▁from ▁recommend ations ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Commission ▁on ▁Int elligence ▁and ▁Security ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁First ▁Hope ▁Commission ) ▁which ▁was ▁established ▁on ▁ 2 1 ▁August ▁ 1 9 7 4 ▁by ▁Australia ' s ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁G ough ▁Whit lam ▁and ▁led ▁by ▁Justice ▁Robert ▁Hope , ▁for ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁an ▁independent ▁ag ency ▁to ▁provide ▁intelligence ▁assess ments ▁on ▁political , ▁strateg ic ▁and ▁economic ▁issues ▁directly ▁to ▁the ▁Prime ▁Minister . ▁The ▁Commission ▁reported ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁to ▁the ▁Australian ▁Government ▁led ▁by ▁Mal col m ▁F ras er , ▁and ▁four ▁of ▁its ▁eight ▁reports ▁were ▁table d ▁in ▁Parliament . ▁ ▁The ▁O NA ▁was ▁established ▁under ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁National ▁Ass ess ments ▁Act ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁which ▁ens ured ▁O NA ' s ▁stat ut ory ▁independence ▁from ▁government . ▁O NA ▁began ▁operations ▁on ▁ 2 0 ▁February ▁ 1 9 7 8 , ▁assuming ▁the ▁J oint ▁Int elligence ▁Organisation ' s ▁foreign ▁intelligence ▁assess ment ▁role . ▁The ▁J oint ▁Int elligence ▁Organisation ▁retained ▁its ▁defence ▁intelligence ▁assess ment ▁role ▁until ▁it ▁was ▁rest ruct ured ▁as ▁the ▁Def ence ▁Int elligence ▁Organisation ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁ ▁The ▁formation ▁of ▁the ▁Office ▁of ▁National ▁Int elligence ▁was ▁announced ▁by ▁Prime ▁Minister ▁Mal col m ▁Turn b ull ▁on ▁the ▁ 1 8 ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁in ▁line ▁with ▁recommend ations ▁from ▁the ▁ 2 0 1