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With My Little Eye: The incredible true story of a family of spies in the suburbs
The very funny true story of three children recruited by their parents to work for ASIO in the 1950s.
'Hilarious, moving and brilliantly told' - Susan Johnson
'It reads like the very best of spy thrillers.' - Matthew Condon
'An intimate and compelling look at an ordinary family who happen to be ASIO agents.' - Kristina Olsson
Growing up in the 1950s, the three Doherty children were trained by their parents to memorise car number plates, to spot unusual behaviour on the street and, most important of all, to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
The children became unwitting foot soldiers in Australia's battle against Soviet infiltration in the Cold War. They attended political rallies, stood watch on houses owned by communist sympathisers, and insinuated themselves into the UFO Society. In 1956 the Doherty family went on a beach holiday with Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov, the famous Soviet defectors, who were hiding from Soviet assassins.
Dudley and Joan Doherty swore their children to secrecy, and for decades, they didn't even discuss among themselves the work they did for ASIO.
With My Little Eye is a poignant and very funny account of a peculiar childhood in 1950s suburban Australia.
'Hilarious, moving and brilliantly told' - Susan Johnson
'It reads like the very best of spy thrillers.' - Matthew Condon
'An intimate and compelling look at an ordinary family who happen to be ASIO agents.' - Kristina Olsson
Growing up in the 1950s, the three Doherty children were trained by their parents to memorise car number plates, to spot unusual behaviour on the street and, most important of all, to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
The children became unwitting foot soldiers in Australia's battle against Soviet infiltration in the Cold War. They attended political rallies, stood watch on houses owned by communist sympathisers, and insinuated themselves into the UFO Society. In 1956 the Doherty family went on a beach holiday with Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov, the famous Soviet defectors, who were hiding from Soviet assassins.
Dudley and Joan Doherty swore their children to secrecy, and for decades, they didn't even discuss among themselves the work they did for ASIO.
With My Little Eye is a poignant and very funny account of a peculiar childhood in 1950s suburban Australia.
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 2, 2021
70 people are currently reading
660 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
May 3, 2021
DNF at 26%. I was so keen to read this one, but it was just...boring, honestly. Some of the recommendations in the front describe it as ‘hilarious’, ‘brilliantly told’ and ‘like the very best of spy thrillers’, and to say I didn’t get that from what I read is an understatement. To me it came across as very matter of fact, dry and occasionally repetitive (yes, we know the children weren’t allowed to speak to their dad when he got home from work because he was tired). Perhaps if I had persevered I would have ended up enjoying it, but I didn’t care enough to keep going. I used to finish absolutely every book I started, but life’s too short for that, and this one wasn’t worth slogging through it.
February 8, 2021
With My Little Eye is a fascinating biography by Sandra Hogan of a suburban Australian family of spies.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) was formed in June 1949 by then Prime Minister Ben Chiefly in response to the discovery through a series of decoded Soviet cables—known as the Venona intercepts—that Soviet spies were active in Australia. During its formative years ASIO’s main focus was on finding and breaking the Russian spy ring, in an operation known as ‘the Case’.
Dudley Doherty, a former supply clerk in the Australian army, was one of the first ASIO officers, joining the agency in November 1949. His new bride, a secretary at the time, joined him at Algincourt, the NSW building that housed ASIO headquarters, in 1950, transcribing intercepted telephone calls. Later that year, the young couple became essential players in Operation Smile, ASIO’s first covert bugging operation. Housed in the apartment above Fedor Nosov, who represented Soviet news agency TASS, Joan’s job was to listen and transcribe any conversation from the flat below, usually accompanied by another officer, while Dudley continued his work elsewhere.
Mark (b. 1951) and Sue-Ellen (b.1953) were born in that same apartment, and though Joan officially resigned from ASIO in late 1953, she continued to assist her husband with his duties when he was transferred to Brisbane, which included hosting former Russian intelligence agents turned defectors, Captain Evdokia Petrov and husband Colonel Vladimir for two months as a safety precaution during the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne.
“In Brisbane... Joan kept house and raised her children [Amanda was born in 1958] while Dudley went out to work - just like all the other housewives. Except Joan was training her kids in espionage and keeping a careful watch on her neighbours.”
