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.
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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.
Flags, snags and bags: Putting the finishing touches on the opening of Parliament House
It took determination, ingenuity and a small piece of string to get Parliament House finished in time for its grand opening in 1927.
A self-conscious prime minister
Photos of Prime Minister Robert Menzies show a confident and outgoing leader, but an interview with his first secretary, Hazel Craig, reveals that his confidence at times covered a surprising self-consciousness.
90-year-old souvenirs for a 90-year-old building
Tack or tat, quality handicraft or magnificent artwork? Souvenirs have an ancient history and on many layers meet the needs of our society, our culture and ourselves. Reflect on your motivation to collect souvenirs as you view the pieces manufactured for the opening of Parliament House 90 years ago.
The Prime Minister’s Seat: A Case Study in Sleuthing
Why does the Prime Minister of Australia sit at the table in the House of Representatives? No other PM does. A chance question led researcher Campbell to do some detective work, and in the process learn more about the shapes and settings of parliamentary chambers the world over.
The stories you told For the Record
During Enlighten we welcomed over 17,000 people inside for the collaborative community art installation For the Record. Here are some of your stories.
Neville Bonner’s birthplace
On this day in 1922 Australia’s first federal Indigenous parliamentarian, Neville Bonner, was born ‘under a lone palm tree’ on Ukerebagh Island, Tweed Heads, NSW.
PM Please quilt
Melbourne artist, craftivist and community development worker Tal Fitzpatrick talks about the process behind her socially engaged artwork PM Please.
Irish Prime Ministers of Australia
This St. Patrick’s Day, we look at 7 Australian prime ministers of Irish descent.
Young People and the Right to Vote: Some exceptions to the rule
All Australians aged 18 or over have the right to vote and have a say in their democracy. But it wasn’t always this way.
International Women's Day 2017
On this International Women’s Day 2017 we’re focusing on feisty women and our collection objects that represent them.
The language of Parliament
What work of Australian political history contains almost 500 million words contributed by over a thousand different authors?
