Lost, found and left behind
Take a look at the things we found after the move from Old Parliament House to Australian Parliament House in 1988.
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Indigenous women artists: Leah King-Smith and Andrea Fisher
This NAIDOC week we honour the theme of ‘Because of her, we can!’ by recognising the work of two contemporary Indigenous artists - Leah King-Smith and Andrea Fisher.
Act 3: The governor sees it through
Say ‘implement’ and it can seem no greatly important thing – a mere functionary carrying out orders. Seeing through a new path against all the ingrained expectations of everyone who serves with or beneath you though, is no easy thing. The casual plundering of the Kables’ valuables during the First Fleet voyage is suggestive of just how unfathomable these new rules were. Convicts, especially illiterate convicts with no immediate great patron to protect them, were easy prey.
Act 2: Lord Sydney rewrites the script
Only the cheapest remnants of books, clothes and sundry other items were handed over to Henry and Susannah Kable as the ships unpacked onto the shore at Port Jackson. And this, decidedly, was where the script of the story would and should ordinarily have stopped, if it was being written according to ordinary, common or garden 18th century reality.
Act 1: The case of the Kables
Henry Kable and Susannah Holmes met in jail as teenagers, and clearly sparks flew. The result of their meeting was not just a child, but the first civil case in Australian history, one which fundamentally inflects the basic nature of our society.
The Kable case: summary
As far as nation-defining events go, a young couple with a squalling toddler standing about on at the edge of a sheltered covelooking for luggage gone missing wouldn't register on even the most likely history buff's radar.
The Director’s pick: Finders Keepers Collectors and their Stories
MoAD Director Daryl Karp picks five objects from our exhibition and tells us why these are her favourites.
Moving House
In 1988, federal parliament moved from the overcrowded Old Parliament House to its third and permanent home in the spacious Australian Parliament House.
Welcome to Australia
New citizens are welcomed with heart-felt messages from our visitors.
We’re gonna party like it’s 1988!
Senators, Members, staffers and journalists let their hair down as they mark the end of an era.
The Royal Wedding and the Duke of Sussex
When Prince Harry married Meghan Markle the couple were given the titles ‘Duke and Duchess of Sussex’. Did you know there is a fascinating, largely overlooked, story behind these titles?
Don’t come the raw prawn with me
In April 1974, a senator was distracted by fresh seafood as a political foil. Did it work?
Hanging on the Computerphone
The Telecom Computerphone had its glorious moment in the sun and on desks in the mid-1980s. It promised an all in one office solution of computer combined with phone *mind blown*...
What is a redistribution?
The Australian Electoral Commission has just announced a federal redistribution of seats and has begun releasing the draft new maps. But what is a redistribution, and what does it mean for most of us as voters?
Confessions of a ‘68er – 50 years on
1968 was a year of global change and protest. Fifty years on, Barry York reflects on the turmoil of those times, as someone who was right there on the front lines.
What does a state governor do?
What does a state governor do? Host garden parties, sign bills… if you’re scratching your head at this point read on to find out more.
Democracy breakdown
Worldwide we are seeing a breakdown of democracy and a decline in trust. Who is to blame? Is it the politicians, the media, big business or us? New MoAD staffer Monica Glasgow reflects.
The old scrapbook found in the storeroom
You never know what might turn up in old storage spaces. Especially in an old historic building. In 2009, a scrapbook was discovered in a storage space at MoAD. Whose was it? What did it hold? What secrets might it reveal? Intern Charles Tuckwell reveals.
Agitators, suffragettes and spies: 7 women you should know
2018 marks the 75th anniversary of the election of the first women to the federal parliament. This International Women’s Day, we look at what could have been by profiling seven women who, if things had been different, had what it takes to go all the way to the top of the political ladder.
Do you know these women?
A profile of just some of the women who will be featured on the front of this iconic building this Enlighten festival, to mark the 75th anniversary of women entering federal politics.
