From the Oral History collection: Annette Holden
Annette Holden, a full-time journalist at the ABC from 1985 to 1989, recalls the lively ball organised by the Press Gallery on 13 August 1988 to mark the end of the Provisional Parliament House.
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Rescuing the artefacts of political activism
In November last year, I blogged about an old bottle of port—an empty bottle, I hasten to add!—which I donated to the museum. Arising from that report, the museum received a donation of three other political campaign bottles, and has been notified by readers of their own bottle collections at home.
From the Oral History collection: Hec McMillan
Hec McMillan grew up in Canberra from 1926. In this excerpt from an interview recorded in 1996 he recalls the national capital in the mid-1920s.
From the Oral History collection: Fred Johnson
In the mid-1920s, construction of the Provisional Parliament House meant that Canberra provided job opportunities for hundreds of workers and tradesmen from around the nation. Indeed, some say it was the largest construction site in Australia at that time.
From the Oral History collection: Hon. Michael MacKellar
The Hon. Michael MacKellar represented Warringah in the House of Representatives between 1969 and 1994 and held five ministerial posts between 1975 and 1982.
From the Oral History collection: Myrna Grose OAM
Myrna Grose OAM, radio actor, producer and broadcaster, grew up in Canberra from 1927 and, in this excerpt she recalls the freedom of being a child in Canberra in the 1930s.
From the Oral History collection: Frank Jennings
Frank Jennings was Senior Private Secretary to Prime Minister Sir Robert Menzies from 1963 to 1966.
From the Oral History collection: Cheryl Cartwright
Cheryl Cartwright moved to Canberra from Melbourne in 1978 to work as a secretary for Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser.
From the Oral History collection: Wallace Brown
In this oral history excerpt, veteran journalist, Wallace ‘Wal’ Brown, recalls how Prime Minister Robert Menzies gave him a scoop – without saying a word!
From the Oral History collection: Elizabeth Scott
Elizabeth (‘Lizzy’) Scott was the hairdresser in the provisional Parliament House from 1978 to 1988, when the parliament moved to its permanent building. She continued her role in the new Parliament House until 2002.
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.
From the Oral History collection: Jack Dealy
The Museum of Australian Democracy’s Oral History collection contains a wealth of personal recollection and insight into the building and its people during the era when it was home to the federal parliament.
Witness to history: the opening of the Provisional Parliament House in 1927
On 9 May 1927 His Royal Highness the Duke of York opened Australia’s first purpose-built federal parliament building, now known as Old Parliament House. In the accompanying audio from our oral history collection, Therese O’Neill recalls the long trip into Canberra from Yass as a 10 year old, and the thrill of being amongst the crowd to witness the Duke and Duchess of York at the opening.
