The Museum of Australian Democracy acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of country throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and the elders past, present and emerging.

The museum respectfully acknowledges the role that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples continue to play in shaping Australia’s democracy.

xClose
Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
  • About
  • Blog
  • Prime Ministers
  • Websites
  • Venue hire
  • Visiting
  • What's On
  • Collection
  • Learning
  • Democracy
Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
  • Visiting
    • Planning your visit
    • Families at MoAD
    • Access
    • Group bookings
    • Cafe
    • MoAD Shop
    • UNSW Canberra Howard Library
  • What’s On
    • Exhibitions
    • Events
  • Collection
    • The Building
    • Objects and rooms
    • Oral Histories
  • Learning
    • Teachers
    • Students
    • Parents
  • Democracy
    • Defining democracy
    • Australian democracy: an overview
    • The democratic audit of Australia
    • One thing I like about democracy
    • Links
    • Quotes
    • Notes
    • About
    • Blog
    • Prime Ministers
    • Websites
    • Venue hire
    From the blog

    From the Oral History collection: Andrew Moffat

    2 minute read

    Wed 24 Aug 2011 by
    Dr Barry York
    • APMC
    • collection
    • oral history

    From the Oral History Collection: Andrew Moffat (Political activism spawned by the Great Depression)

    Andrew Moffat was born in Marrickville, Sydney, in 1914, and was recorded, at the age of 96, for a pilot oral history project about rank-and-file political party activists being run by the museum in cooperation with the National Library of Australia. The pilot project looks at ‘rusted on’ party activists who never sought personal advancement or high office from their involvement in a party branch.

    Andrew Moffat oral history audio transcript (MS Word)

    Mr Moffat was active in Sydney’s Greenacre branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the late 1950s and 1960s. Like many ALP members of his generation, he was also active in the trade union movement and had become attracted to socialism as a result of his experiences and observations during the Depression of the 1930s. As he puts it in this excerpt from the interview: “I saw people thrown out of their homes … I thought there’s got to be a better way than this”. It’s interesting to listen to Mr Moffat’s voice and idiom. He refers to “the kellies” on the trams, meaning the unpopular Inspectors who would check to make sure passengers had paid their fares. The reference to “kellies” suggests that such inspectors extracted fares from unpaying passengers with all the determination of the Kelly Gang.

    Andrew Moffat was recorded for the Museum’s Oral History Program by Dr Barry York in 2011. The full interview is not currently available online but is available upon request at the Museum of Australian Democracy. Please contact the museum prior to your visit and quote the reference number OHI 222.

    2 minute read

    Wed 24 Aug 2011 by
    Dr Barry York
    • APMC
    • collection
    • oral history

    Barry York was an historian at MoAD for ten years from 2006. His email is barryyork554@gmail.com To mark the 50th anniversary of the Waterdale Road marches, he has undertaken a self-funded oral history project, recording memories of some participants.

    Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

    18 King George Terrace, Parkes, ACT 2600, Australia

    PO Box 3934
    Manuka ACT 2603

    9am to 5pm daily 
    Closed Christmas Day

    ABN: 30 620 774 963

    Telephone: 02 6270 8222

    Enquiries:
    info@moadoph.gov.au

    Please note: video surveillance is used 24 hours a day around and throughout the building and may be used for research purposes

    Visiting

    • Planning your visit
    • Families at MoAD
    • Access
    • Group bookings
    • Cafe
    • MoAD Shop
    • UNSW Canberra Howard Library

    What's On

    • Events
    • Exhibitions

    Collection

    • The building
    • Objects and rooms
    • Highlights
    • Oral histories

    Learning

    • Teachers
    • Students
    • Parents

    Democracy

    • Exploring democracy
    • Documenting a democracy
    • Australian democracy
    • Defining democracy

    About

    • Disability Inclusion Action Plan
    • Our prime minister patrons
    • OPH Board
    • Annual Reports
    • Budget
    • Corporate documents
    • Employment
    • Freedom of information
    • Public Interest Disclosure
    • Media
    • Newsletter
    • Support us
    • Partnerships
    • Democracy 2025
    • Donate to our collection
    • eCommerce terms and conditions
    • Online house rules

    Blog

    Prime Ministers

    Websites

    Further information

    View our recruitment opportunities.

    View our copyright policy.

    View our privacy statement.

    View our ticketing terms and conditions.

    Questions about the website:
    website@moadoph.gov.au

    The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House is a Corporate Commonwealth Entity within the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet