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Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
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    From the blog

    Safe was not safe

    2 minute read

    Tue 21 May 2013 by
    Brian Leadbeatter
    • building
    • collection

    My colleague, Beck Moloney, recently posted a blog about the stationery cupboard that was originally a part of a strong room here in this heritage building. Beck included some photographs of the space, including one of a sign cautioning people not to put keys into the safe and close the door.

    This jogged my memory of a story that a visitor had told me a few years ago, of an incident that had occurred when she worked here in the years following World War II. In 1947, with tea and sugar still controlled by rationing, a young woman on the staff of a senator went into a safe to collect these items to prepare morning tea when someone inadvertently closed the door behind her.

    Of course the woman, Miss Jean Longhurst, had the key with her and because the door could not be unlocked from the inside, she was trapped.

    The visitor recalled there was genuine concern for the safety of Miss Longhurst, and a fear that she may suffocate.

    An engineer was called in immediately and after trying a few different things to open the door a small hole was bored through the brick and steel above the safe. The woman was able to tie the key to a piece of string that had been lowered into her, which was then pulled out again, bringing the key with it. After some two hours, she was finally released.

    The Canberra Times reported on Saturday 31 May 1947, the day after the incident, that Miss Jean Longhurst was ‘none the worse for her brief imprisonment’.

    I bet she didn’t volunteer to make the tea again in a hurry!

    2 minute read

    Tue 21 May 2013 by
    Brian Leadbeatter
    • building
    • collection
    A word of caution on the inside of the smaller door

    A word of caution on the inside of the smaller door

    • Safe with hole above door 1 519b0aeabb4c8

    Brian Leadbeatter has been a member of staff at the Museum of Australian Democracy since 2005 and is currently the Volunteer and Museum Experience Coordinator. He loves to share interesting facts and trivia he discovers about the history and people of Old Parliament House. Brian is also an announcer on the parliamentary broadcasts heard on ABC Newsradio, and an NRL fan who supports the South Sydney Rabbitohs.

    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

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

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