissioners 1 Chapter 1: The Woods Years, 1979–1982 11 Chapter 2: The Grey Years, 1983–1988 25 Chapter 3: The McAulay Years, 1988–1994 35 Chapter 4: The Palmer Years, 1994–2001 53 Chapter 5: The Keelty Years, 2001–2009 83 Chapter 6: Time Line of Events, 1979–2009 143 Chapter 7: Key Facts, 1979–2009 177 Chapter 8: Before the Australian Federal Police 183 Index 188 Questions – Comments – Feedback v Photographic Copyright Most of the photographs in this work are tagged with the identity of the copyright owner. The photographs tagged:Canberra Times or ACT Heritage Library, Canberra Times Collection are not to be reproduced without permission of those organisations. Photographs from the AFP Museum Collection are copyright of the Australian Federal Police and may be used for AFP purposes by members, but with an attribution to the AFP Museum Collection. These photos are a collection of operational, promotional and event photographs taken by a variety of AFP employees over many years. In some cases, the AFP Museum Collection also contains personal photos loaned or donated to the collection. These photographs may be subject to specific conditions of use. An exhaustive search to locate possible copyright owners has been made. Copyright ownership claims should be directed to the AFP Museum or where a photograph is suspected of being attributed incorrectly, also contact the AFP Museum. The photos attributed to the Australian Customs Service have been sourced from the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service website Media Room via www.customs.gov.au and are used in accordance with the conditions specified on the website. All portrait photos are from the files of AFP Marketing or the AFP Museum and are AFP copyright. In all cases the Australian Federal Police must be acknowledged as the source when reproducing or quoting any part of this publication. vi Foreword Commissioner Tony Negus has been When I joined the AFP in 1982, I was It is clear from the pages of this publication a member of the Australian Federal attracted to a career with the AFP principally that those principles have blossomed with Police since 1982 working in a variety because it offered a wider range of career the AFP enjoying excellent interagency of fields, including community policing, possibilities in policing. relations not only with Australia’s state federal investigations, training and At the time, the AFP was active in police, but with law enforcement agencies protection. He has been the officer in community policing, national investigations around the world. This level of cooperation charge of both the AFP Brisbane and and international peacekeeping with the was deemed necessary by Sir Colin Woods Sydney offices, as well as heading up United Nations in Cyprus. and actively pursued by all subsequent AFP the AFP’s protection responsibilities. Commissioners. As you read through the pages of Australian In July 2006, Commissioner Negus Federal Police: The First Thirty Years it is At 30 years-of-age the AFP has built its was appointed as the National possible to see at a glance the incredible reputation on a tradition of high achievement Manager of Human Resources growth in the AFP’s role and capacity that and professional conduct. This is a legacy followed by appointment to Deputy has taken place over the past three decades. that we not only need to champion for Commissioner Operations on ourselves, but in honour of those who have 19 October 2007. It is only with the passing of time that it is met the challenge before us. possible to gain perspective on how far the Sworn in as AFP Commissioner AFP has travelled. During the AFP’s early on 7 September 2009, Mr Negus years a few fundamental principles were laid Tony Negus APM has responsibility for the operation Commissioner down; these included a spirit of interagency and direction of the AFP as well as Australian Federal Police Tony Negus APM cooperation accompanied by expectations serving on various boards for other law Commissioner of high integrity and achievement. October 2009 Australian Federal Police enforcement agencies. vii Past Commissioners Sir Colin Woods KCVO CBE QPM: AFP Commissioner 1979 –1982 After completing secondary Colin was also in that year appointed Police, into the fledgling AFP. Within instrumental in shaping the creation school, Sir Colin Woods joined the Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of a month of the commencement of the Australian Bureau of Criminal British Army (60th Rifles) and was Constabulary in England and Wales of AFP operations, the Federal Intelligence. commissioned in the Royal Ulster – a position he held for two years. Narcotics Bureau was disbanded Sir Colin’s vision was for the AFP Rifles (1939–1946). He was then selected to be the first and its functions and personnel were to be universally recognised as an In 1946 he joined the London Commissioner of the Australian transferred to the AFP. organisation imbued with integrity Metropolitan Police as a constable Federal Police, travelling to Australia He observed at the time that while and one in which members and being sworn in on 11 September and after a policing career involving various people had been preoccupied supported and encouraged each 1979. a range of appointments throughout with the concept of a national other. the London Metropolitan Police, Sir Colin was immediately faced Commonwealth policing body, his Sir Colin Woods retired on 31 August including Assistant Commissioner with the task of melding two role was essentially concerned with 1982 and returned to England. He (Crime), he rose to the rank of Deputy separate organisations, the former people and how it would all come passed away at the age of 80 in Commissioner. Knighted in 1977, Sir Commonwealth Police and ACT together on the ground. He was also London on 27 January 2001. Major General Ronald Grey, AO DSO: AFP Commissioner 1983–1988 Ron Grey was a career army officer committee of the Australian Bureau number of countries in which the who attained the rank of Major of Criminal Intelligence and led the AFP had posts from three to 12. He General in 1978. He served in Australian delegations to the Interpol was also responsible for focusing Borneo, Korea, and had a number annual General Assembly meetings. government on the cost of crime and of tours of duty in Vietnam. For his the resources required to cope with it. In May 1987, he became the first service in Vietnam he was made Australian police commissioner to Another legacy of Mr Grey’s military a Companion of the Distinguished make an official visit to the People’s background was a recognition of Service Order and was awarded Republic of China. His understanding the value of strategic and tactical the Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with and appreciation of international intelligence in the fight against organised crime – particularly drug Palm. cooperation led to a major expansion trafficking. During his five-year term with the of the AFP’s overseas liaison officer AFP, Mr Grey served for one year as network during the period he was Mr Grey retired from the AFP on the chairman of the management Commissioner, increasing the 15 February 1988.