19 February 2001
Source: Hardcopy from Anonymous of documents related to Robert GOULD obtained
under the Australian Freedom of Information Act.
Italicized text is handwritten. xxxx indicates redactions.
[5 pages.]
(RL)90/9/102
TOP SECRET
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
_____________
AUSTRALIAN SECURITY INTELLIGENCE ORGANISATION
TELEGRAMS: BOX 5224, G.P.O.
"AUSTERITY", SYDNEY SYDNEY
1st November, 1966
Headquarters
Attention P.C.L.O.
xxxxxxx
Warrants: 409, 410
411, 414
419.
1. Information was received from the P.M.G.
Technical Officer on Monday, 31.10.66 that the following
Channels have been disconnected on this date.
2. The date 31.10.66 is the expiry date for which
the respective warrants were issued.
Ch. 8 211.0077 A.C.I.D. W.409
10 51.1477 Geoffrey Ronald [Illegible]
ANDERSON W.410 90/9/W.409
12 789.1105 Barry James W.411
ROBINSON W410
9 71.3141 William Eric W.414 W411
GOLLAN W414
17 32.6875 Robert Steven W.419 W419
GOULD
xxxxxx
xxxxxx
xxxxxxxxx
for Deputy Director General
(N.S.W. Operations)
DISTRIBUTION:
Copy 1 - HQ
2 - TS2/16/96
3 - TS2/16/98
4 - TS2/16/99
5 - TS2/16/97
6 - TS2/16/100
ML 672
TOP SECRET
TOP SECRET 450
No. W.419
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATIONS (INTERCEPTION) ACT, 1960
WARRANT
7
WHEREAS on the seventeenth day of October 1966
I received a request by the Director-General of Security made pursuant to
section 6 of the Telephonic Communications (Interception) Act 1960 for the
issue of a warrant under that section in respect of the telephone service
described hereunder and WHEREAS I am satisfied that that telephone
service is likely to be used by a person reasonably suspected by the
Director-General of Security of being likely to engage in subversive activities
prejudicial to the security of the Commonwealth and that interception by the
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation of communications passing to, from
or over that telephone service is likely to assist the Organisation in carrying
out its function of obtaining intelligence relevant to the security of the
Commonwealth, NOW pursuant to section 6 of the Act, I AUTHORIZE the
Organization to intercept communications passing over that telephone service or
any telephone line that connects that service to a telephone exchange.
The description of the telephone service is as follows.
The name, address and occupation of the subscriber to the
service are : Robert Stephen GOULD
61, Holdsworth Street,
Woollahra,
New South Wales
The number alloted to the service by the Postmaster-General's
Department is : Sydney 326875.
This Warrant is to remain in force from the day of the date hereof until
January 7
five o'clock in the afternoon of the thrity-first day of October, 1966, unless it
is sooner revoked.
Dated at Melbourne
7
this seventeenth day of October 1966
[(Initials) Signature of Snedden]
Attorney-General
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TOP SECRET 450
No. W.419
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA
TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATIONS (INTERCEPTION) ACT, 1960
REQUEST
by the Director-General of Security
To the Attorney-General
Pursuant to section 6 of the Telephonic Communications (Interception)
Act 1960, I request the issue of a warrant under that section in respect of the
telephone service described hereunder.
The name, address and occupation of the subscriber to the
service are : Robert Stephen GOULD
61, Holdsworth Street,
Woollahra,
New South Wales
The number alloted to the service by the Postmaster-General's
Department is : Sydney 326875.
The service is installed at : 61, Holdsworth Street,
Woollahra,
New South Wales
The facts and grounds on which I consider it necessary that the
warrant should be issued are as follows.
1. The telphone service is likely to be used by Robert Stephen
Patrick GOULD, who is suspected by me of being likely to engage in
subversive activity prejudicial to the security of the Commonwealth.
2. The interception by the Australian Security Intelligence Organization
of communications passing to, from or over the telephone service is likely to
assist the Organization in carrying out its function of obtaining intelligence
relevant to the security of the Commonwealth.
PARTICULARS
3. (a) Robert Stephen Patrick GOULD is an Australian citizen born at
Sydney, New South Wales on 6th March, 1937. He resides at
61, Holdsworth Street, Wollahra, New South Wales. His
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2.
occupation is Bookshop Manager.
(b) Robert Stephen Patrick GOULD is a committee member of the
Association for International Co-operation and disarmament and an
executive member of the Vietnam Action Committee. He is also
Joint Secretary of the Project Vietnam Committee. He is a member
of the Australian Labor Party and is believed to be a Trotskyist
sympathizer. He is a member, also, of the Australia China Society.
(c) GOULD has twice been arrested by the Police and he is
considered to be an extremist by the Association for International
Co-operation and Disarmament.
On 15th April, 1966, at Garden Island, New South Wales, he
attempted to chain himself to the roof of the guard house and in
May, 1965, he was arrested at a "sit-down" demonstration in
Canberra. He has participated in most demonstrations that have
been staged by the groups with which he is connected and various
sources are doubtful about GOULD's actions in demonstrations
against the President of the United States of America while he is
in Australia, because of his extreme views.
> This request should be read in conjunction with Request
No. R447
4. Interception of this telephone service is likely to provide information
that will assist the Australian Security Intelligence Organization to :-
(a) provide advance information to responsible authorities, of public
President Nguyen
protest demonstrations planned during the visit of the President of
Ky of South Vietnam
the United States of America, Lyndon Baines JOHNSON, to
18th 27th January 7
Australia during the period 20th to 23rd October, 1966, and
President Nguyen
(b) contribute towards protection and safety of President JOHNSON
Ky
during the time he is in Australia and during the further progress of
his tour abroad.
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3.
5. Although the prime responsiblity for the protection of President
JOHNSON rests with the Commonwealth and State Police Forces, the
Australian Security Intelligence Organization has the responsibility to collect
and pass to them the relevant intelligence which would assist those
organizations in carrying out their task effectively.
6. 8 The grounds on which I suspect that the telephone service is likely
to be used for the purposes prejudicial to the security of the Commonwealth, are
as set out in paragraphs 3 and 4 above, under the heading "Particulars".
7. 9 I request that, if a Warrant is issued in respect to this Request,
January 7
such warrant remain in force until the thirty-first day of October, 1966.
Dated the fourteenth day of October 1966.
[(Initials) Signature of Spry]
Director-General of Security
_______________________________________________________________________________
DECISION of the ATTORNEY-GENERAL
(Where Warrant Issue)
450
Warrant No. W. 419, issued on the seventeenth day of
7
October 1966, effective until five o'clock in the afternoon of the
January 7
thirty-first day of October, 1966.
[(Initials) Signature of Snedden]
Attorney-General
17/ 10 /19 66
(Where Warrant refused)
Warrant refused.
Attorney-General
/ /
TOP SECRET
Transcription and HTML by Cryptome.
It is not clear if these warrants were forged. Not all dates of 1966 were converted to 1967 by hand. In particular the last Attorney-General signature is dated 17/10/66 whereas most other 1966 dates have been revised to 1967 by hand. Also, the renumbered paragraphs 8 and 9 on page 3 are not properly sequential after paragraph 5. Handwriting appears to be the same in all cases, even for the authorizing signatures -- in the latter there are the same initials for signatures of both Director-Genral of Security Spry and Attorney-General Snedden. And it is strange that a warrant requested for the protection of President Johnson was converted for one for the protection of President Ky, rather than simply making another request in clean text. Perhaps Mr. Gould was found to be not so great a danger to Johnson, or perhaps an earlier warrant to protect Johnson was recycled and forged to protect Ky.