Australian Border Force

The origins of the Australian Border Force are traced back to the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, when the Department of Trade and Customs was formed as one of the first seven Commonwealth Departments of state. On 4 July 1901, The Honourable Charles Kingston announced that Dr. Harry Wollaston would be appointed the first Comptroller-General of Commonwealth Customs. The Customs Act 1901 received Royal Assent on 4 October 1901 as the sixth Act of Federation, giving Customs legal powers to enforce tariffs, duties and excise.[8]

The 1950s saw large changes to Customs, primarily in the creation of preventative officers; uniformed personnel charged with examining baggage of incoming passengers, searching vessels and deterring the importation of contraband into Australia. In 1957, Customs employed its first woman, Athena Antonopoulou, as an interpreter. She was credited with creating the first female uniform, as one did not exist prior. In 1969, Customs expanded its staffing to include detector dogs, to assist in sniffing out illicit substances following similar successes overseas. In December 1969, the Federal Bureau of Narcotics was established within Customs, as part of responsibilities transferred by then Prime Minister John Gorton to the Department. The Bureau conducted operations against illegal drug trafficking, fraud and smuggling activities. The introduction of this Bureau saw Customs acquire broad powers in relation to drug control in a law enforcement capacity, and marked a change from the previous operations of the service.[8]

In 1972, Customs introduced the world's first computerised entry system, the Integrated National System for Processing Entries from Customs Terminals (INSPECT). Prior to its introduction, all customs entries were processed manually, marking a significant improvement in customs procedures. Similarly, in August 1974 Customs introduced the Passenger Automatic Selection System (PASS), as a standard method of alert-list checking at the airport, replacing cumbersome and time-consuming Teledex machines for sourcing passenger information. In 1975, Customs was briefly merged with the Commonwealth Police, Northern Territory Police and ACT Police to form the Australia Police (the failed precursor to the Australian Federal Police and part of the Department of Police and Customs) by the Whitlam Government. After six months of operations, following the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis, the Department was dismantled, the Australia Police disbanded and the Bureau of Customs was transferred to the Department of Business and Consumer Affairs.[8]

In 1976 Customs introduced the Customs On-Line Method of Preparing for Invoices Lodgeable Entries (COMPILE) system. The system allowed for agents and importers to use visual display units and printers in their offices to connect to departmental systems. The system was so successful it was only decommissioned in 2006, with the introduction of the Integrated Cargo System (ICS). On 6 November 1980, at the recommendation of the Williams Royal Commission, the Australian Narcotics Bureau was disbanded by the Fraser government. The government re-purposed Customs as the agency responsible for enforcing federal laws relating to importation of drugs at the border. The Australian Federal Police assumed responsibility for drug enforcement operations onshore. In 1982 the Bureau of Customs was transferred to the portfolio of the Department of Industry, Technology and Commerce and formally became the Australian Customs Service.[8]

On 10 June 1985, the Government of Australia formally established the Australian Customs Service (ACS) as an independent agency of the Australian Public Service within the portfolio of the Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce. The statutory office of Comptroller-General of Customs, responsible for administering the ACS, was also established on that date. The Australian Customs Service formally commenced operations on 1 July 1985.[8]

In August 1988, the Australian Coastal Surveillance Organisation became Coastwatch and was transferred to the Australian Customs Service. The organisation assumed the role of coordinating all civil maritime surveillance on behalf of the Australian government. In October 1998, the Australian Customs Service was transferred to the portfolio of the Attorney-General's Department. That same month, machinery of government changes removed the administration of excise duties from Customs and transferred them to the Australian Taxation Office, with 248 staff transferred by July 1999 and the end of a 98 year history of collecting excise duties on manufactured alcohol, tobacco and petroleum products. In 1999, the Australian Customs Service conducted its first support role for United Nations in assisting to establish border control in East Timor, following the 1999 East Timorese crisis.[8]

In January 2001, the Australian Customs Service celebrated 100 years of service with the Centenary of Federation.[8]

Border Protection Command (BPC) was established in 2005 as the leader and coordinator of Australian maritime security operations. It brought together elements of the Australian Defence Force, Australian Fisheries Management Authority, Australian Maritime Safety Authority, and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. As part of the introduction of BPC, the Australian Customs Service and Royal Australian Navy take the lead on commanding and controlling Operation Resolute.[8]

In December 2008 then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd announced that the Australian Government would be augmenting, re-tasking and renaming the Australian Customs Service to create the new Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. Royal assent was given to the changes on 22 May 2009 and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service was established thereafter, remaining within the Attorney General's Department.[8]

Operation Sovereign Borders was announced in September 2013 by then Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Scott Morrison and Lieutenant General Angus Campbell as a Joint Agency Task Force to bring together 16 different agencies to coordinate the whole-of-government response to illegal maritime arrivals. The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service is then formally moved from the Attorney General's Department to the newly formed Department of Immigration and Border Protection.[8]

