Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House

Susan Ryan was the ACT’s first woman senator and first Labor senator, and the Labor Party’s first woman federal cabinet minister. When Prime Minister Bob Hawke made Ryan the Minister Assisting the PM on the Status of Women, she became Australia’s first woman federal politician to hold a portfolio relating to women’s affairs. In June 1983, Ryan introduced the Sex Discrimination Bill into the Senate, seeking to outlaw a wide variety of forms of discrimination against women. However, the Bill met fierce opposition both in parliament and in the media. Some opponents claimed the Bill would undermine the traditional family structure. In May 1984 the Bill was finally passed. It was, according to Ryan, ‘probably the most useful thing I’ve done in my life.’ On the 1st of August, a sculpture of Senator Ryan by artist Lis Johnson was unveiled in our Senate Rose Gardens. The sculpture is based on the iconic photo of Ryan passionately addressing a crowd during a ‘jobs for women’ rally in 1977 and honours her legacy of fighting for equality. 📸 Justine Butler (daughter of Susan Ryan AO), Dame Quentin Bryce, Anne Summers AO and Tara Cheyne MLA in front of Lis Johnson’s sculpture of Susan Ryan AO.  📸 Senator Susan Ryan addressing a women's work rally in 1977. The Canberra Times/ACM)

A round of applause for our award-winning Heritage & Collections and Capital Projects teams and the expertise brought to the building by conservators and other specialist trades who restored Old Parliament House after the fire in 2021. Winners in the Architecture and Building Conservation category from the National Heritage Trust, the award recognises the remediation works required to the front façade and front entry of the building. The project included thorough cleaning from floor to ceiling, reconstruction of the front stairs and timber floor in the foyer, and the salvaging and preservation of fire-damaged front doors. During this time, 38 organisations delivered the project along with 2800 pieces of heritage furniture and fittings cleaned, as well as 2000 Hansard volumes on open bookcases and over 5000 props. Our conservation works mean that Old Parliament House continues to be conserved and recreated for you to enjoy! Manteena Group International Conservation Services

Lawyers in the House! We are excited to announce our new partnership with Hazelbrook Legal. We recently hosted the team from Hazelbrook Legal for an exclusive tour of Old Parliament House. Guided through our heritage spaces by our Interpretations and Museum Experience team, they roamed the corridors, marvelled at the architecture, and delved deep into historical objects such as the judicial wig gifted to federal parliament by politician and judge Herbert ‘Doc’ Evatt in 1940, and a boomerang belonging to Senator Neville Bonner, who was the first Indigenous member of parliament, gifted to Bert Nicholls who at the time was Clerk Assistant for the Senate. It was a privilege to share these stories with our new partner, Hazelbrook Legal, connecting with history in the very place it unfolded. 

📢 MoAD is your polling place for the 2023 referendum.  Vote in King’s Hall, enjoy our exhibitions or meet your match in our Blind Date with Democracy activity. And of course, finish off your visit with a democracy sausage. 🌭 Voting on Saturday 14 October will be open to local and interstate voters, 8 am – 6 pm. Need to vote early? We’ve got you – local and interstate voters can vote early from Saturday 7 October.    For all the details visit: https://lnkd.in/g3Ep2QmB 

Ever wondered how some of our heritage spaces are so frozen in time? We’re often told how these rooms look as if staff have just popped out for lunch or gone home for the day. Our interpretation team work hard to re-create these spaces to evoke particular eras. It can take them many months to capture the time period, and it all comes down to the tiniest details. Our team talk to people who once worked in the building and spend a lot of time staring at historic photos. The general office in the Prime Minister's Suite was largely based on this black and white image from 1985. Some of the furniture was left behind from the move to new Parliament House and the objects are donated by the public or sourced specifically for the room. Pretty cool, hey! 📷 Black and white image of Heather Mittag in the general office - Photograph by Lori Anglin, Tanner and Associates, 1985. 

As we restore the House of Representatives chamber, we're making discoveries from Old Parliament House's past. As part of the restoration work, the Coat of Arms was taken down from its normal spot above the Speaker’s Chair. Initially, we thought the Coat of Arms was made out of metal, but after a meticulous cleaning process by our experts, it showed its true colours. Turns out the Coat of Arms is actually a piece of intricate woodwork. It was crafted from cedar by Otto Brothers Woodcarvers in Sydney, commissioned in 1968. After digging through articles and files to learn more about this piece, Noel from our heritage and collections team uncovered the story of Peta and Frank Otto. He also had the chance to speak with Laurens Otto, a member of the second generation of Otto Brothers Woodcarvers. Laurens revealed his father and uncle created the Coat of Arms by hand-carving this piece without machinery, relying solely on handmade chisels. Laurens’ father, Peta Otto, drew the outline of the Coat of Arms onto timber from a drawing provided by the government. Peta undertook the initial hand drilling/cutting of the fretwork before his brother Frank Otto completed the carving. The freshly restored 1968 Commonwealth Coat of Arms has now been reinstalled in the House of Representatives chamber, due to re-open at the end of 2023. So, keep your eyes on this space for more deets on our project!