Professor John Blaxland

PhD (War Studies), MA (History), BA (Hons 1)

John Blaxland is a Professor in International Security and Intelligence Studies, Director ANU Southeast Asia Institute, and Head at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at ANU. He holds a PhD in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, an MA in History from ANU, a BA (Hons) from UNSW and is a graduate of the Royal Thai Army Command and Staff College and the Royal Military College, Duntroon (Blamey Scholar). He is a former Director Joint Intelligence Operations (J2), at Headquarters Joint Operations Command and was Australia’s Defence Attaché to Thailand and Burma/Myanmar. He is a member of the ANU Academic Board as well as the Australian Army Journal editorial board and also an occasional commentator in the media.

Professor Blaxland is one of the authors of a three-volume history of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) that covers its foundation in 1949 through to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. He will speak about the themes and key observations and about the role of ASIO in countering subversion and Soviet espionage as well as protecting the secrets of Australia and its close ‘five eyes’ partners. This is a story about a key US intelligence partner and its struggles during the Cold War. It is also a story about the security and intelligence function as an arm of government and its place in society. Observations made have resonance for security challenges of today.