Prior to 1946 the general policy and organisation of military or non-domestic intelligence matters in Australia and its Territories had traditionally been the responsibility of the Australian Government, the work apparently being carried out primarily by the Intelligence Directorates of the Armed Services.
Following the May 1946 Prime Ministers' Conference held in London, Australia undertook to accept wider responsibilities in regard to certain aspects of British Commonwealth defence, one of which related to the responsibility for intelligence within a broad area including the "Australia-N.Z. Intelligence Area", together with China, Korea, Manchuria, Japan, Burma, French Indo-China, Siam, Malaya, Netherlands East Indies, Philippines and the Pacific Islands as far east as 180 degrees.
It was decided to establish a Joint Intelligence Bureau (JIB) and a Signal Intelligence Centre, both of which were to be placed under the general direction of the Controller of Joint Intelligence, who would be responsible to the Secretary of Defence for administrative matters and to the Joint Intelligence Committee for the co-ordination, supervision and intelligence administration of both bodies.
The functions of the Bureau were defined as follows:
To collate, evaluate and distribute factual intelligence relating to topography, communications, ports and harbours, landing beaches, aviation facilities, the defences, the economic, industrial and manpower facilities and the social and constitutional organisation of countries within its area of responsibility.
The reporting of dissemination of political intelligence was not considered to be a function of the JIB, being the province of the then Department of External Affairs [II].
The area of responsibility allocated to the Joint Intelligence Bureau at its creation comprised the Pacific Ocean area, excluding North and South America, but including the Far Eastern Countries and the Antarctic. The primary purpose of the Bureau was to supply, within the scope of its functions, the strategic intelligence requirements of the authorities responsible for British Commonwealth defence.
The relationship between the Bureau and agencies of other Commonwealth countries (eg NZ, Britain and Canada) is subject to further research, as is its relationship with Australian agencies. The new position of Director, Joint Intelligence Bureau (Melbourne) was created on 9 December 1946 and Allen Percy Fleming was appointed to the position on 5 May 1947.
The Bureau was referred to as the Joint Intelligence Bureau (Melbourne) (JIB (M)) to distinguish it from the other Commonwealth country agencies such as JIB (L) in London. The agency became Joint Intelligence Bureau (Australia) in 1961 after the agency moved from Melbourne to Canberra.
In 1969, the Joint Intelligence Bureau was amalgamated with sections of the three Armed Services Directorates of Intelligence to form the Joint Intelligence Organisation (CA 1533). The effective date of this amalgamation was 1 May 1969, when Mr R W Furlonger took up his appointment as Director, Joint Intelligence Organisation.
Historical agency address
1947-c1960: Department of Defence, Victoria Barracks, St Kilda Road, Melbourne
c1960-1969: Department of Defence, Canberra
Superior agency unregistered
Controller of Joint Intelligence, Department of Defence [III]