In May 2014, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection Scott Morrison announced large changes to the border protection arrangements within Australia, through the consolidation of all frontline immigration and customs functions in a single organisation, the Australian Border Force. As a result, Regional Commands are established across Australia to provide local Command and Control functions. Each Regional Command became responsible for deployment of Border Force Officers in specified geographic areas to achieve strategic outcomes. The Australian Border Force was formally established on 1 July 2015.[8]

The Operations Group has responsibilities for all operational activity relating to the management of travellers, goods and cargo throughout the border continuum, through Compliance, Enforcement and Investigation activities. The Operations Group consists of the following commands:

• Maritime Border Command is Australia's lead civil maritime security agency operating in the maritime domain, to ensure compliance with Australia's maritime legislation by foreign and domestic non-state actors. It is a multi agency task force working in direct collaboration with the Australian Defence Force responsible for civil maritime security and coast guard activities.[9][10]

• Enforcement Command is the criminal investigations and field operations command of the ABF responsible for investigating and enforcing Australian customs and immigration laws and combating transnational organised crime within the borders of Australia.

• Port Operations Command oversees all border protection operations at port of entry and international gateways including international airports, sea ports and international mail gateways across the state and territories of Australia through regional sub-commands. From September 2014, Counter Terrorism Units (CTU) were operating in all major international airports, who from December 2014 were granted authority to carry firearms in airports, to intercept travellers who are departing to join terrorist organisations in conflict zones such as Islamic State and to intercept returning members of terrorist organisations such as fighters.[11]

• Operation Sovereign Borders Joint-Agency Task Force (OSB JATF) coordinates the whole-of-government effort to counter and combat people-smuggling and protect Australia's borders from maritime criminal activities. It is supported by three operational task groups: the Disruption and Deterrence Task Group led by the Australian Federal Police, the Detection, Interception and Transfer task group led by Maritime Border Command, and the Offshore Detention and Removal Task Group, led by the Support Group. OSB JATF coordinates and controls maritime operations, law enforcement, intelligence and policy functions.

• Border Patrol and Coordination Command provides 24/7 operational coordination capability to the ABF in collaboration with regional and international law enforcement and defence partners and houses the Australian Border Operations Centre (ABOC). The Border Patrol and Coordination Command is also responsible for border protection efforts across Northern Australia alongside the Australian Defence Force Northern Command.[12]

The Support Group has responsibility for providing planning, support and specialist services to ensure operational continuity across the border continuum and the operational management responsibility for detention services management including health, detention estate management, and regional processing and settlement.[13] The Support Group includes the following commands:

• Strategic Border Command provides strategic coordination for the ABF including ministerial and parliamentary services, international liaison, and governance oversight.

• Close Support Command develops the marine, aviation, and tactical capabilities of the ABF including surveillance, forensics and the Detector Dog Program.

• Detention and Offshore Operations Command provides immigration detention services including the regional processing and resettlement program.

• Operational Practices Command is responsible for personnel management, workforce development, and education and training including the Australian Border Force College.

• ABF Business Services provide corporate support to the ABF and coordinate administrative compliance activities across the organisation. It maintains the link between the Department and the ABF, and is responsible for finance, property, legal, integrity, security and assurance services.

• Surgeon General is the Chief Medical Officer of the ABF and provides high-level strategic and expert clinical advice to the Secretary of the Department and Commissioner of the ABF on portfolio health matters.

The Australian Border Force has its own rank structure. Uniformed Australian Border Force officers have their rank displayed on their shoulder epaulettes, attached to shirts, jumpers or jacket. The rank and epaulette styling is in line with many other border agencies and shares close similarities with its United Kingdom counterpart, the Border Force.

The ABF rank insignia's have four components placed against an ink navy coloured field:

• Crown of St. Edward
• Star of the Order of the Bath
• Porticullis encompassed by a gold laurel wreath
• Gold bar/s

ABF Front line Officer ranks and insignia (commonly seen at Airports, Seaports, Border Patrol, Enforcement & Maritime Ops, Air Cargo, Container Examination Facility, Postal Exams, Detector Dog Unit.)
Rank	Assistant Border Force Officer (level 1)	Assistant Border Force Officer (level 2)	Border Force Officer	Leading Border Force Officer	Senior Border Force Officer	Border Force Supervisor
Australian Public Service (APS) level	APS 1	APS 2	APS 3	APS 4	APS 5	APS 6
Insignia

ABF Executive level ranks and insignia
Rank	Border Force Inspector	Border Force Superintendent	Border Force Chief Superintendent	Commander (Regional Commander)	Assistant Commissioner of the ABF	Deputy Commissioner of the ABF	Commissioner of the ABF
Australian Public Service (APS) level	EL 1	EL 2	EL 2	SES 1	SES 2	SES 3	Department Secretary/Director-General/CEO
Insignia

Content in this Wikipedia article was based on the Australian Border Force: Who we are, listed on the "Department of Immigration and Border Protection", published by the Commonwealth of Australia under CC-BY 3.0 licence (accessed on 30 May 2016).