Intelligence and Security

Australian Military History and Strategy 

Military Operations (including Iraq and Afghanistan)

International Relations, on South-east Asia/ASEAN (Thailand, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Indonesia, South China Sea) and North America, (Canada and the United States)

Defence Studies

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Dr John Blaxland is a Senior Fellow at the Strategic and Defence Studies Centre at ANU who writes about and provides occasional media commentary on military history, intelligence and security and Asia-Pacific affairs. He holds a PhD in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, an MA in History from ANU, a BA (Hons) from UNSW and is a graduate of the Royal Thai Army Command and Staff College. He is a former Director Joint Intelligence Operations (J2), at Headquarters Joint Operations Command and was Australia’s Defence Attaché to Thailand and Burma/Myanmar.  His publications include (as editor) East Timor Intervention (MUP, 2015), and as author The Protest Years: The Official History of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation 1963-1975, (A&U, 2015).

Earlier publications include The Australian Army From Whitlam to Howard (CUP, 2014). Strategic Cousins (MQUP, 2006), Revisiting Counterinsurgency (LWSC, 2006), Information era Manoeuvre (LWSC, 2002), Signals (RASigs, 1999) and Organising an Army (SDSC, 1989). He also wrote “Australia, Indonesia and Southeast Asia” in  Dean, et. al., Australia’s Defence: Towards a New Era? (MUP, 2014). 

In 2014 he was awarded a Minerva Research Initiative grant for a project entitled "Thailand's Military, the USA and China: Understanding how the Thai Military Perceives The Great Powers and Implications For the US Rebalance". 

Along with Military History and Heritage Victoria, SDSC is convening a conference 'War in the Sand Pit: Perspectives and Lessons from Australia's War in Afghanistana dnIraq 2001-2014" on 12-13 May 2017. register at www.mhv.org.au