Summary heading
A6225- Folders of newspaper articles relating to the
defection of the Petrovs.
Function and purpose
This series consists of several
feature articles serialised in Australian newspapers in June – July and September
– October 1955 relating to the circumstances and personalities involved in
Petrovs’ defection. These are:
[1] ‘I married a secret agent’ by
Patricia Bialoguski – serialised in the Daily Telegraph 1 June – 11 June 1955.
This is Mrs Patricia Bialoguski’s account of life
with Dr Michael Bialoguski, and his role in Vladimir
Petrov’s defection.
[2] ‘I got Petrov!’ by Dr Michael Bialoguski – serialised in The Sun
2 June – 17 June 1955. Dr. Michael Bialoguski played an important role in
Vladimir
Petrov’s defection, and this serial provides his account of
that defection.
[4] ‘The Petrovs’ own story’ by Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov -
published in the Sun News Pictorial - 17 September – October 7 1955.
[5] ‘The Petrovs’ own story’ by Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov –
published in the Sydney Morning Herald – 12 September – 13 October 1955.
Item [3] is a series of articles
published by the Daily Telegraph about the defection of Donald MacLean. The
articles were billed as ‘the story of three people who chose the opposite road
to the Petrovs.
These articles were collected by
the Royal Commission on Espionage Secretariat.
Physical characteristics
Each of the items in the series is bound by white ribbon
into brown cardboard covers, with dimensions of approximately 350 mm x 460 mm.
Titles have been attached to items [1], [2] [3] and [5] using typed white
‘Prime Minister’s Department’ labels. Labels on the inside covers note that the
items are not be destroyed or transferred without reference to Mr CP
Alpen.
System of arrangement and control
A single number system has been imposed on these records by
the National Archives, with control symbols ranging from [1] – [5].
Relationships with other records
This series forms part of the body of records created by
the Royal Commission on Espionage. These records can be broadly divided into
three categories: the Records of the Royal Commissioners (series A6214 and
A6215), the Records of the Secretariat (primarily A6213) and the records that
were assembled as a result of the Royal Commission’s investigations (exhibits,
transcripts of proceedings and reports etc).
The Royal Commission Secretariat
collected various types of press reports about the Royal Commission’s
activities. Besides the serials in A6225, there are volumes of newspaper
cuttings in A6226. The Secretariat’s main correspondence file series (A6213) also
contains newspaper cuttings, copies of the communist newspaper ‘Tribune’ and
binders of radio news and commentary items. A6282 is a series of newspaper
cutting folders about the Royal Commission created and maintained by the
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).
Series history
Along with other Royal Commission on Espionage records,
this series was received into Archives custody from the Department of Prime
Minister and Cabinet in 1984. It was formerly accession AA1984/503. The
original series title was ‘Folders of newspaper serials’. Arrangement and
description work was undertaken in April 2005 as part of a Collection
Development Project involving multiple series of records associated with the
Royal Commission on Espionage. As a result of this work, all items were
properly registered in RecordSearch at item level, the series descriptive note
re-written, and the item rehoused in an acid free container. The series title
was enhanced to read: ‘Folders of newspaper articles relating to defection of
the Petrovs’.
Custodial history
The items in this series are known to have been transferred
to the Prime Minister’s Department Library in March 1956 when the Royal
Commission Secretariat was transferred from Sydney to Canberra (1). At a later
stage, the items were returned to Royal
Commission’s records.
End notes
(1). Letter from CP Alpen, Acting Secretary, RCE to The
Librarian, Prime Minister’s Department, Canberra. A6213, RCE/X/12.
Sources