Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

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John McEwen shakes John Gorton's hand. Gorton is holding a cigarette.

In the running: the Liberals' choice in 1968

The well-populated story behind the election of a party leader.

Australians opposed to conscription in 1917 argued that the absence of white men, who were fighting the war, would lead to a flood of non-white labour into the country, lowering living standards and wages

A plebiscite milestone: 100 years on from the 1917 conscription debates

How Australian voters rejected conscription during the First World War.

View of the House of Representatives chamber from the left of the Speaker's Chair.

It’s Bennelong time

How these museum objects tell stories of past members for Bennelong.

A painting of a large group of miners gathered in a circle around a flagpole, kneeling and raising hands and objects into the air, as the Eureka flag is raised. The title reads 'Swearing allegiance to the "Southern Cross"' and dated 'December 1st 1854'.

Eight by-elections that changed the game

A by-election can indicate that change is coming for a political party.

A hand-carved rock bust depicting the head and shoulders of 'Prince' Leonard George Casley, positioned in front of a redbrick shelter in a paddock.

Breaking up is hard to do: secession in Australia

How Australian states could become more independent.

A man, Earle Page, wearing a striped three-piece suit, smiles and poses for a camera with a raised fist.

What did our early PMs sound like?

Descriptions and sounds from the past.

A red double-decker bus with rainbow banners displaying the words '78ers: the first mardi gras' with people on top of the bus waving to crowds on each side of the street.

8 hard-won rights for LGBTI Australians

Milestones in the struggle for LGBTI rights in Australia.

An oil painting of a Old Parliament House - a large white building - with a large number of soldiers in front with flags performing a ceremony.

Red, white and blue: the Australian flag

Debate about the Australian flag has a long history.

Arthur Calwell stands on a platform with microphones, addressing a crowd of people. In the distance is a row of long buildings.

Arthur Calwell and the gift of immigration

How the Second World War influenced changes to Australian immigration.

Black and white photograph of Stanley Bruce, wearing a three-piece suit, standing in a doorway at the construction site of Old Parliament House.

A voice from the past

Listen to a rare recording of a speech by Stanley Bruce in 1929.

The House of Representatives, a room with grey-green furnishings, with benches arranged in a horse-shoe shape around a central long bench and chair.

Free votes: a quick explainer

When politicians are given the option to stand by their principles.

Many colourful signs and placards displaying political candidates, as people enter and leave Old Parliament House, with some sitting on purple blocks on the front lawn.

How often should we have an election – every three years or every four?

How election cycles work in Australia.