The Provost Service within the RAAF began in a very small way during 1930, when service police were first established for unit duties. The first Provost Marshal and Assistant Provost Marshal were appointed towards the end of 1940, but it was not until 6 April 1942 that the RAAF Service Police Unit was properly established and organised. The headquarters of the Service Police Unit was formed in Melbourne with detachments in each State and overseas.

The service was reorganised as the RAAF Provost Unit from 16 January 1961, with Sections in each State except Tasmania, and North and South Sections in Queensland, all reporting to Headquarters in Melbourne. Commanding Officers of the Provost Detachment Units were known as Assistant Provost Marshals.

In March 1979, the Unit was renamed the RAAF Police Service. Organisational change within the Unit, however, did not become effective until 1 September 1979. At this time, the Unit relinquished control of RAAF Police Offices throughout Australia, with State offices coming under the administrative control of RAAF support units in the respective capital cities, HQ Support Command Unit in Melbourne, and Base Squadrons in both Townsville and Darwin.

On 12 February 1981, Headquarters RAAF Police was disbanded. Command Police Offices were established within the two RAAF Commands (Support Command and Operational Command) in 1981, to assume the quality control function for RAAF Police Offices under their respective Commands. At the same time the previous agency was relocated to Canberra, and became known as RAAF Police Records Centre.

On 16 January 1961 the RAAF Provost Unit was formed, establishing a Headquarters in Melbourne, and Detachments in Victoria, New South Wales, South Queensland, North Queensland, Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia. Specialist sections such as; Special Investigations Branch, Field Security, Port Detachment, mobile patrols for traffic duty, street patrols to ensure good conduct by troops, and the Compassionate Section were formed.

On 22 November 1962 the RAAF Provost Unit provided security for His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. The duties included security guarding of the RAAF Royal transport aircraft, crowd and traffic control and security duties associated with the royal tour. Duties since that tour have included security and traffic duties, guarding of all visiting VIP and Royal aircraft, security for President Lyndon B. Johnson, President of the United States and guarding of His Royal Highness, Prince Charles and his party and all aircraft associated with that tour.

On 22 December 1967, No. 14 Security Guard Course began at 7 Stores Depot Toowoomba and graduated on the 24 April 1969. On 12 December 1969 33 Basic Service Police course graduate from RAAF Base Point Cook. Up to 1978 many courses were conducting including the Advanced Service Police Course, Investigators Course, Drug Investigation and Field Security Courses.

The RAAF Service Police were raised in March 1979 and the RAAF Provost Unit was disbanded on 1 September 1979. At the same time, control of RAAF Police Offices was handed over to the Support units at the nearest RAAF base or establishment. Headquarters RAAF Police was disbanded on 12 February 1981.

Traditionally the RAAF employed 'Police' dogs for the sole purpose of security. While this type of dog could track using 'wind' scent, it was generally aggressive to strangers, and predominantly used on foot patrols, alone, out of hours, on the flight line. While reasonably effective in a benign security environment, these dogs were not considered suitable for use in GRDEF OPS. In 1996 a project team was formed to assess the capability of Military Working Dogs (MWD), in particular, working with GRDEF in the Patrol and Surveillance Area (PSA), Close Approach Area (CAA) and Close Defence Area (CDA).

In 1994 the RAAF Police Dog Handler, RAAF Police and RAAF Police Investigator musterings were amalgamated into RAAF Police. In 1996 the RAAF Police mustering was renamed RAAF Security Police (RAAF SECPOL). The formation of the Information Warfare Cell (IWC) and Physical Security Cell (PHYSEC) occurred in 1996.

Since 1945 RAAF Service Police have served overseas in all theatres of war, as well as UN and peace keeping missions; including Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Sinai, Cambodia, East Timor, Afghanistan and Iraq.

The transition from Service Police to RAAF Police in 1994, when Dog Handlers were amalgamated with Investigators and General Duties personnel, and then to Security Police in 1996, brought with it huge change, with the emphasis on Force Protection (FP) rather than Law Enforcement (LE).

This brings us up to where the RAAF Service Police now are.