Under Surveillance

The early years of Australia's spy agency. Set up to counter a KGB operation. ASIO followed communists like the Milliss family for two generations as father and son were torn apart by political differences. The father the radical split with his son the conservative communist. The spies pried into the most personal aspects of their lives in their hunt.

One of the most notorious student radicals of the 1960s, Michael Hyde called for the violent overthrow of the State. Hyde and his comrades challenged the conservative Government by supporting the North Vietnamese and ASIO the Australian intelligence service followed them every step of the way.

Author Frank Hardy was the most outspoken and well known communist in Australia. He was a writer, gambler, larrikin and for 45 years a target for ASIO. His story is that of the left itself as he struggled with faith misplaced in the communist party. His explosive articles in The Times of London tore the Australian party in two and lead to it's demise.