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.
xCloseEminent British historian David Starkey has compared Martin Luther to a jihadist. What could such a person and his rebellion against the Catholic Church 500 years ago possibly have to do with democracy? Read Barry York’s blog to find out.
You’ve heard about Brexit, but what about WAxit? Thought of starting your own country? It’s a little bit more complex than running up a new flag. Our researcher Campbell has the details on states that have tried to leave the Commonwealth or split off from their state.
Election watchers have been busy this year. France went to the polls in April and May, and the UK in June. This weekend there are two elections to watch out for: New Zealand and Germany.
We know a lot about what our early prime ministers were like. There are plenty of photos of them throughout their lives, and biographies record their personalities, appearance, quirks, habits, and even their tastes in food, literature or music. But we don’t know much about how they sounded.
Nearly 60 years ago a young Scottish immigrant, Isobel Saxelby, was given a toy koala, a symbol of a new life and her new home in Australia. It remained a treasured possession until ‘Kookie’, as Isobel called it, found a new home in the museum.
Here are some of the historical rights won by LGBTI activists fighting for their place in Australia’s society.
Did you know the Australian flag has only been official since the 1950s? And that the most common version for a long time was red, not blue? This National Flag Day, we have some more facts to share about the big blue banner.
Arthur Calwell was Australia’s Minister for Immigration, responsible for the large wave of post-Second World War migrants who drastically changed the makeup of Australia’s population.
This speech by Stanley Melbourne Bruce has recently come into the Museum’s collection. We were very excited to hear it, as none of us had ever heard Bruce’s voice before!
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.
Guess what happened when an artist and a poet got cheeky with some beautiful hand-lettered timber signage?
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.
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.
There are a number of factors that will make you ineligible for parliament… we’ve collated a handy list.
With their newfound hero personae, our superheroes embarked on an adventure-filled mission around the Museum. Can they save the world?
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.
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.
Come into the storeroom with Ashley Tenison, our collection object-whisperer, as she shows us her top picks from our latest exhibition, Finders Keepers.
‘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.
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.
