Documents Related to Behavioural or Psychological Experiments
Dear Department of Defence,
I am making a request under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth) for access to documents held by Department of Defense concerning experiments or programs involving behavioural modification, psychological manipulation, or mind control techniques, conducted or funded by the Australian government or in collaboration with foreign entities, between 1950 and 1990.
Specifically, I seek documents, including but not limited to reports, correspondence, memoranda, contracts, or financial records, that relate to:
1. Research or experiments involving psychoactive drugs (e.g., LSD, barbiturates, amphetamines), hypnosis, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or sensory deprivation for the purpose of influencing human behaviour or mental states.
2. Any Australian government involvement in, or knowledge of, foreign programs similar to the CIA’s MKUltra, Project Bluebird, or Project Artichoke, including funding, collaboration, or hosting of such activities in Australia.
3. Studies or trials conducted at universities, hospitals, or other institutions in Australia, including but not limited to the University of Sydney or Chelmsford Private Hospital, related to behavioural modification or psychological experimentation during the specified period.
4. Records of ethical oversight, approvals, or investigations into such programs, including any complaints or inquiries raised by participants or third parties.
I request that the documents be provided in electronic format where possible. If any documents are exempt under the FOI Act, please provide a detailed explanation of the exemptions applied and consider releasing redacted versions where feasible. I am willing to refine the scope of this request if it is deemed too broad, and I request a response within the statutory 30-day period.
If there are charges associated with processing this request, please inform me in advance.
Thank you for your assistance.
Yours sincerely,
Jake Morris
OFFICIAL
Good Morning Jake,
Thank you for your FOI inquiry.
Noting the timeframe for records outlined in your request, I would advise that any records relevant to you request will be subject to the Archives Act 1983 and not the Freedom of Information Act 1982.
Records created in 2004 or earlier are classed as open access records and must be requested under the Archives Act from the National Archives of Australia (NAA).
This is reflected in the Freedom of Information Act Part 3(12)(1) which reads:
12 Part not to apply to certain documents
(1) A person is not entitled to obtain access under this Part to:
(a) a document, or a copy of a document, which is, under the Archives Act 1983, within the open access period within the meaning of that Act unless the document contains personal information (including personal information about a deceased person); or
(b) a document that is open to public access, as part of a public register or otherwise, in accordance with another enactment, where that access is subject to a fee or other charge; or
(ba) a document that is open to public access, as part of a land title register, in accordance with a law of a State or Territory where that access is subject to a fee or other charge; or
(c) a document that is available for purchase by the public in accordance with arrangements made by an agency.
The following link will take you to the NAA website: https://www.naa.gov.au/
If you require assistance with your request, please use this link: https://www.naa.gov.au/help-your-research
Please note: When perusing the NAA Website, not all documents are automatically uploaded on the website. If you are unable to find what you are looking for, you will need to make an application via NAA to access the documents.
Defence will take no further action on your email.
Kind regards,
Freedom of Information Team
Media and Information Disclosure Branch
Ministerial & Executive Coordination and Communication Division
Department of Defence
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