75th Anniversary

1 April 2022 marked the start of the Australian Signals Directorate’s 75th anniversary year. Find out more about the events and activities planned to commemorate this significant milestone, and learn about our rich history and plans for a bright future.

Celebrating 75 Years

Decoded Exhibition

75 Years of the Australian Signals Directorate

Our History Timeline

For 75 years, ASD has collected intelligence about foreign adversaries while keeping our own national secrets safe. Explore ASD’s history and trace its origins back to the Second World War, when Australian Navy, Army and Air Force personnel were brought together to intercept and decode radio signals.

Old work space of Australian Signals Directorate.
Old work space of Australian Signals Directorate.

75th Anniversary Stories

The Australian Signals Directorate has a rich history. ASD can trace its origins back to the Second World War then was formed as a peacetime signals intelligence organisation in Albert Park, Melbourne. To learn more about ASD’s roots and beginnings, read some of our stories.

Photo of staff from the Defence Signals Bureau (as we were first named) from around 1953, around five years after the organisation was formed.
Photo of staff from the Defence Signals Bureau (as we were first named) from around 1953, around five years after the organisation was formed.

Interested in a Career with ASD?

Take our Career Quiz to see where you fit.

Acknowledgement of Country icon

Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their continuing connections to land, sea and communities. We pay our respects to them, their cultures and their Elders; past, present and emerging. We also recognise Australia's First Peoples' enduring contribution to Australia's national security.

Authorised by the Australian Government, Canberra