MoAD celebrates women’s achievements in Women’s History Month
March is Women’s History Month and the museum is celebrating women’s achievements in a number of ways.
Page 7 of 8 — Latest articles
Precious objects worth exploring
Have you ever been in the presence of a highly revered museum object, such as Ned Kelly’s iron suit of armour or champion racehorse Phar Lap and felt the urge to reach out and touch it?
‘Votes for Women’ suffragette stockings
Recently the museum added to its collection of suffragette items a very personal piece of clothing; a pair of black stockings embroidered with the suffragette slogan ‘Votes for Women’.
The museum needs your help!
Shortly before the 2010 federal election, a couple were spotted in the museum wearing one of these T-shirts. One of our staff members asked if we could eventually have the shirt for our collection and was surprised when the visitor removed it then and there and handed it over!
Beheaded on Tower-hill: what does the English Revolution of the 17th century have in common with Australia’s oldest city?
The answer is Sydney – and in the recent acquisition by the museum of a rare 17th century book, a copy of the first edition of Algernon Sidney’s Discourses Concerning Government (1698).
Can you help us find Ada Watson?
The Museum of Australian Democracy is searching for an image of Ada Jane Watson (nee Lowe), who was the wife of Prime Minister John Watson.
The Illuminations – from workshop to showcase
In June 2011 the museum commissioned a significant artwork as a focal point for its Designing Democracy exhibition which celebrates the 1901 Federation of the Commonwealth of Australia.
Helping our building to breathe better
Following the completion of the external facade upgrade to the rear of the Old Parliament House building, work commenced this month on stage two of the external facade upgrade to the roof levels.
“To the activists!” – a toast with a ‘Pacific Port’ bottle from Brunswick
I’m not sure why I kept the empty old port bottle, with the label describing it as “Nuclear Free and Independent Pacific Port”. It goes back a long way: to my years growing up in Brunswick, Melbourne, and to my father’s involvement in the local branch of the Australian Labor Party.
Byrne artwork purchased by the museum
The Museum of Australian Democracy is proud to announce it has purchased an artwork by Penny Byrne for the museum’s collection – Saint Kevin 07 and the real Julia (2010). The museum has a particular interest in collecting material relating to prime ministers, and this acquisition is part of a collection that includes caricatures and cartoons.
The dining chair project
The museum is undertaking an object reconstruction project that will ensure that visitors continue to enjoy the unique heritage of the Old Parliament House building and its collection.
Royal visits — now and then
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will be in Australia from 19-28 October. While her visit will culminate in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting to be held in Perth, the itinerary for the Queen and her husband Prince Phillip is a busy one, and in just eight days they will spend time and attend official functions in Canberra, Brisbane and Melbourne.
The King George V memorial
In 1936, the Commonwealth government approved a memorial to the recently deceased King George V. George V had an important association with Australia; besides being king from 1910-1936, he had also, as Duke of York, opened the first Commonwealth Parliament in Melbourne on 9 May 1901.
Refreshing the Senate Opposition Party Room
Located on the main floor of the Old Parliament House building and across the Opposition (northern) lobby from the Senate Chamber the Senate Opposition Party Room evokes a rich character in its warm timber panelling, frosted-glass-fronted bookcases and the convivial groupings of its generous furniture.
Politics in the Blood? Family History at the Australian Prime Ministers Centre
Probably the most common type of enquiry received by the research staff at the Australian Prime Ministers Centre are family history enquiries. If there is a parliamentarian in your family tree, we can help you find out about their political career.
Divisive agents of the prime minister or an innocent supper club?
An unusual aspect of the museum’s Killen collection is a large group of ties, selected from several hundred in his wardrobe when Lady Benise Killen donated Sir James’ memorabilia to the museum.
The Killen collection
The family of Sir James Killen has given the museum a collection of his political memorabilia and the complete contents of Sir James’ library.
Suffragette hunger strike medal
In recent months the museum has acquired a rare and important new suffragette item: a hunger strike medal belonging to British woman Charlotte Blacklock.
From the Oral History collection: Andrew Moffat
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 Pank-A-Squith board game
The museum has recently acquired an exciting new object which will help us tell the story of how women in Britain acquired the vote.