While most intelligence officers keep their work secret, often even their spouse are unaware their partner is a spy, Dudley and Joan ran a ‘family operation’. From birth they were props as their mother eavesdropped in cafe’s, or their father took photos of them at parades. The children were taught to look for people or cars that may be out of place, to recall details of faces and places, to memorise number plates, and never draw attention to themselves. Their parents made many of these activities seem like fun, and Hogan details some of the ‘games’ the family ‘played’, but spy craft is a serious business, and in the Doherty family, work always came first. There were a lot of rules, the most important of which was to maintain secrecy. The children could never question their father, nor his orders, and could not talk about any activity outside of the family.
“Forgetting their childhoods had been essential for their survival, but it came at a cost.”
For Sue-Ellen life as a child spy was complicated, though she proved to have an excellent observation skills and memory, she was not suited to the introverted life. Though she, like her siblings, adhered to the family rules, she resented the many secrets she was forced to keep, despite always being inordinately proud of her father. His sudden death from a heart attack in 1970 when Sue-Ellen was 17 left her devastated. Absent from the family home at the time, Sue-Ellen became convinced her father had not died but had simply gone into deep cover for some undisclosed mission, a belief she held until in her late forties, despite all evidence to the contrary.
It was then that she began to search for information about her father, hoping to learn more about him and make some sense of her childhood, eventually approaching former journalist Sandra Hogan for help. Hogan met with Sue-Ellen several times, however information and provable facts were hard to find so the project stalled. It wasn’t until 2011 when ASIO commissioned a book to detail the official history of the organisation (The Spy Catchers pub. 2014), for which Sue-Ellen’s mother, Joan, was interviewed, that Sue-Ellen began to make peace with her childhood.
“When something cannot be talked about, it is hard to believe it’s real. Now there was no doubt about it.”
With some of the secrecy veil lifted, Sue-Ellen and her siblings, who were finally able to talk more freely about their childhood, and gain a fuller picture of the man who was their father. Hogan draws on these conversations, Joan’s memories, interviews with the few of Dudley’s contemporaries still alive, declassified documents and relevant public sources to tell their extraordinary story.
There are flashes of humour in this unusual biography, but I most often found it rather poignant. With My Little Eye is a fascinating account of an exceptional family, and their unique role during the infancy of ASIO.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) was formed in June 1949 by then Prime Minister Ben Chiefly in response to the discovery through a series of decoded Soviet cables—known as the Venona intercepts—that Soviet spies were active in Australia. During its formative years ASIO’s main focus was on finding and breaking the Russian spy ring, in an operation known as ‘the Case’.
Dudley Doherty, a former supply clerk in the Australian army, was one of the first ASIO officers, joining the agency in November 1949. His new bride, a secretary at the time, joined him at Algincourt, the NSW building that housed ASIO headquarters, in 1950, transcribing intercepted telephone calls. Later that year, the young couple became essential players in Operation Smile, ASIO’s first covert bugging operation. Housed in the apartment above Fedor Nosov, who represented Soviet news agency TASS, Joan’s job was to listen and transcribe any conversation from the flat below, usually accompanied by another officer, while Dudley continued his work elsewhere.
Mark (b. 1951) and Sue-Ellen (b.1953) were born in that same apartment, and though Joan officially resigned from ASIO in late 1953, she continued to assist her husband with his duties when he was transferred to Brisbane, which included hosting former Russian intelligence agents turned defectors, Captain Evdokia Petrov and husband Colonel Vladimir for two months as a safety precaution during the 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne.
“In Brisbane... Joan kept house and raised her children [Amanda was born in 1958] while Dudley went out to work - just like all the other housewives. Except Joan was training her kids in espionage and keeping a careful watch on her neighbours.”
While most intelligence officers keep their work secret, often even their spouse are unaware their partner is a spy, Dudley and Joan ran a ‘family operation’. From birth they were props as their mother eavesdropped in cafe’s, or their father took photos of them at parades. The children were taught to look for people or cars that may be out of place, to recall details of faces and places, to memorise number plates, and never draw attention to themselves. Their parents made many of these activities seem like fun, and Hogan details some of the ‘games’ the family ‘played’, but spy craft is a serious business, and in the Doherty family, work always came first. There were a lot of rules, the most important of which was to maintain secrecy. The children could never question their father, nor his orders, and could not talk about any activity outside of the family.
“Forgetting their childhoods had been essential for their survival, but it came at a cost.”
