ASIO and its role
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) was established on 16 March 1949 to protect the Commonwealth from espionage and sabotage, and from the actions of persons or organisations (from both inside and outside Australia) judged to be subversive to the security of the Commonwealth. In pursuit of these objectives, ASIO gathered information on a number of prominent Australian literary groups and writers from 1949 onwards. ASIO also inherited earlier records from the Commonwealth Investigation Service (CIS) and other security and police agencies.
ASIO records on literary groups and writers
The National Archives in Canberra holds ASIO files on several Australian literary groups and a large number of Australian writers. Files on individuals are particularly useful in showing their social and political involvement and the causes to which they lent their time and talents.
Search the collection for details of the records for each of the groups and individuals listed in the tables below. You can search using keywords or the series number and control symbol shown in the right hand column.
Records still in ASIO custody
Please note that the Archives does not hold all ASIO files on literary groups and individual writers, but only those files which have been made available following applications for access under the Archives Act 1983.
Files on other groups or individuals may exist in ASIO's custody and you may apply to us for access to material that is in the open access period on any as yet unreleased ASIO files. Security intelligence records held in Canberra has details on how to apply for access to ASIO records. Reference staff can assist you in completing your application.
All ASIO records are photocopied before they are released for public access. The copies are made available once any sensitive information has been exempted from release under the Archives Act. ASIO records – exempt information details the type of information in ASIO records that is withheld.
New material from ASIO is continually becoming available to public researchers, so you should regularly search the collection to ensure that you are aware of the most recent material.
The following tables list ASIO files held on Australian literary groups and writers.
| Literary group | Date | Series & item no. |
|---|---|---|
| ASIO subject files | 1949– | A6122 |
| Australian Book Society | 1952–58 | 1192, 1193, 1234 to 1245, 1266 |
| Communist Party of Australia – Writers' Conference | 1953 | 1078 |
| Fellowship of Australian Writers | 1935–63 | 189 to 191, 1493 to 1495 |
| Left Book Club | 1938–41 | 125 |
| Left Book Shop | 1938–62 | 1347 |
| Meanjin (magazine) | 1954–56 | 1152, 1153 |
| New Theatre League | 1936–65 | 411 to 419, 1640 to 1646, 1651 to 1700 |
| Realist Writers' Group | 1945–64 | 1213 to 1216 |
| ASIO film & sound recordings | 1949– | A8703 |
| New Theatre League (1955 conference) (available for reference use on videotape) |
1955 | 32/1/1 volume 2 part 2 |
| Name of writer | Date | Series & item no. |
|---|---|---|
| ASIO personal files | 1949– | A6119 |
| Christesen, Clem | 1949–60 | 94, 275 to 277, 477, 478 |
| Christesen, Nina | 1949–60 | 94, 475, 476 |
| Cusack, Dymphna | 1948–57 | 315, 1555 |
| Dark, Eleanor | 1945–93 | 481 |
| Eldershaw, Flora | 1950–55 | 297 |
| Gilmore, Mary | 1949–60 | 281, 473, 474 |
| Gray, Oriel | 1926–62 | 660 |
| Hardy, Frank | 1950–63 | 286 to 288, 1048, 1049 |
| Hart-Smith, William | 1961–62 | 944 |
| Herbert, Xavier | 1957–58 | 274 |
| Ingamels, Rex | 1949–52 | 291 |
| Kaufmann, Walter | 1949–63 | 515, 516 |
| McKinney, Judith (Judith Wright) | 1954–61 | 630 |
| Marshall, Allan | 1949–60 | 511 |
| Moore, Tom Inglis | 1955–65 | 521 |
| Mudie, Ian | 1926–62 | 659 |
| Murdoch, Walter | 1940–60 | 754 |
| Murray-Smith, Stephen | 1947–60 | 68, 69, 280, 468 |
| Palmer, Nettie | 1948–60 | 112, 470 |
| Palmer, Vance | 1948–54 | 112 |
| Pearl, Cyril | 1958–64 | 103, 448, 1583 |
| Prichard, Katherine Susannah | 1919–58 | 42, 44, 207, 208, 366, 377 |
| Robinson, Roland | 1952–62 | 663, 1183 |
| Simpson, Colin | 1945–59 | 457 |
| Slessor, Kenneth | 1959 | 1289 |
| Stivens, Dallas ('Dal') George | 1951–61 | 985 |
| Tennant (Rodd), Kylie | 1935–59 | 283, 447 |
| Wannon, Bill | 1948–62 | 1197 |
| Waten, Judah | 1928–62 | 101, 264, 357, 446, 814 to 819 |