An ABC investigation into the use of controversial Chinese surveillance companies banned by the US government has discovered their security cameras installed at a series of classified Australian government facilities.

The sites include an Adelaide Air Force base, and a Canberra office block which is home to an annex of one of Australia's six intelligence agencies.

One of them, Hikvision, has become the largest security camera company in the world; it's biggest shareholder is the Chinese government's military research.