Author Archives: Kieran Finnane

Kieran Finnane

About Kieran Finnane

Kieran Finnane is the author of a Peace Crimes: Pine Gap, national security and dissent, UQP,2020. She lives in Alice Springs. After arts and film studies in Sydney and Paris and early employment in television, she found her true home in print, writing about the social and cultural life of Central Australia with a commitment to detail, context and recognising complexity. A founding journalist of the Alice Springs News, she also contributes to national publications. Her first book was Trouble: On Trial in Central Australia, UQP, 2016.

‘Power and pain’: an Australian citizens’ encounter with the SAS

By Kieran Finnane | On 26 November 2020

Outside of Defence circles not many Australians would have had a close physical confrontation with members of the SAS. Four peace activists did in 2014 when their trespass on the Swan Island military base was dealt with by two enraged … Continue reading →

Posted in Defence and Security | Tagged | 2 Comments

Building a wall of silence about possible attacks on Australia.

By Kieran Finnane | On 20 November 2020

There are plans to protect civilian populations in the case of a military attack on Australian soil, but they’re “classified” – not reassuring when you live in close proximity to the Pine Gap military base, widely regarded as a likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Defence and Security | 3 Comments

The militarised centre of Australia

By Kieran Finnane | On 19 July 2020

I can remember the naive excitement with which I ventured up the Stuart Highway for the first time more than thirty years ago. Now I feel the weight of the creeping expansion of a militarised swathe running south to north … Continue reading →

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A rose coloured view of the dangers of Pine Gap

By Kieran Finnane | On 25 June 2020

Fifty years ago this month Pine Gap, the American military base in the centre of Australia, commenced operations. With no public fanfare, this anniversary might have passed by unnoticed if former National Security Agency electronic intelligence analyst at the base, … Continue reading →

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