I thought others might find this interesting, ASIO files from the late 60's and 1970's detailing the activities of radical Marxist groups,the bombings, assaults, vandalism, arson etc they carried out against state an corporate infrastructure and personnel.
http://soda.naa.gov.au/record/4725001/2
There's a more concise version here:
http://slackbastard.anarchobase.com/?p=36956
I'm constantly trying to point out to people that since in the 1960's and 1970's political violence has been minimal in this country and that terrorism is almost non existent these days.
Bear in mind that this is half the story, there were also so called "right wing" groups carrying out attacks during the time period 1969-73 though it's my understanding that due to the "sensitive" nature of the relationships between those groups and the security services the files have largely disappeared or had the juicy details redacted.

Jay, a lot of what is contained in your 'slackbastards' link is rather 'Monty Python' stuff. The late 60's early 70's were emotive times, and the student movement was a lot stronger in those day than what it is today. Monash and Sydney Uni's were 'hot beds' of discontent. The 'spooks' were also a bit the Inspector Clouseau types as well. Fun times for some, not so for others.

Paul,

"The 'spooks' were also a bit the Inspector Clouseau types as well"

Reminds me of a demo in the late '60s at Goldfields House at Circular Quay.
The Irish and their supporters were giving a bt of a stir to the British High Commissioner and the spooks were there at various windows taking pictures of the mob, who were smiling up at them.

Suddenly the Irish Tri-Colour broke out on the flagpole, on the roof, that overhung the facade.
The Irish bloke with the loud haler invited the High Commissioner to enjoy being under a flag of freedom for a change; heads swiveled upwards and it wasn't long before the flag was taken down and a spook appeared with it at the front door.
They were a bit taken aback when one of the organizers went up and asked for it back, however they were good sports and handed the flag over.
What the security services didn't know was that a member of the Sean South and Fergal O'Hanlon Society (an Australian branch of Sinn Féin) had had a member inside the building for two days.
Nothing sinister, he just happened to be on an air conditioning job in Goldfields House and didn't let the opportunity slip.

Paul,
Fire bombing MP's houses is hardly "Monty Python", I'm trying to point out that Australian political activism in general is a husk of what it once was, these days we have a tiny left wing which is rapidly losing any ground it still held, no right wing activism at all and no violent groups.
There was a real threat of political violence, terrorism if you like in the 1960's and 1970's, these days it's next to nil, when was the last successful terrorist attack on Australian soil? The Turkish consulate bombing in 1986?
The case for an ever expanding security apparatus is a lot harder to make if people understand that this is a peaceful country which has become a less and less violent place over the last 50 years.
I mean, your Clouseau-esque spooks seemed to have things under control at a time when there was some real argy bargy going on, are today's lot going to be more or less able to deal with political violence and terrorism?

Jay, we could take things back to 'The Battle of Vinegar Hill' 1804

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_Hill_convict_rebellion

or The Eureka Stockade 1854

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eureka_Rebellion

The violent acts of the 1960's/70 were isolated, and never condoned or part of the "mainstream" protest movement of the time. Those few ratbags involved, never ever gained popular support with the rest of us who were out to make peaceful protest on a broad range of important issues of the times. Those groups with the high sounding names like the PLAF Committee. who were these groups, who at the extreme of membership numbered probably half a dozen at tops with one or two really doing the nutty stuff, one to make the anonymous phone call to the radio station, and the rest looking on. Granted, it only takes one or two, to act out of all proportion to their numbers or supporter base.
Is Mise, those Irish at it again.

"The violent acts of the 1960's/70 were isolated, and never condoned or part of the "mainstream" protest movement of the time."

Yet they were still more active than the Islamists are today and who to date have been almost totally non violent, I'm making the case that political violence is no longer a part of Australian life.
The fear campaign being waged by the Abbott-Shorten government and their sympathetic journalists is unjustified, there really were Reds under the beds just as there really are Jihadis in getting about but they're clearly not determined to carry out a "spectacular".

Jay, you can never say categorically "extremism", and its associated violence, is dead and buried and will never raise its ugly head again in any society, even if that society does not have a tradition of such extremists behavior, like Australia. Where ever extremism has come to the fore its been the result of some kind of massive social dislocation and inequalities, Russia and Germany last century. Given the right conditions things can change rapidly, but even so if conditions are conducive for the rise of violent extremism the vast majority, although maybe agreeing to the underlying principles of the extremists do not become directly involved or necessarily condone the extremists violent action.

<< The fear campaign being waged by the Abbott-Shorten government and their sympathetic journalists is unjustified, there really were Reds under the beds just as there really are Jihadis in getting about but they're clearly not determined to carry out a "spectacular".>>

Prior to WWII, and there shortly afterwards, communism was seen in a somewhat different light by the majority in Australia. Conditions in the 1930's were far more conducive to extremism, with about 30% unemployed, than they were post WWII. It was also difficult for conservative politicians to demonise communists, because most people (workers) could not see any wrong that had done by them, and thought they were even a positive for workers. Working within the unions to better workers conditions etc. Post WWII the conservatives, lead by America, were successful in changing society's attitude through a well orchestrated fear campaign against communists and communism, "The Russians are coming." The ruling elite always need a negative to hang their hat on, be it communists, jihadests, whatever, they need some kind of distraction, real or imaginary, for the underclass to focus on, some group other than themselves. "See 'they' are the cause of your problems (underclass), and I will work, for you, to overcome the problem." Basically that is how the elite present the argument.
I agree with what you say.

I think what is being overlooked here is that the current worries are about
groups that have a tradition of car bombs.
We are not worrying about the odd demo that results in a bit of pushing and shoving.
They could be now establishing a practise of murder by hit & run.