Collection
Our collection captures the ideas, movements, people and events of Australian democracy.
MoAD is open. There may be building works during your visit. Learn more
Beautifully illustrated travel posters were a popular way of attracting potential tourists.
Read moreA chess set with pieces made to look like federal politicians.
Read moreA board game about First Nations history and culture.
Read moreThese small but mighty earrings were created for Cathy McGowan's campaign for the Indi electorate.
Read moreNeville Bonner used this to give his stamp of approval during his time in parliament.
Read moreThis plaque signifies Dorothy Margaret Tangney becoming Australia's first woman senator.
Read moreThe first Australian commemorative coin marked the 1927 opening of Australia's provisional Parliament House.
Read moreThe Women's Social and Political Union took extreme actions to advance the cause of women's suffrage.
Read moreWikileaks' Julian Assange is convicted under the US Espionage Act, his supporters see him as a whistleblower.
Read moreFrom 1946, a lively bar was provided for ‘non-members’ of parliament at the provisional Parliament House.
Read moreMore than an unassuming piece of campaign material, this matchbook has a story to tell.
Read moreThis miniature elephant is a tongue-in-cheek souvenir depicting Provisional Parliament House.
Read morePocket-sized cylindrical boxes for matches, were popular in Australia and New Zealand in the early 1900s.
Read moreThese decorated cufflinks were part of a court dress uniform for the Minister for External Affairs.
Read moreAustralia’s first ever President of the Senate likely commissioned this gold and bloodstone signet ring.
Read moreThis rare hammered silver coin represents a foundational idea for the history of parliamentary democracy.
Read moreFirst class travel for the wife of the prime minister.
Read moreA symbol of a substantial change in government policy.
Read moreWhat is a referendum? Why should you care? We’ve broken down everything you need to know, from A to Z.
Australians were asked to vote on whether men in National Service could be deployed to fight in World War One.
How it works, why it matters and the power of your role in it.
Everything you need to know about a double dissolution.
In the 1951 referendum, Australia voted no on banning Communist ideology by the barest of margins.
The 1928 referendum asked Australians to change the way finances were managed by the Commonwealth and states.
The Museum of Australian Democracy acknowledges Australia's First Nations peoples as the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and community. We respectfully acknowledge the role that First Nations people continue to play in shaping Australia's democracy. We also acknowledge the Ngunnawal, Ngunawal and Ngambri peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the region in which MoAD is located.
© Copyright 2024 Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House Privacy Statement