Free votes: a quick explainer
Sometimes Members of Parliament are granted a ‘free vote’, or a ‘conscience vote’ on issues. But what does that mean? Why can’t they always vote however they like? Researcher Campbell has dug up the facts.
Latest articles
Be Spoken To: re-mixing words from Old Parliament House
Guess what happened when an artist and a poet got cheeky with some beautiful hand-lettered timber signage?
How often should we have an election – every three years or every four?
Does it ever feel like we’ve just got over the last election before the next one looms? This week, yet again, there is talk of replacing three year parliamentary terms with four. Would it be better? Here’s the low down.
Who would you pick to hang out with?
Which of the first 8 PMs would you most like to hang out with? Here are some little known insights that might help you decide.
Dual citizenship and other no nos that will give you the boot
There are a number of factors that will make you ineligible for parliament… we’ve collated a handy list.
Can Electric Girl and friends save the world?
With their newfound hero personas, our superheroes embarked on an adventure-filled mission around the Museum. Can they save the world?
The journey of an object: Neville Bonner bark painting
What does it take to accept, care for, prepare and display a museum object? The journey of Neville Bonner’s bark painting from Palm Island to exhibition at the museum is a fascinating one.
Kishi and Friends
Just twelve years after the end of the Second World War Australia conferred ‘most-favoured nation’ with regard to tariffs on its former enemy, Japan.
Here are Ash's top picks from our latest exhibition
Come into the storeroom with Ashley Tenison, our collection object-whisperer, as she shows us her top picks from our latest exhibition, Finders Keepers.
Five favourite things
‘I couldn’t possibly!’ Curators were hard pressed to pick a favourite object from the diverse and surprising personal collections in our new exhibition Finders Keepers.
Better Shelter and the CEO Sleepout
Museums are not just about objects and visitor numbers; they’re about social outcomes that make our cultures and communities better for all. It is for this reason that we were thrilled to host last night’s Canberra/Goulburn St Vinnie’s CEO Sleepout.
Tosspot to Bodgie: Seven Prime Ministerial nicknames
What are some of the most notable and curious nicknames for Australia’s prime ministers? This blog post explores the unusual epithets given to our leaders, from Tosspot Toby to the Silver Bodgie.
The right to a ‘castle’
This year marks the 20th anniversary of one of Australia’s iconic feature films: ‘The Castle’. It‘s a comedy with a message.
Paul Daley: Tim Fischer's Ties
Author and Journalist Paul Daley discusses life, politics, gun-control and ties with former National Party Leader the Hon. Tim Fischer.
Hands That Shook Australia
The handshakes, points, touches and other gestures that made a statement in Australian history.
The Same, But Different: the UK election compared to Australia
Ahead of the UK election, what are the key similarities and differences between politics and parliaments in the UK and Australia.
Yes: the Ongoing Story of the 1967 Referendum
This week there’s a major anniversary in Indigenous history that not enough Australians know about. The Museum of Australian Democracy is recognising this anniversary in a new exhibition – Yes: the ongoing story of the 1967 Referendum – and asks prominent Australians how they feel about the referendum today.
International Museum Day 2017
International Museum Day 2017 is based around the theme ‘Museums and contested histories: Saying the unspeakable in museums.’ Like all museums, sometimes at MoAD we need to talk about difficult subjects, and we use the power of the items in our collection to help us do that.
A Horse’s Tale: Bill, Bertie and Bairnsdale 303
Horses were a vital part of the Parliament House opening ceremonies. What did they make of all the fuss? Three photographs of Bill, the horse ridden in Canberra by the Duke of York, provide a fresh insight into the day’s events.
The Thieving Diva: Behind the scenes of the opening ceremony at Parliament House
Hilda Abbott was a distinguished guest whose recollections reveal that behind the public performance, VIPs are only people after all.