For Sue-Ellen life as a child spy was complicated, though she proved to have an excellent observation skills and memory, she was not suited to the introverted life. Though she, like her siblings, adhered to the family rules, she resented the many secrets she was forced to keep, despite always being inordinately proud of her father. His sudden death from a heart attack in 1970 when Sue-Ellen was 17 left her devastated. Absent from the family home at the time, Sue-Ellen became convinced her father had not died but had simply gone into deep cover for some undisclosed mission, a belief she held until in her late forties, despite all evidence to the contrary.
It was then that she began to search for information about her father, hoping to learn more about him and make some sense of her childhood, eventually approaching former journalist Sandra Hogan for help. Hogan met with Sue-Ellen several times, however information and provable facts were hard to find so the project stalled. It wasn’t until 2011 when ASIO commissioned a book to detail the official history of the organisation (The Spy Catchers pub. 2014), for which Sue-Ellen’s mother, Joan, was interviewed, that Sue-Ellen began to make peace with her childhood.
“When something cannot be talked about, it is hard to believe it’s real. Now there was no doubt about it.”
With some of the secrecy veil lifted, Sue-Ellen and her siblings, who were finally able to talk more freely about their childhood, and gain a fuller picture of the man who was their father. Hogan draws on these conversations, Joan’s memories, interviews with the few of Dudley’s contemporaries still alive, declassified documents and relevant public sources to tell their extraordinary story.
There are flashes of humour in this unusual biography, but I most often found it rather poignant. With My Little Eye is a fascinating account of an exceptional family, and their unique role during the infancy of ASIO.
June 4, 2021
I was incredibly keen to read this book after listening to a podcast where Sue-Ellen Doherty, one of the three children, was interviewed. Sue-Ellen was engaging and lively in the interview and I was fascinated by the snippets of information she disclosed. I then had to wait my turn in the library queue, some 35 reservations in front of me. I knew from the podcast that someone else had written the book. No big deal, I thought. It is sure to be captivating.
So here's where I disagree with the majority of reviews here. The book is disjointed - the events jump around quite a bit and I found this distracting. The repetition throughout the book did my head in. Yep, I got it the first time, and absolutely got it after the tenth, that the children were not allowed to ask their father anything about his work or question anything. Why this had to be repeated so so many times, I do not know. About one third of the way in, I almost didn't continue - my engagement was minimal. I decided to persevere; at the very least I was interested in all the Brisbane locations mentioned in the book. I kept reading, hoping for more, and while I found the second half marginally more interesting, the book overall fell flat.
It is described on the cover as 'reads like the very best of spy thrillers' ... er, nope, can't say it does. And: 'Hilarious ... brilliantly told' - no again.
It certainly isn't the worst I've read and there are some interesting bits and pieces. The author's style of writing simply didn't appeal to me and I expected so much more. Three stars for a boring account of what could have been something quite exceptional.
So here's where I disagree with the majority of reviews here. The book is disjointed - the events jump around quite a bit and I found this distracting. The repetition throughout the book did my head in. Yep, I got it the first time, and absolutely got it after the tenth, that the children were not allowed to ask their father anything about his work or question anything. Why this had to be repeated so so many times, I do not know. About one third of the way in, I almost didn't continue - my engagement was minimal. I decided to persevere; at the very least I was interested in all the Brisbane locations mentioned in the book. I kept reading, hoping for more, and while I found the second half marginally more interesting, the book overall fell flat.
It is described on the cover as 'reads like the very best of spy thrillers' ... er, nope, can't say it does. And: 'Hilarious ... brilliantly told' - no again.
It certainly isn't the worst I've read and there are some interesting bits and pieces. The author's style of writing simply didn't appeal to me and I expected so much more. Three stars for a boring account of what could have been something quite exceptional.
August 5, 2022
Trigger warnings: espionage, cheating, death of a parent, grief, accident resulting in amputation, mental health, sexual abuse of a child, incest
This was a compelling read, but I was far more interested in the 1950s childhood spying stuff than I was in how the three kids were ultimately impacted by their childhoods. It was certainly interesting to read about Cold War espionage from the children's perspective, the way their parents trained them to notice their surroundings and the people nearby, the way they essentially weren't allowed to have close friends for fear of revealing the family's secrets, the ways in which the family was SO different from a typical 1950s Queensland family (particularly around race and culture).
