Australia’s greatest spy story
The Petrov Affair exhibition at Old Parliament House
from 12 August 2004 – 3 April 2005
To mark the 50th anniversary of the Petrov Affair, Old Parliament House presents a major exhibition tracking the key events of the Petrov Affair, Australia’s greatest spy story. The Affair had a profound and lasting impact on the fabric of Australian society and directly contributed to the Labor Party Split of 1955.
The Affair was played out against the backdrop of the Cold War in quiet hotels and on sleepy country roads around Canberra, under King’s Cross street lights and in the corridors and offices of Old Parliament House, Canberra—the seat of Federal Government.
The exhibition looks at the effect of these events on people, parties and the political landscape. This first-ever exhibition on the Petrov Affair will feature important material such as the notorious Document J and extracts from the 1952 Moscow Letters, photographs, newsreels and ASIO recordings.
Many of these items are on loan from the National Archives of Australia and Screensound Australia.
Petrov Affair publicity material
Material relating to the exhibition can be downloaded here. Press releases, leaflets and more…
Exhibition launch, 12 August 2004 (pdf, 68k)
Petrov anniversary, 30 March 2004 (pdf, 84k)
Petrov exhibition, 30 March 2004 (pdf, 52k)
Hunt for the red shoe, 2 April 2004 (pdf, 60k)
Hunt for the red shoe: update, 21 May 2004 (pdf, 64k)
Download the Petrov postcard (pdf, 284k)
The hunt for Mrs Petrov’s shoe
In the lead up to our new exhibition, The Petrov Affair, Old Parliament House is looking for Mrs Petrov’s missing shoe. It was lost at Mascot airport in Sydney when she was escorted by Soviet officials to a plane bound for Russia in 1954.
The hunt for Mrs Petrov’s red shoe has uncovered the story of Mrs Petrov’s other shoe.
Mr Leslie Pritchard, a former security official with Qantas Airlines, reported to us that he was given Mrs Petrov’s left shoe when her plane was cleaned in Singapore, only to throw it in the garbage months later.
“Can you think of anything more useless than a single high heel shoe?” Mr Pritchard said to Old Parliament House.
So Mrs Petrov’s right shoe is still out there somewhere. If you have any information about Mrs Petrov’s shoe, please email us for your chance to win a gift pack of Old Parliament House merchandise. Please provide your name, street address and suburb in the email.
Note: in responding to the Hunt for the Red Shoe by email you agree that any comments provided may be posted on the Old Parliament House website for display or used for marketing or exhibition purposes. Comments will be attributed.
Picture credits
Top: The Petrov Affair exhibition space. Photographer - AUSPIC. Old Parliament House collection.
Bottom: Mrs Petrov’s shoe. Image courtesy of Film World Australia and Screensound Australia.
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