Threshold Agents In Australia

[Sheerluck Holmes]

Inspired by the '...Agents in the U.K.' thread, I have decided to start this one to spread the joy around the world.

As I discovered, MI5 had an "Australian Branch" which was formed in February 1917 called Special Intelligence Bureau headed by Sir George Stewart, with Harold Jones as his assistant.

In November 1919, after a contest with the Department of Defence for control of internal security, the bureau was reorganized as the Commonwealth Investigation Branch and Security Section, with Harold Jones as director.

 The C.I.B. was an agency independent of the States intended to deal with claims and other matters arising from the war and to investigate offences against the Commonwealth. He was also to continue, under cover of the C.I.B., the Special Intelligence Bureau.


 As Melbourne was the Capital of Australia at this time, I will be focusing my initial research on Melbourne and Victoria, but I wont be forgetting the rest of Australia.

Australia's capital: 1901-1927

Due to the Gold Rush in Victoria, Melbourne gained the status as Australia's largest city, which is why it was chosen for it to become the seat of government of the new Commonwealth of Australia when the six colonies federated in 1901.

 The 'official launch' of the Australian Government was held at the Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, which then occupied Parliament House in Melbourne until 1927 (when it moved to Canberra).

Australian Prime Ministers

William "Billy" Hughes from 1915 - 1923
Stanley Bruce 1923 - 1929
James Scullin 1929 - 1932

[Lupus]

Sweet good luck with this chap 

[commissarmoody]

Cant wait to see what else you find out.

[Lupus]

This could be a very handy links for you

http://www.naa.gov.au/about-us/publications/fact-sheets/fs33.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Security_Intelligence_Organisation

[carlos marighela]

There's a book on the SMS Wolf, the German Raider that operated off Australia during the Great War, that sheds a little light on George Stewart and the SIB. Like its later incarnation ASIO it was never a terribly efficient organisation. Australian intelligence has always had a slightly comic opera tone.

 Stewart did at least suggest that the loss of Australian shipping was attributable to a German commerce raider at a time when all kinds of bizarre theories were circulating about fictitious German saboteurs. One poor sod, a fisherman of German descent, resident in East Gippsland was actually jugged for supposedly planting a bomb aboard the Cumberland. How he acheived such a feat is anyones guess. Billy Hughes of course whipped up the fear in his usual jingo style.

Two of Australia's worst PMs in that list, the little digger and the man best known for his use of spats.

[Christian]

A new acronym is in order: the Supernatural and Occult Branch (SOB)?

[Sheerluck Holmes]

 

[D@rth J@ymZ]

A new acronym is in order: the Supernatural and Occult Branch (SOB)?

I prefer "The Super Heroes In Training"...

[Uncle Mike]