That being said, the blurb describes this as "very funny" and I would strongly disagree with that assessment. It is, I will say, mildly funny in certain anecdotes. But that was absolutely outweighed by the discussion of the trauma the kids suffered into adulthood - and, indeed, the trauma their own parents suffered as children.
This was a compelling read, but I was far more interested in the 1950s childhood spying stuff than I was in how the three kids were ultimately impacted by their childhoods. It was certainly interesting to read about Cold War espionage from the children's perspective, the way their parents trained them to notice their surroundings and the people nearby, the way they essentially weren't allowed to have close friends for fear of revealing the family's secrets, the ways in which the family was SO different from a typical 1950s Queensland family (particularly around race and culture).
That being said, the blurb describes this as "very funny" and I would strongly disagree with that assessment. It is, I will say, mildly funny in certain anecdotes. But that was absolutely outweighed by the discussion of the trauma the kids suffered into adulthood - and, indeed, the trauma their own parents suffered as children.
February 1, 2021
This is a treasure of a book. To my knowledge, this is the first story of its kind printed, perhaps worldwide, and certainly in Australia. While it became possible to publish this story following the declassification of ASIO documents, this is a not a spy novel in the traditional sense. Brilliant writing gives the reader an idea of the dual world inhabited by Sue-Ellen as a child spy.
June 27, 2021
I’m not sure what to make of this one, it was recommended to me by someone who found it fascinating. I found the part about the family holiday with the Petrov’s interesting, but I’m left puzzled by the rest of it.
November 4, 2021
I liked it, but did not love it. It was not hilarious, despite what it said on the front cover. The trauma it caused the kids was horrendous.
June 19, 2021
Interesting story, but not well executed, especially for a spy story. A bit repetitive and no real plot. What happened with the man in the car at Bulimba?
August 5, 2021
The premise of the book is fascinating and the story itself is very interesting but the writing is so repetitive. Sadly its a bit boring.
September 5, 2021
Nothing hilarious about this book. Not a thriller. It was okay but honestly would have been better as a magazine article than a book.
November 18, 2021
A strong start and premise but ultimately it became a bit boring. I enjoyed some of the nostalgic references to Australian suburban childhood but it’s a bit odd to say this was a funny memoir.
February 12, 2021
Thank you Allen & Unwin for sending us a copy to read and review.
The joy of reading and reviewing is the diverse, interesting and topical books we have access to.
Books that may have not crossed my radar appear on my to be read pile and as a result some amazing reads occur.
A suburban Aussie family embroiled in the world of spying and espionage in the 1950’s is such an example.
An account of a family’s role with ASIO in the 1950’s makes a fascinating read.
The world had a fear of communism and its spread.
The technology, methodologies and the dedication of the family highlight how the nature of spying has changed dramatically.
This remarkable insight gives us a peak into family life, values and behaviours of the period.
The way the children were brought up, encouraged to keep eyes and ears peeled and most importantly how to keep their lips sealed.
The respect they had for their parents and the role the played was amazing.
The liberation to talk about their experiences after so long only in recent years showed just how well they were able to process and forget.
The mother was loyal to the cause and secrecy until she was shown official evidence the clause to talk was ok.
So very interesting.
I enjoyed this account immensely and loved it offered something new.
Well written and definitely worth reading.
The joy of reading and reviewing is the diverse, interesting and topical books we have access to.
Books that may have not crossed my radar appear on my to be read pile and as a result some amazing reads occur.
A suburban Aussie family embroiled in the world of spying and espionage in the 1950’s is such an example.
An account of a family’s role with ASIO in the 1950’s makes a fascinating read.
The world had a fear of communism and its spread.
The technology, methodologies and the dedication of the family highlight how the nature of spying has changed dramatically.
This remarkable insight gives us a peak into family life, values and behaviours of the period.
The way the children were brought up, encouraged to keep eyes and ears peeled and most importantly how to keep their lips sealed.
The respect they had for their parents and the role the played was amazing.
The liberation to talk about their experiences after so long only in recent years showed just how well they were able to process and forget.
The mother was loyal to the cause and secrecy until she was shown official evidence the clause to talk was ok.
So very interesting.
I enjoyed this account immensely and loved it offered something new.
Well written and definitely worth reading.
