MoAD and the Courtyard Cafe are open. Some exhibitions and rooms will be closed from September 2025 for essential building works. Learn more

Explore

Democracy

Democracy

Aretha Brown, a young woman, holds a banner at a protest rally with a fist raised in the air.

Stories

Stories

Black and white image of the front of Old Parliament House with a crowd of people of gathered at the foot of the stairs. The building is white with columns and an Australian flag flies at the top.

Collection

Collection

A close up of a rainbow flag covered in signatures.

POLITICAL CARTOONS

Browse Behind the Lines, our annual exhibition celebrating the year's best political cartoons.

Explore
Visitors looking at the framed cartoons on the walls

STORIES

What is a redistribution?
Democracy

What is a redistribution?

Why the Australian Electoral Commission has to reassess electorate boundaries.

Leadership spills plague Australian politics, but what does our system protect us from?
Democracy

Leadership spills plague Australian politics, but what does our system protect us from?

Learn how changes in Australian political leadership compare internationally.

Showing up, learning and yarning – Dhani Gilbert on Healing Country
Democracy

Showing up, learning and yarning – Dhani Gilbert on Healing Country

The 2021 theme of NAIDOC Week is Heal Country.

Dual citizenship and other no-nos that will give you the boot
Democracy

Dual citizenship and other no-nos that will give you the boot

How Section 44 of the constitution can make you ineligible to serve in Parliament.

The decriminalisation of homosexuality
History

The decriminalisation of homosexuality

COLLECTION

Commonwealth of England sixpence Commonwealth of England sixpence

Commonwealth of England sixpence

This rare hammered silver coin represents a foundational idea for the history of parliamentary democracy.
Neville Bonner's stamp

Neville Bonner's stamp

Neville Bonner used this to give his stamp of approval during his time in parliament.

DEMOCRACY

Australian democracy Defining democracy

Australian democracy

Every democratic society is distinct. The same is true for Australia.
Defining democracy Defining democracy

Defining democracy

What is democracy?