Federation arches were a centrepiece of celebrations when the Commonwealth of Australia officially became an independent nation on 1 January 1901. Over a century later the Museum of Australian Democracy became the scene of colourful construction as kids (and a few parents and grandparents!) built Lego arches of all shapes and sizes. 30,000 Lego bricks were turned into hundreds of masterpieces of imaginative engineering by little builders.

In 1901 arches were used to celebrate the unique aspects of communities such as their industry or culture. Many of the Lego arches built at MoAD showed what the little visitors to MoAD value about Australia today. Designs included Australian native animals, flags, maps, landscapes, people, and even the colours of favourite football teams.

You can see all 166 of the arches made by the little builders on MoAD’s Flickr stream.

The Museum of Australian Democracy will soon unveil an artwork that re-imagines the 1901 celebration of Federation. To be invited to the launch, email your contact details to federation@moadoph.gov.au.