Australia’s only hung parliament* in the first century of Federation resulted from the wartime election of 1940. During the next three years successive minority governments led Australia and ran our war effort, transforming the economy and experimenting with innovations in how Australia was governed. The Sixteenth Commonwealth Parliament and the wartime governments of Menzies and Curtin were, in many respects, the most significant and creative in our history. Robert Menzies had been Prime Minister for sixteen months when the election was held on 21 September 1940. His troubled United Australia Party/Country Party coalition won 37 seats in the…
On the evening of Monday, 19 July, the House of Representatives and half the Senate were dissolved, writs were issued for a general election, and both the federal government and the Australian Public Service went into caretaker mode. What does ‘caretaker’ mean in this context? It’s a long-established convention which goes to the heart of our democratic system and the ideas of responsible government that underpin it. Find out more in our Prime Fact 63, The Caretaker Conventions in Australia available for download
Sir Robert Menzies famously said that being in opposition is ‘…not a time in the wilderness … but a time in the garden of opportunity’. Gareth Evans clearly didn’t agree when he expressed his view about sitting on the opposition benches in 1997 as ‘Relevance deficiency syndrome’. The challenge of being in parliamentary opposition is explored in the recently opened Opposition Party Room and the Leader of the Opposition’s Office at the Museum of Australian Democracy. The opening was marked by a conversation to panel discussion facilitated by William McInness (Chair of the MoAD Advisory Council) and featuring Senator Joe Ludwig, The Hon Minister…
10 July to 18 August 2010 Blueprint for a Better World is an interactive exhibition examining the realities of global poverty and the possibilities for change.
The travelling exhibition will be open to the visitors at the Museum of Australian Democracy from 10 July - 18 August 2010 and is presented by Caritas Australia in partnership with AusAID.
With a focus on Australia’s regional neighbours, the exhibition brings the eight Millennium Development Goals to life through visual art, photography and multimedia. The Millennium Development Goals is a global action plan, signed by 189 world leaders, to eradicate extreme poverty by 2015 by working…
The third and final event of our Uncensored Conversations, ‘Freedom of speech and censorship: How free are we?’ was held at 6pm in King’s Hall at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra on 15 June 2010. Three members of Sydney hip hop group, The Herd, shared their thoughts alongside Professor Dr Julianne Schultz. Event podcast
Download the podcasts of the final event, Freedom of speech and censorship: How free are we? held on 15 June, 2010.
Introduction
Julianne Schultz talk
Julianne Schultz - questions and answers
The Herd talk
General questions and answers
The Herd have used music as an outlet to express their…
The second of our Uncensored Conversations, ‘Involvement or intrusion: Where is the line for our Government?’ was held at 6pm in King’s Hall at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra on 27 May 2010, and featured a conversation with Tim Costello and Stephen Kenny. Event podcast
Download the podcasts of the second event, Involvement or intrusion: Where is the line for our Government? held on 27 May, 2010.
Introduction
Stephen Kenny talk
Stephen Kenny - questions and answers
Tim Costello talk
Tim Costello - questions and answers
General questions and answers
As Chief Executive of World Vision Australia, Tim has been…
The first event, ‘Immigration, asylum seekers and refugees: What is the real impact?’ was held at 6pm in King’s Hall at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, Canberra on 11 May 2010. It delved into the personal experiences of Les Murray and Abdalla Ahmed. Event podcast
Download the podcasts of the first event, Immigration, asylum seekers and refugees: What is the real impact? held on 11 May, 2010.
Introduction
Les Murray talk
Les Murray - questions and answers
Abdalla Ahmed talk
Abdalla Ahmed - questions and answers
General questions and answers
Les Murray is well-known as a leading soccer commentator, however few Aus…
Uncensored Conversations is a speaker series that could only take place in a true democracy. In May and June 2010, the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House will host a forum that will see well-known Australians share their thoughts on the hottest topics shaping our democracy. The topics are:
Immigration, asylum seekers and refugees: What is the real impact? (11 May)
Involvement or intrusion: Where is the line for our Government? (27 May)
Freedom of speech and censorship: How free are we? (15 June)
Seats are limited: reserve your free tickets now by email
The Uncensored Conversations forums are free events and registration…
How did Australian politicians of the nineteenth century campaign, in the days before today’s pervasive electronic media? They went to where people gathered in their daily lives, and held political meetings in gathering places such as pubs, Mechanic’s Institutes, and open air venues such as a local park or even under a particular tree. These weren’t always mass meetings. Many, possibly the majority, were of small groups of people. The museum has recently acquired a rare picture of one such meeting in a pub, by the artist William Wadham.
The work shows two men addressing a small group of onlookers – all apparently men - and is set within a…
Just as visitors to museums may develop an attachment to certain objects, so too do curators. Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House curator Corinne Perkins loves the Cromwell coin, which dates back to the period of the English Civil Wars (1642-52). The English Civil Wars were a series of armed conflicts and political clashes within and between the kingdoms of England, Ireland and Scotland, and concerned the nature and limits of royal power, the nature and extent of religious liberty for Protestants and Catholics, and the relationship between the peoples of Britain and Ireland. At the heart was a fundamental debate about the…
