Secrets and Defections: A Cold War Tale

Conversations is bringing you a summer treat — a collection of Sarah's most memorable guests through out the years. 

Sue Ellen Kusher’s father was an ASIO agent, and she and her siblings were taught to memorise number plates, spot unusual behaviour, and keep the family business secret at all costs.

Sue-Ellen’s parents were ASIO agents living secretly in the Brisbane suburbs at the height of the Cold War.

Their mission was to locate and track Soviet agents, and they enlisted their 3 young children to help.

Sue-Ellen was taught to memorise numberplates, stake out buildings, and never ever let anyone else know the truth about her family.

During the Melbourne Olympics Sue-Ellen’s family secretly hosted the Petrovs, Australia’s famous Russian defectors… they spent much of their time together in beer gardens at the Gold Coast until Vladimir Petrov nearly gave them all away.

This episode of Conversations contains discussion about spies, secret agents, ASIO, cold war, China, Russia, Canberra, Brisbane, Australian history, Australian politics, world history, 20th Century history, family relationships, siblings, security intelligence, national intelligence, national secrets, secret keeping, defence, national security, diplomatic work, undercover, surveillance, Petrovs, the Petrov affair, ASIO files, spy kids, Olympic Games, Brisbane Olympics.