Vale David Irvine

News today of the passing of David Irvine AO marks the end of a remarkable career in the service of the Australian people.

David Irvine, who was born and educated in Perth, was almost without peer in a decorated career in Foreign Affairs and the Australia Intelligence community. After a brief dabble in journalism in Perth, he joined the Department of External Affairs (now the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade) in 1970 and served as Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea from 1996–1999, and Australian Ambassador to China from 2000–2003.

His contribution to Australia’s national security extended to heading the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) from 2009 to 2014, following a six-year term as Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. The only person in Australian history to have led both agencies responsible for overseeing our domestic and foreign security.

David retained his contact with Western Australia through the development of Edith Cowan University’s Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre where he served for a period as Chairman.

“David’s intelligence, humour and experience will be greatly missed by all of those who had the good fortune of working with a truly outstanding Western Australian who made such an important contribution to our nation. Our work intersected in many different aspects, and I will miss him.”

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