MoAD and the Courtyard Cafe are open. There may be building works during your visit. Learn more

Behind the Lines

Not letting sleeping dogs lie

COVID-19's radical disruption of the status quo brought various underlying systemic problems to the fore.

The American Black Lives Matter movement triggered protests in many countries. But it was the rising number of First Nations peoples dying in custody that lay at the heart of the protests in Australia. Other protests challenged inaction on climate change, a multinational company's destructive act, coronavirus lockdowns – and even the rollout of a wireless technology. With free speech front and centre, cartoonists also turned their attention to the role of social media, privacy and public interest journalism.

The outline of Parliament House is shown as bars of a prison cell. A person sticks their hand out from inside the cell.

Not Drowning

Glen Le Lievre, Patreon,

Police at a Black Lives Matter protest say, 'Our barriers are down. We need back up, but beware their armed with cameras'. Protestors are in the background. A policeman suffocates a man with his knee.

Untitled

Danny Eastwood, Koori Mail,

Scott Morrison is an ostrich. His head in buried in sand. He says, 'There was no slavery in Australia'. Text beneath reads: 'Dark emu versus white ostrich'.

A Historical Perspective

Matt Golding, The Age, The Sydney Morning Herald,

Captain Cook's statue is being pulled down by protestors. A policeman asks, 'Why now after 200 years or more?' A protestor responds, 'It's because of that Aboriginals have suffered 200 years or more'.

Untitled

Danny Eastwood, Koori Mail,

Two men in two panels, one at Juukan Gorge, one at Bamyan Cliffs. They blow up sacred sites. They say, 'Humanity's cultural heritage must not stand as an affront... to the profit'.

Rio Tinto Blows It

David Pope, The Canberra Times,

Protestors are in a museum. They look at a statue without arms. A man with a sledgehammer says, 'Looks like somebody's beaten us to this one'.

Untitled

Johannes Leak, The Australian,

A man with a tinfoil hat and 'My conspiracy theories matter!' sign approaches a group of Black Lives Matters protestors.

Anti-Social Distancing

Chris Downes, The Mercury (Hobart),

A butler called 'ACCC' at the 'Traditional media cafe' says to a king-like Mark Zuckerberg holding a 'content' bowl, 'We know it's delicious... that's why you must pay for your takeaway'.

Greed

John Spooner, The Australian,

Two people holding phones walk past a Google billboard with eyes tracking them and a Facebook billboard with a face watching. They discuss the COVIDSafe app saying, 'Imagine having your every move tracked'.

Privacy Concerns

Mark Knight, Herald Sun,

Two AFP officers walk away from the High Court building. They say, 'The bad news is we shouldn't have gone through the underwear drawer, but the good news is we get to keep the underwear.'

The Underpants of Democracy

Jon Kudelka, The Saturday Paper,

Donald Trump wears a crown and holds a bible as he walks through a violent protest. He is much larger than everyone else.

Bible Basher

David Rowe, The Australian Financial Review,

Martin Luther King Jnr's coffin is in front of the Capitol Building. Flames whip around the building.

Untitled

John Frith, The Herald (Melbourne),

You may also be interested in...

Cartoonists

Cartoonists

Browse all cartoonists featured in Behind the Lines.

The sizzling history of the democracy sausage

The sizzling history of the democracy sausage

Barbecue snags and voting explained.

1928: State debts

1928: State debts

The 1928 referendum asked Australians to change the way finances were managed by the Commonwealth and states.

1977: National Song Poll

1977: National Song Poll

Australians were asked to pick a song for the national anthem in 1977.

Collection

Collection

Our collection captures the ideas, movements, people and events of Australian democracy.

What is a double dissolution?

What is a double dissolution?

Everything you need to know about a double dissolution.