In September, the museum, in association with 666 ABC Canberra, hosted a competition to find our 300th oral history recording. Fantastic submissions were received from individuals who had worked in the building when it was home to the federal parliament. However there can only be one winner. Quentin O’Keefe was selected to be our 300th recording due to some wonderful recollections of working in the Provisional Parliament House.

Quentin is now a Principal Legal Officer in the Attorney-General’s Department but in the 1970s she worked as a bar assistant on a casual basis while studying at the Australian National University. In 1974, she was offered casual work in the Members Bar. In this edited excerpt from the museum’s oral history interview, she recalls a memorable occasion on Budget night when Prime Minister Gough Whitlam joined a long line waiting for a beer.

Quentin O’Keefe oral history audio transcript (MS Word)

Quentin O’Keefe was recorded for the Oral History Program by Dr Barry York on 9 October 2012. The full interview is available in the Australian Prime Ministers Centre. Please contact the Centre prior to your visit and quote the reference number OHI 300.

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