June 16, 2021
For me this book never quite got there. Maybe there wasn’t enough material for a complete book, but in any event I felt I didn’t know much more at the end than I did at the beginning. Sadly unsatisfying.
February 20, 2021
This is one of the books about a story you never heard of from the Menzies-era where you're like, oh that's interesting! and then you think about it a bit more and it's a bit like 😬
December 10, 2021
A good start but soon became quite boring. Not sure why it's described as 'hilarious' or 'very funny account'.
June 13, 2022
Such an interesting premise for a book - mum and dad both working for ASIO and teaching their young children the spy craft as they grow up. The reviews I read gave me the impression that it would be a funny read, however I thought it was more of a memoir told mostly from the point of view of one of the children; Sue-Ellen. Not that this was bad - it was very interesting and it was surprising to find out all the kinds of things the parents had been involved with and the people they all met along the way.
February 18, 2021
Fascinating and a great read. I just kept turning the pages.
For Australians who were here in the 50s and 60s, you will revel in the images of the times including the big spy stories, colourful characters, lifestyle, fashion and family life. A brave revelation by a family who lived an extraordinary life as child spies in the midst of ordinary Australian life. They were generous in exploring their life and sharing their experiences.
For Australians who were here in the 50s and 60s, you will revel in the images of the times including the big spy stories, colourful characters, lifestyle, fashion and family life. A brave revelation by a family who lived an extraordinary life as child spies in the midst of ordinary Australian life. They were generous in exploring their life and sharing their experiences.
July 2, 2021
The outline of this family's story is interesting, but there aren't any real insights beyond the personal.
October 24, 2021
Certainly an interesting story.
However, due to the lack of information as well as files being classified, there are many moments of repetition.
Not as exciting as promised.
However, due to the lack of information as well as files being classified, there are many moments of repetition.
Not as exciting as promised.
November 10, 2021
An interesting read on a unique subject matter. Easy reading to pass the time but it was repetitive and the book would have benefitted from tighter editing.
December 30, 2021
There’s such skill in writing non-fiction in a way which makes it read like a page-turning spy thriller - and that’s exactly what journalist Sandra Hogan has achieved in this book.
.
It’s the true account of the Doherty family and was researched and written by Sandra Hogan at the instigation of one of the Doherty ‘spy’ children - Sue-Ellen. Growing up in Brisbane in the 1950s, the three children were trained by their ASIO parents in all the skills required to observe others, spot unusual behaviour, recall pertinent details and above all, avoid drawing attention to themselves or their family. They were to appear to the rest of the world a very ordinary Australian family.
.
Their lives were anything but ordinary. Both parents were enlisted by ASIO to undertake intelligence activities for the protection of Australia ‘against espionage, sabotage and subversion’. At one point, the Petrovs (the famous Soviet defectors) were the family’s companions for a beach holiday.
.
Unlike several other ‘spies in suburbia’ stories I’ve read, the Doherty children were aware of their parents’ work. Keeping this information to themselves however, had long term ramifications for each of them. Sworn to secrecy by their parents, they didn’t even discuss their childhoods with each other until very recently.
.
The final few chapters which explain how this story was able to come to public light, and the process by which it did were particularly fascinating.
.
Definitely one I’ll be recommending to everyone this summer!
.
It’s the true account of the Doherty family and was researched and written by Sandra Hogan at the instigation of one of the Doherty ‘spy’ children - Sue-Ellen. Growing up in Brisbane in the 1950s, the three children were trained by their ASIO parents in all the skills required to observe others, spot unusual behaviour, recall pertinent details and above all, avoid drawing attention to themselves or their family. They were to appear to the rest of the world a very ordinary Australian family.
.
Their lives were anything but ordinary. Both parents were enlisted by ASIO to undertake intelligence activities for the protection of Australia ‘against espionage, sabotage and subversion’. At one point, the Petrovs (the famous Soviet defectors) were the family’s companions for a beach holiday.
.
Unlike several other ‘spies in suburbia’ stories I’ve read, the Doherty children were aware of their parents’ work. Keeping this information to themselves however, had long term ramifications for each of them. Sworn to secrecy by their parents, they didn’t even discuss their childhoods with each other until very recently.
.
The final few chapters which explain how this story was able to come to public light, and the process by which it did were particularly fascinating.
.
Definitely one I’ll be recommending to everyone this summer!
