Roger Holdich

Roger Holdich joined the club in 1953/4 when he was 19.  

Roger's career is extensive and a search of documents on the Internet only hints at that.

From the Australian DIPLOMATIC DIGEST (http://dfat.com/DFATsdecline.htm):

"(Malcolm) Fraser was angered by DFA's (Department of Foreign Affairs) resistance to his foreign policy vision. His radical solution: to run foreign policy from his own Prime Minister's Department. The International Division, previously limited to protocol-type functions, became under Allan Griffith and Roger Holdich the nerve centre of Fraser's foreign policy making. A frustrated Foreign Minister (Peacock) and DFA executive could get little through Cabinet without their endorsement.

While Griffith and Holdich exercised their power courteously and responsibly, the experience embittered DFA. Coming after Whitlam, Fraser's prime ministership further sapped DFA's self-confidence and prestige.


Media briefing and access to East Timor records, Tuesday, 19 September 2000.

The National Archives reminds the media of a special briefing on the East Timor records (1974-1976), from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), which are being made publicly available up to six years ahead of time.  Former Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security, Roger Holdich, will speak
about the way the records were assessed prior to release. Mr Holdich is a member of DFAT's editorial board for its publications of foreign policy documents.
The records comprise more than 300 files, 80 photographs and 15 tape recordings. They date from Portugal's decision to decolonise East Timor to President Suharto's signing of the bill to integrate it with Indonesia. The deaths of five Australia-based journalists at Balibo in October 1975 occurred in this period


From The Age, Monday 21 April 1997

Gareth Evans and Kim Beazley should have proceeded with a police investigation into Senator Mal Colston's expenses irregularities in 1983, according to a former senior public servant who recommended the action. The former deputy secretary of the department of Special Minister of State, Mr Roger Holdich, said yesterday he believed an investigation by the Australian Federal Police was ``warranted and the proper course''. Mr Beazley was acting Special Minister of State and Mr Evans was Attorney General at the time. Mr Holdich, who went on to become Inspector General of Intelligence and Security, made the comments as more details emerged on the roles of the now Leader and Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the 1983 scandal involving Senator Colston.