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.

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Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
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Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House
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    Articles tagged with: oral history

    Latest articles

    7 minute read

    Fri 28 Oct 2016
    Dr Barry York

    Conscription 1916: Who were the Maltese ‘children of Billy Hughes’?

    The Maltese ‘children of Billy Hughes’ were a group of 214 Maltese migrants who arrived during Australia’s conscription plebiscite campaign a century ago and were deemed to be prohibited immigrants under section 3(a) of the Immigration (Restriction) Act after failing a dictation test in the Dutch language.

    Read article

    01 manny

    2 minute read

    Tue 23 Feb 2016
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Robert (Bob) Halverson OBE (1937-2016)

    Bob Halverson, who died on 9 February, was elected to the House of Representatives as the Liberal member for Casey in 1984.

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    Bob%20halverson

    1 minute read

    Thu 28 Jan 2016
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Don Cameron

    In this oral history excerpt, Don Cameron recalls his election campaign for the seat of Griffith in Queensland in 1966, and the innovative loud-speaker system that helped him win.

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    Don cameron oral history

    2 minute read

    Mon 23 Nov 2015
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: The Hon. Chris Hurford AO

    Chris Hurford played a key role in the development of Australia's skills-oriented immigration policy as Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs from 1984 to 1987. 

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    Chris hurford

    1 minute read

    Tue 29 Sep 2015
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Mary Riek

    Mary Riek was born in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1927. Mary worked in the Parliamentary Library in 1948 and again in 1966-67.

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    Mary riek 5609f15c3541a

    1 minute read

    Mon 3 Aug 2015
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Chris Lacey

    Chris Lacey was born in Tasmania in 1948 and is a grandson of Joe and Dame Enid Lyons.

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    Chris lacey 55bedf17ec96f

    8 minute read

    Fri 19 Jun 2015
    Dr Barry York

    World Refugee Day 2015

    World Refugee Day is held on June 20 each year. It is an occasion to think about, and recognize, the plight and the resilience of forcibly displaced people around the world.

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    Zakira unicef lebanon 55834b5747a09

    1 minute read

    Mon 1 Jun 2015
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Pandora Livanes

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    Pandora livanes 556bbd2c49d0b

    1 minute read

    Mon 18 May 2015
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Mary (‘Meg’) Mather-Brown

    Meg Mather-Brown was born in 1937 and was a grand-daughter of Sir Earle Page, Australia’s 11th Prime Minister.

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    Meg mather brown 5559452b7184b

    1 minute read

    Wed 15 Apr 2015
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Anne Lynch (1946-2009)

    Anne Lynch was the first female Deputy Clerk of the Australian Senate.

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    03 anne lynch 552dd14c761f3

    1 minute read

    Thu 26 Feb 2015
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Marcie Cowell (1930-2011)

    Marcie Cowell moved to Canberra in 1946 and worked as a telephonist for six months at Parliament House. Here she talks about the nature of her work on the switchboards.

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    1930s oph 54ee573e2d7e3

    1 minute read

    Mon 12 Jan 2015
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Marjorie Johnson

    In this oral history excerpt, Marjorie Johnson talks about her father who was a gardener and ‘ganger’ of workers on the preparation of the National Rose Garden at the front of Parliament House in the 1930s.

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    Marjorie johnson 54d2a060c3fd3

    0 minute read

    Mon 24 Nov 2014
    Dr Barry York

    Jean Salisbury, OAM (1922-2014)

    Jean Salisbury was born in Melbourne in 1922 and died in Canberra in 2014.

    Read article

    Jean salisbury 5472676031e45

    1 minute read

    Tue 28 Oct 2014
    Dr Barry York

    Harry Evans (1946-2014)

    Harry Evans was the longest serving Clerk of the Senate, serving from 1988 to 2009. Born at Lithgow in 1946, he died in Canberra on 7 September 2014.

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    Harryevans 544f0610cc229

    1 minute read

    Mon 22 Sep 2014
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Brian Walshe

    Brian Walshe was an attendant in the House of Representatives in Parliament House from 1980 to 1988.

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    Brian walshe 2007 541f93eba41b4

    1 minute read

    Mon 11 Aug 2014
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Rupert Loof

    Rupert Loof served as Clerk Assistant of the Senate from 1942 to 1955 and was Clerk from 1955 to 1965.

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    Loof rupert 53eaf393e4dbe

    1 minute read

    Wed 23 Jul 2014
    Dr Barry York

    Memories of the Sydney Hilton bombing

    The bombing of the Hilton Hotel in Sydney on 13 February 1978 was a shocking case of domestic terrorism.

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    2 cheryl cartwright 53d06f82d4659

    1 minute read

    Thu 26 Jun 2014
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Barry Lyons

    Barry Lyons was born at Burnie, Tasmania, in 1928, and is the oldest surviving son of former Prime Minister Joe Lyons and Enid Lyons.

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    Barry lyons 53ab8c0da44bc

    1 minute read

    Fri 6 Jun 2014
    Dr Barry York

    From the oral history collection: Paul Davey

    Paul Davey was Federal Director of the National Party of Australia from 1983 to 1992. Born in England in 1947, he migrated to Australia in 1966.

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    Paul davey 539116a9ccc0a

    2 minute read

    Wed 4 Jun 2014
    Kate Armstrong

    Preparing for the Queen’s Visit. Lesson 1 – How to curtsey while the Queen is laughing

    Be Prepared. That was probably the motto of the entire population of provisional Parliament House during the countdown to the Queen’s arrival on 15 February 1954.

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    Meryl hunter blog 538e8871722fd
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    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

    Enquiries:
    info@moadoph.gov.au

    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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