David Irvine (diplomat)

David Taylor Irvine AO (born 1947) is an Australian diplomat, and since March 2009 has been the current Director-General of Security (head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation). Prior to his appointment to ASIO, he was Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service (ASIS) from 2003 to 2009.^[1]

Irvine was born in Perth, Western Australia^[2] and studied at Hale School and The University of Western Australia, graduating with honours in Elizabethan history. He worked as a journalist in Perth, and joined the Department of External Affairs (the Australian foreign service) in 1970, and served as Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea (1996–1999)^[3] and Australian Ambassador to China (2000–2003).^[1]

He has written two books about Indonesia: an 1990 English translation of Bisma: Warrior Priest of the Mahabharata by Satyagraha Hurip,^[4] and Leather Gods & Wooden Heroes: Java's Classical Wayang (1996; about Indonesian Wayang shadow puppets).^[5]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} McDonald, Hamish: Puppet-master now pulling the strings at ASIS, The Age, 20 February 2003.
2. ^ Appointment of Director-General, ASIS, Minister for Foreign Affairs, 23 December 2002.
3. ^ Diplomatic Appointment: High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea, Department of Foreign Affairs, 9 December 1995.
4. ^ Bisma : warrior priest of the Mahabharata / Satyagraha Hurip ; translated from the Indonesian by David Irvine, National Library of Australia, 1990.
5. ^ Leather gods & wooden heroes : Java's classical wayang / David Irvine, National Library of Australia, 1996.

Diplomatic posts
Preceded by Bill Farmer	Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea 1996–1999	Succeeded by Nick Warner
Preceded by Richard Smith	Australian Ambassador to China 2000–2003	Succeeded by Alan Thomas
Government offices
Preceded by Allan Taylor	Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service 2003–2009	Succeeded by Nick Warner
Preceded by Paul O'Sullivan	Director-General of Security 2009–present	Incumbent