In 1980, the Australian House of Representatives issued a statement supporting the establishment of a Bureau of Criminal Intelligence. It is anticipated that the bureau will provide facilities for the collection, analysis, and dissemination of criminal intelligence. It will impart accurate intelligence to police forces to expedite the apprehension and prosecution of identified offenders. Although organized crime has been recognized in Australia since at least 1720, it is only in recent years that the necessity for intelligence as an essential element of Australian police operations has been acknowledged. Organized crime usually is based in narcotics, prostitution, pornography, loan sharking, gambling, extortion, and/or fraud. The geographic scope of these activities has been enhanced with the development of modern communication systems. The primary value of crime intelligence is in facilitating the concentration of police resources at local, State, and Federal levels. Establishment of the bureau is a logical step, considering that policing in Australia has traditionally been subject to influences from both Great Britain and the United States. In addition, Canada's National Crime Intelligence Service offers a useful model for Australia. Attention must now be directed toward such factors as the bureau's autonomy of action, funding, staffing, data links, and coordination with existing intelligence efforts. Thirty-six footnotes are included.