On 29 November 1917, at a public rally over this issue in the rural Queensland township of Warwick, an egg was thrown at Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes.

Hughes claimed Australia was at risk from possible revolt or similar action by organisations associated with either Irish nationalism, left wing and anti-war activities, such as Sinn Féin and the Industrial Workers of the World.

The second role was to conduct special intelligence investigations and mount surveillance on any left-wing groups the Government felt to be subversive of national security.

Jones became the head of the Special Intelligence Bureau and led the Investigation Branch; among the hallmarks of his time in office was a single-minded focus on suppressing left-wing groups of any sort, ranging from trade unions to the nascent Communist Party of Australia.

[3] During World War II the CIB's special intelligence functions were largely handed over to the Commonwealth Security Service (CSS).

When Jones retired, in 1943, he is said to have refused to hand over codes given to him by MI5, and sent a secret report on CIB's activities to the head of MI5, Sir David Petrie.

For administrative reasons, the head of the Commonwealth Investigation Service (CIS) was also automatically in charge of the POG, with the title Superintending Peace Officer.

Ray Whitrod, a former Detective Senior Constable in the South Australia Police and early member of ASIO, succeeded Longfield Lloyd as head of CIS and the Peace Officer Guard in 1953.

By the early 1950s the Commonwealth Investigation Service was run-down and largely ineffective: It had lost a lot of its quality staff to Australian Security Intelligence Organisation; resources were limited; and its role was in reality poorly defined.

After Whitrod left in 1969 to head the Royal Papua & New Guinea Constabulary (as it was then known), Commissioner Jack Davis led the Commonwealth Police.

Following the 1978 terrorist bombing of the Hilton Hotel in Sydney, a review of Commonwealth law enforcement arrangements strongly urged the creation of a single federal police force.