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.
Hilda Abbott was a distinguished guest whose recollections reveal that behind the public performance, VIPs are only people after all.
It took determination, ingenuity and a small piece of string to get Parliament House finished in time for its grand opening in 1927.
Of the twelve members of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) sentenced in Sydney in 1916 to five to 15 years’ gaol for conspiracy, none is more fascinating than Donald MacLellan Grant.
With Americans set to vote this week, most Australians would not have missed that the USA is facing a presidential election. But you might not know how things are different to Australian elections, or what the system entails. Researcher Campbell explains how American elections work, and how they compare to Australian elections.
The government just lost a vote in the House of Representatives for the first time since 1962. Researcher Campbell explores what that means and what happened all those decades ago.
On this day 108 years ago, a prime minister took a stand and invited some warships to visit Australia. Did he realise at the time what a monumental impact he would have on Australia’s place in the world?
Last week we welcomed early learners and their parents to PLAY UP for a special National Reconciliation Week event introducing museum items and activities to this small but mighty audience.
Every election you see people out in force wearing t-shirts to reflect their political colours and support their candidate of choice. Our researcher Campbell shows off some of the t-shirts in the museum collection and why they matter to our democracy.
Pause at Old Parliament House after dark during Enlighten this weekend and you may see an expanse of somber, sepia-toned faces staring back at you.
Wondering what the Old Parliament House Enlighten 2016 projections mean? This handy guide gives you the low-down on the Old Parliament House Enlighten projections and what they signify.
The octocentenary of Magna Carta was a huge success internationally and in Australia in terms of promotion of the event and discussion of Magna Carta’s enduring significance as a ‘charter of liberties’.
As the curtain-raiser to the 2015 Behind the Lines exhibition at the Museum of Australian Democracy, Old Parliament House, three accomplished political cartooning practitioners explained how they decide who and what to draw, and what to avoid.
The theme of this year’s International Day of People with a Disability is “Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities”.
Since 13 October the museum has been running its Twitter project, #Dismissal1975, to commemorate the Whitlam sacking.
The United Nations organisation established 70 years ago in 1945 had 51 member states. Today, there are close to 200. Nearly every nation on the planet.
As a student of politics and later as a political journalist, the Dismissal was a constant reference point – an Australian moment that has attracted, perhaps, more scholarship, journalism and cultural reflection than just about any other.
NAIDOC Week gives us an opportunity to recognise the contributions that Indigenous Australians make to our country and our society.
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948, ultimately included many of the rights Evatt insisted on including creative expression, reasonable working conditions and access to education.
The Museum is proud to announce the winner of our special category – ‘Australian Democracy’ in the 2014 National History Challenge.