January 4, 2024
Many years ago, one of my dearest friends was tasked to help type up the recollections of a fellow university student named Ray Whitrod.
David was quite amazed at the stories of one of the first "spies" in ASIO and some of the inept attempts at cover surveillance from a room above.
The story of drilling a hole in the floor to access the ceiling of the room below for the purpose of listening and watching was told to me then, 30 years ago.
Ray spoke of ceiling plaster falling and a hole that was much too large and obvious, with some quick plastering work required. It was so wonderfully amateurish and almost innocent.
To see it in print, from a different perspective, has tickled me pink.
Unfortunately, this book seems to paint things on a much darker perspective. Family life like this appears to require a lot of sacrifice.
David was quite amazed at the stories of one of the first "spies" in ASIO and some of the inept attempts at cover surveillance from a room above.
The story of drilling a hole in the floor to access the ceiling of the room below for the purpose of listening and watching was told to me then, 30 years ago.
Ray spoke of ceiling plaster falling and a hole that was much too large and obvious, with some quick plastering work required. It was so wonderfully amateurish and almost innocent.
To see it in print, from a different perspective, has tickled me pink.
Unfortunately, this book seems to paint things on a much darker perspective. Family life like this appears to require a lot of sacrifice.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2023
I’m glad I read it, it was at least an insight into the spy industry in 1950-60s Australia. But I found the writing a bit disjointed and repetitive. I didn’t appreciate the author’s style and felt it could have been a better quality product if written by someone else. I had hoped for more answers in the last third of the book. Humorous? Not at all. All I could think about is what those adults put their kids through and how they sacrificed their childhoods for their own ideals.
April 22, 2021
This suffers from not being written like The Glass Castle. The story is great, the writing is just so 'I am past tense and so very official'. Missed opportunity. 2.5 stars.
February 3, 2021
WITH MY LITTLE EYE
by Sandra Hogan
If this book provides a foretaste of what 2021 has in store, readers are in for a real treat. It’s an engaging Australian spy story, not least because of its indicative title, about children engaged by their parents to do what needed to be done for their country: protect it from the advance of Communism!
Although in many ways sad, discussing secrets within and without a family and the effort and the effect keeping those secrets had on the family for all but a lifetime, With My Little Eye is also written with delightful passages of humour.
__________
As a lad, Dudley Doherty hopped off the wrong side of a tram and lost a leg. It never held him back, even during World War 2. The army relented in its policy not to enlist men who’d lost a limb and gave him a job in supply. By war’s end and promoted to WO2, his future was effectively established through associations made in those years.
Post-war, Dudley’s life became ASIO, his wife Joan also joining the organisation a little later. Their three small children, Sue-Ellen, Mark and Amanda were taught to play games such as watching and remembering cars entering a street, including make, colour and registration. Their holidays could be cloak and dagger, doubling back and driving around in circles in the plain Holden sedan Dad drove. Everyone at ASIO seemed to drive these nondescript cars that blended into the background.
Although not on the payroll, the children were effectively spying for ASIO. Unable to share family experiences with others, they had to be forever careful speaking about Dad’s work. Mum taught them never to lie but to offer a modicum of truth. When asked, they could say Dad was a public servant and, if pressed, that he had a boring job in the Attorney-General’s Department.
Dudley was a true warrior against Communism, even to the extent he was required to visit certain brothels in Milton, leaving the kids in the car to observe other cars and passers-by. Joan knew of Dudley’s womanising, but accepted it all as part of her tall, handsome man’s ‘work.’ Similarly, there were times every few weeks when he’d simply disappear, unannounced and unexplained, for days on end.
Late in the book we read, ‘The little family of spies, once so close and loving, had been shattered. Each of them lived their lives… but there was no real communication between them…’ until one day, four decades after the events took place, ASIO knocked on the door. Sue-Ellen, the first-born, was then able to set out on her quest to find the truth about her childhood and reestablish dialogue with her siblings.
The whole book is engaging, but there are passages of special interest such as the time the Doherties provided the Russians Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov protective custody following their defection, and how close the two women became despite not at first liking each other. And another: a certain gentleman named Abe Saffron - who became a lifelong best friend - worked under Dudley during WW2, but roles were somewhat reversed afterwards. Saffron had accounts he presented to the Taxation Dept, but Dudley, a book-keeper, maintained Abe’s own personal financial records. He could be trusted.
