Have you ever wondered why the Museum of Australian Democracy was established? In fact, the idea of a Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House was one which was developed over more than 20 years. Many people had a hand in bringing the idea of such an institution to fruition.
In 2006 the Howard government allocated funds to develop the Old Parliament House building as a museum of Australian democracy. After three years of planning and development, in May 2009 the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House was opened by former Prime Minister Bob Hawke, who was the last serving Prime Minister at Old Parliament House before the parliament moved to its new home at Australian Parliament House. The journey from parliament building to museum has extended over 20 years and involved the hearts and minds of many Australians.
In 1927 when the Provisional Parliament House, now referred to as Old Parliament House, was constructed, it was never intended to be the permanent home of Australia’s Federal Parliament. Even in those early years there was discussion about what would be done with the Provisional Parliament House. In the 1980s, as the construction of New Parliament House began and as the parliament’s move to a new building became a reality, this discussion intensified and there were many suggestions. Although some proposed the building’s demolition, most envisaged its future use as a museum of constitutional history.
Joint Standing Committee on the New Parliament House
In a 1983 submission to the Joint Standing Committee on the New Parliament House, the architects of New Parliament House suggested that “the existing Parliament House would then continue to stand in close relationship with the new building; visitors would find in the core of the Parliamentary Triangle the beginning and the history of the parliamentary process, and would then proceed to the working parliament on the hill”.
In the report on the use of Provisional Parliament House, the Joint Standing Committee on the New Parliament House stated that “the most appropriate future use would be a museum related to the Australian Constitution, Federation and the Commonwealth Parliament.” The report continues, “A principal function of the building would thus be to provide visitors with an understanding of the background of Federation, the Australian Constitution and the role of parliament in Australia’s form of democratic government”.
A Parliamentary Museum
A proposal from the Senate to the Interdepartmental Committee referred to the 1984 report and built on this. It suggested that in a Parliamentary Museum there would be “books and manuscripts on the development of democracy and Australia’s parliamentary institutions”. It also suggested “The Cabinet Room could be set up for a Cabinet meeting, and contain Cabinet-related displays” – this is now realised in the Cabinet-in-Confidence experience. The same proposal refers to the significance of 1988 in terms of the bicentenary of European settlement and also the tri-centenary of the “Revolution of 1688” which saw the overthrow of King James II of England and led to the introduction of constitutional monarchy in England, suggesting this would be an appropriate year to open such a museum. It can be seen that such ideas already referred to the proposed museum in a broader context than just the history of the House and Australian parliamentary democracy.
The Australian Political History Interpretation Centre
Also in 1987, another proposal from the then Department of Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories to the Interdepartmental Committee on options for preserving Provisional Parliament House, the concept of “The Australian Political History Interpretation Centre” was introduced. This centre would “collect, preserve and conduct research”. The current incarnation of this concept is demonstrated in the Australian Prime Ministers Centre. The same proposal stated that whatever the House was used for in the future it should include a constitutional museum.
An ideas forum was held in 1988 to provide advice on the future of the building. Contributors included academics and high profile representatives from the historical and cultural community. They provided specific themes for future exhibitions, proposing that the museum should “display political history in its broad rather than its narrow context”, “be ‘inspirational’ to make Australians reflect on their identity and how the nation became what it is today”, and “encourage visitor interaction with the display material”. These suggestions have now been implemented in the Museum of Australian Democracy.
Post-1988: a new beginning
In 1988 the building was closed until 1992, when it was briefly occupied by the Aboriginal Tent Embassy. Shortly after, the building was reopened as Old Parliament House with displays from various cultural institutions. In 1994 the National Portrait Gallery was opened as a separate entity in the former Country Party Room, later moving to the Parliamentary Library and adjoining rooms, and the rest of the building was interpreted as a site museum exploring the history of the building. In 1997 the then government reviewed the administrative arrangements supporting management of the building. Since that time, Old Parliament House has provided its visitors with an interpretation of political and parliamentary history, with the National Portrait Gallery as its only other major function. Over time, the National Portrait Gallery developed plans to relocate to a purpose-built building and received funding from the government in 2005 to realise this ambition.
The decision to relocate the National Portrait Gallery to its own purpose-built building further provided the impetus to consider Old Parliament House’s role and purpose. Old Parliament House’s focus on political and parliamentary history had also encompassed broader themes of Australia’s democratic traditions. Research undertaken in conjunction with the marking of the anniversary of the Centenary of Federation had pointed to a general lack of knowledge by Australians into the origins of their democracy. This followed a major report undertaken in the early 1990s identifying the need to improve education relating to civics and citizenship.
Research undertaken by Old Parliament House indicated that while the building was much loved, there was a declining sense of relevance to people who had grown up since Parliament left in 1988. This research also suggested, however, that there would be strong interest among the general public in visiting a museum which helped put Australian parliamentary democracy into its historical and global contexts, as long as it presented a ‘warts and all’ approach and did not try to tell visitors what to think. The government as a result decided to greatly expand the functions of the building, changing it from a site museum to the outward-looking Museum of Australian Democracy, incorporating a new research centre devoted to the study of Australian Prime Ministers. This new role was subsequently funded over three years in the 2006/07 Federal Budget. In June of 2006, Prime Minister Howard announced the addition of the Old Parliament House building on the National Heritage List.
Establishment of the Museum of Australian Democracy
Old Parliament House was established as an Executive Agency in the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio, reporting directly to the Cabinet Secretary. This major change in status, from being a division of a mainstream government department, helped create a strong sense of the museum’s new role and independence. Old Parliament House started a new chapter—with a new role and purpose, relaunching on 9 May 2009 as the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House. Visitors can discover the journey of Australian democracy—past, present and future—while continuing to enjoy the history and the heritage of the building.
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