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Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

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The replica Crown Jewels:

The replica Crown Jewels

6 – 30 June 2013

Arthur Boyd: An Active Witness:

Arthur Boyd: An Active Witness

Until 29 September 2013

Behind the Lines 2012:

Behind the Lines 2012

On display 11 December 2012

Discovering Mildenhall’s Canberra:

Discovering Mildenhall’s Canberra

Photographs from the birth of our capital

Australian Federal election speeches:

Australian Federal election speeches

Review of the 2008-2013 Heritage Management Plan:

Review of the 2008-2013 Heritage Management Plan

Public comments to be submitted before 5pm, 5 July 2013

Housed in one of Australia’s most-loved buildings, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House brings the journey of Australian democracy to life—presenting its past, present and possible futures.

Enjoy a range of innovative exhibitions, tours and public programs that challenge and inspire. There are also special activities and spaces for children to explore.

Admission and opening hours

Open daily 9am–5pm (closed Christmas Day)

$2 adults, $1 children and concessions, $5 family

18 King George Terrace, Parkes, Canberra

For more information see Visiting

Venue hire

New catering arrangements

Opens December 2012Art of InfluenceArthur Boyd, Hanging rocks with bathers and Mars, c1985, oil on canvas. Bundanon Trust Collection.Opens 8 May 2013Arthur Boyd: An Active WitnessBehind the Lines 2012 looks back on the highs and lows of the political year through the eyes of Australia’s best cartoonists.Open until November 2013Behind the Lines 2012Opens 17 December 2012Art is a Weapon
June 14, 2013

Magna Carta—the eight hundredth anniversary draws nearer

The museum displays a reproduction of the 1215 Magna Carta, from the collection of Jim Killen, in its Designing Democracy gallery.
Museum of Australian Democracy collection

In 2015, two years from now, Australians and others around the world will celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta, a document of rights which was forced upon King John of England on 15 June 1215.

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June 13, 2013

The best laid plans of Murdoch and the Department of Works and Railways

Temporary accommodation was constructed in 1972 for the prime minister and his staff while the extensions were made to the prime ministerial suite.

For the last couple of months I have been sequestered away in the museum bunker poring over and cataloguing more than 600 architectural plans. The plans trace the design, building and evolution of Old Parliament House from 1921 until 1988.

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June 7, 2013

Replica crown jewels—Neil Glasser MVO

Neil Glasser MVO was Director of Promotions at the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney during the 1980s.

Neil Glasser MVO was Director of Promotions at the Queen Victoria Building in Sydney during the 1980s. He was responsible for the replica Crown Jewels that were on display there for many years and that now form part of the Museum of Australian Democracy’s collection.

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June 3, 2013

Teacher researcher brings his students with him

Mr Ray Millikin and Year 11 Global Studies students from the Orana Steiner School

Ray Millikin, a teacher at the Orana Steiner School, is currently using the research collection at the museum to develop a unit of work on the Whitlam Dismissal for classroom use in the context of the Events in Australian Politics component of the new ACT Global Studies curriculum.

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May 27, 2013

Physical conservation of building structures at Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park

From the 14 to 20 April I had the opportunity to participate in a five day course with the Institute for Professional Practice in the Arts and Heritage, ANU held at Kakadu National Park. Wondering what tropical climates and timber buildings would hold in store for our nationally listed ‘people’s’ house, I admit to being wonderfully surprised.

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Websites

Behind the Lines 2012
Discovering Mildenhall’s Canberra
Wear your colours
Election speeches
Dismissed!
The Petrov Affair
Billy Hughes at War
Beyond Reasonable Drought

From the Collection

Official’s Lavatory

The dining and kitchen facilities at the Provisional Parliament House were an important aspect of the building, as it was designed to be fully self-contained. These facilities assisted in providing Ministers, Members…

View this collection item

Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

18 King George Terrace, Parkes, ACT 2600, Australia

PO Box 7088, Canberra BC ACT 2610

Open daily 9am—5pm


Telephone: 02 6270 8222
Enquiries: info@moadoph.gov.au

For feedback on the website: website@moadoph.gov.au

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Old Parliament House is an Executive Agency within the Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport portfolio.