Oh, and humour: One of many lighter passages relates to Dad talking with people who’d come from the Balkans. They all seemed to have names that ended in Titch, so the kids always thought of them as The Titches (but had to take special care not to mention one lot of Titches to the next).
With My Little Eye concludes with a beautiful analogy, but its telling would be the ultimate spoiler.
by Sandra Hogan
If this book provides a foretaste of what 2021 has in store, readers are in for a real treat. It’s an engaging Australian spy story, not least because of its indicative title, about children engaged by their parents to do what needed to be done for their country: protect it from the advance of Communism!
Although in many ways sad, discussing secrets within and without a family and the effort and the effect keeping those secrets had on the family for all but a lifetime, With My Little Eye is also written with delightful passages of humour.
__________
As a lad, Dudley Doherty hopped off the wrong side of a tram and lost a leg. It never held him back, even during World War 2. The army relented in its policy not to enlist men who’d lost a limb and gave him a job in supply. By war’s end and promoted to WO2, his future was effectively established through associations made in those years.
Post-war, Dudley’s life became ASIO, his wife Joan also joining the organisation a little later. Their three small children, Sue-Ellen, Mark and Amanda were taught to play games such as watching and remembering cars entering a street, including make, colour and registration. Their holidays could be cloak and dagger, doubling back and driving around in circles in the plain Holden sedan Dad drove. Everyone at ASIO seemed to drive these nondescript cars that blended into the background.
Although not on the payroll, the children were effectively spying for ASIO. Unable to share family experiences with others, they had to be forever careful speaking about Dad’s work. Mum taught them never to lie but to offer a modicum of truth. When asked, they could say Dad was a public servant and, if pressed, that he had a boring job in the Attorney-General’s Department.
Dudley was a true warrior against Communism, even to the extent he was required to visit certain brothels in Milton, leaving the kids in the car to observe other cars and passers-by. Joan knew of Dudley’s womanising, but accepted it all as part of her tall, handsome man’s ‘work.’ Similarly, there were times every few weeks when he’d simply disappear, unannounced and unexplained, for days on end.
Late in the book we read, ‘The little family of spies, once so close and loving, had been shattered. Each of them lived their lives… but there was no real communication between them…’ until one day, four decades after the events took place, ASIO knocked on the door. Sue-Ellen, the first-born, was then able to set out on her quest to find the truth about her childhood and reestablish dialogue with her siblings.
The whole book is engaging, but there are passages of special interest such as the time the Doherties provided the Russians Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov protective custody following their defection, and how close the two women became despite not at first liking each other. And another: a certain gentleman named Abe Saffron - who became a lifelong best friend - worked under Dudley during WW2, but roles were somewhat reversed afterwards. Saffron had accounts he presented to the Taxation Dept, but Dudley, a book-keeper, maintained Abe’s own personal financial records. He could be trusted.
Oh, and humour: One of many lighter passages relates to Dad talking with people who’d come from the Balkans. They all seemed to have names that ended in Titch, so the kids always thought of them as The Titches (but had to take special care not to mention one lot of Titches to the next).
With My Little Eye concludes with a beautiful analogy, but its telling would be the ultimate spoiler.
May 3, 2021
What an amazing story! Sue-Ellen Doherty and her siblings, Mark and Amanda had an astonishing upbringing. Both of their parents worked for Australian spy agency ASIO during the 1950's. They were there in during the organisations early days and were heavily involved in it's surveillance and monitoring of perceived Communist threat during that time. More startling, the children knew of their parents work and actively participated in the gathering of intelligence. It is highly unusual for the family of agents to be aware of what their family member does. The fact the children knew and kept it secret for their whole lives is astounding.
Sue Ellen was 16 when her father, Dudley Doherty, died. From that point ASIO was no longer a part of their lives, but they had been taught well that you do not ever speak of what dad does or did. She was 60 before she finally spoke publicly about her childhood and this book is the result.
Part spy story, part social commentary and part memoir, With My Little Eye is completely captivating. While there are times you will laugh out loud, there are more where you will feel deeply for this family who live in secret. The lasting affects on all three children were never really known until Sue Ellen started to explore her parent's lives and work. This is an incredible book and an excellent read. I highly recommend it.
