Tasting the Oyster

In 1982, the Australian Secret Intelligence Service--with the backing of the Australian government at the time--formed its first ever. special covert operations team in support of Secret Service agents operating overseas. Similar to the UK’s Special Operations Executive that was formed during World War II, this Top Secret team was comprised of a small number of highly trained civilians whose actions--should they be caught--would be government deniable. The team trained intensely for just one year ending in the inglorious and notorious Melbourne Sheraton Hotel raid at the end of 1983.

At just 25 years old, Alexandra Stowasser was the first and only woman recruited to that team. In ‘Tasting the Oyster,’ she relates the many paths that led her to that fateful time in her life: her family background, her childhood as an English migrant in Western Australia, the difficulties thrown in her path as she pursued her destiny, and the final challenge of leading a secret double life during a year of intense and often highly dangerous training.

This is her story…

About the Author

Alexandra was born in Singapore to British parents and was educated in Singapore, England and Australia. Her parents emigrated to Western Australia when she was eleven. After completing tertiary studies she entered the Royal Australian Air Force as a Commissioned Officer and in 1982 was approached by the Australian Secret Service to join an elite handpicked group of civilians whose purpose was to assist in the defence of Australia via highly secret covert operations.

After the final disbandment of the team in 1985, Alex’s life took various turns leading her finally to the idyllic wine country of Marlborough, New Zealand. There, along with her second husband Peter Stowasser, she now owns and manages a historic home as a Guest House for New Zealand and international visitors. A passionate advocate of animal rights she shares their home with two rescue dogs, two cats, and continues her lifelong love affair with horses, of which she has four.