David Irvine

Who is David Irvine?

David Taylor Irvine AO is an Australian diplomat, and since March 2009 has been the current Director-General of Security. Prior to his appointment to ASIO, he was Director-General of the Australian Secret Intelligence Service from 2003 to 2009.

Irvine was born in Perth, Western Australia 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 in 1970, and served as Australian High Commissioner to Papua New Guinea and Australian Ambassador to China.

He has written two books about Indonesia: an 1990 English translation of Bisma: Warrior Priest of the Mahabharata by Satyagraha Hurip, and Leather Gods & Wooden Heroes: Java's Classical Wayang.