Sue Ellen was 16 when her father, Dudley Doherty, died. From that point ASIO was no longer a part of their lives, but they had been taught well that you do not ever speak of what dad does or did. She was 60 before she finally spoke publicly about her childhood and this book is the result.
Part spy story, part social commentary and part memoir, With My Little Eye is completely captivating. While there are times you will laugh out loud, there are more where you will feel deeply for this family who live in secret. The lasting affects on all three children were never really known until Sue Ellen started to explore her parent's lives and work. This is an incredible book and an excellent read. I highly recommend it.
February 21, 2021
I couldn't put this book down. An absolutely fascinating insight into the life of an ASIO family during the 50s and 60s, told from the viewpoint of one of the children. While several of the one-line reviews on the cover suggested the book was hilarious, I actually found it a little sad reading about their lives of secrecy. However, it was every bit as exciting as I had hoped and my fingers are crossed that this will be the first of many ASIO stories from this time period.
May 23, 2021
Not a huge amount of detail about spying however gave me a fantastic insight into Australia in the '50s-'70s. This is an era that I have not read a lot about in the past and would be keen to learn more about domestic life during this time.
Update: The book would have benefitted with a bit of history added to it - Australia's role in the cold war, who Abe Saffron was etc.
Update: The book would have benefitted with a bit of history added to it - Australia's role in the cold war, who Abe Saffron was etc.
November 3, 2021
This is an incredible story
This was a very interesting read and the fact that it is a true story made it even more so.
This was a very interesting read and the fact that it is a true story made it even more so.
April 12, 2021
‘Forgetting their childhoods had been essential for their survival, but it came at a cost.’
Sue-Ellen Doherty was one of three children born into a family of spies. Both her parents, Dudley, and Joan, worked for the Australia Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in the 1950s and 1960s. While Joan’s work for ASIO was unpaid after 1953, she saw it as her patriotic duty to help protect Australia from Soviet infiltration.
The children, Mark (born in 1951), Sue-Ellen (born in 1953) and Amanda (born in 1958) were trained to be observant by their parents. They were taught to memorise number plates, to notice unusual behaviour and to not draw attention to themselves. While they were also taught that not to lie, they were told to keep the entire truth within the family.
Years later, and keen to find out more about her father, Sue-Ellen approached Queensland-based journalist Sandra Hogan to help her. While this book is the product of their collaboration and research, it took many years to complete. It was not until 2011, when Joan Hogan was interviewed for part of an official history of ASIO, that much of the secrecy around the Hogan’s work was lifted. ASIO confirmed that the Dohertys were free to talk about the work they had done half a century before. Ms Hogan verified as much of the information as she could, and the siblings spoke with each other about their experiences.
This is an interesting book, both for the events described and because of the impact on the Doherty children. Sue-Ellen was looking for answers and trying to sort fact from fiction in her memory. Being unable to question events as they happened, being unable to talk about what was observed can make it difficult to form reliable memories. There are flashes of humour in this account, as well as tragedy.
Recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Sue-Ellen Doherty was one of three children born into a family of spies. Both her parents, Dudley, and Joan, worked for the Australia Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) in the 1950s and 1960s. While Joan’s work for ASIO was unpaid after 1953, she saw it as her patriotic duty to help protect Australia from Soviet infiltration.
The children, Mark (born in 1951), Sue-Ellen (born in 1953) and Amanda (born in 1958) were trained to be observant by their parents. They were taught to memorise number plates, to notice unusual behaviour and to not draw attention to themselves. While they were also taught that not to lie, they were told to keep the entire truth within the family.
Years later, and keen to find out more about her father, Sue-Ellen approached Queensland-based journalist Sandra Hogan to help her. While this book is the product of their collaboration and research, it took many years to complete. It was not until 2011, when Joan Hogan was interviewed for part of an official history of ASIO, that much of the secrecy around the Hogan’s work was lifted. ASIO confirmed that the Dohertys were free to talk about the work they had done half a century before. Ms Hogan verified as much of the information as she could, and the siblings spoke with each other about their experiences.
This is an interesting book, both for the events described and because of the impact on the Doherty children. Sue-Ellen was looking for answers and trying to sort fact from fiction in her memory. Being unable to question events as they happened, being unable to talk about what was observed can make it difficult to form reliable memories. There are flashes of humour in this account, as well as tragedy.
Recommended.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
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