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Explore

Democracy

Democracy

Aretha Brown, a young woman, holds a banner at a protest rally with a fist raised in the air.

Stories

Stories

Black and white image of the front of Old Parliament House with a crowd of people of gathered at the foot of the stairs. The building is white with columns and an Australian flag flies at the top.

Collection

Collection

A close up of a rainbow flag covered in signatures.

POLITICAL CARTOONS

Browse Behind the Lines, our annual exhibition celebrating the year's best political cartoons.

Explore
Visitors looking at the framed cartoons on the walls

STORIES

A voice from the past
History

A voice from the past

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

Red, white and blue: the Australian flag
History

Red, white and blue: the Australian flag

Debate about the Australian flag has a long history.

On Hansard
History

On Hansard

How Hansard records parliamentary history.

On a Knife-Edge: Six other times Australia’s elections were down to the wire
History

On a Knife-Edge: Six other times Australia’s elections were down to the wire

Past Australian elections with very close results.

Why wear a badge at election time?
History

Why wear a badge at election time?

COLLECTION

Commonwealth Match Works vesta case Commonwealth Match Works vesta case

Commonwealth Match Works vesta case

Pocket-sized cylindrical boxes for matches, were popular in Australia and New Zealand in the early 1900s.
Badges from the 1975 federal election campaign

Badges from the 1975 federal election campaign

Maintaining the rage and turning on the lights.

DEMOCRACY

Defining democracy Australian democracy

Defining democracy

What is democracy?
Australian democracy Australian democracy

Australian democracy

Every democratic society is distinct. The same is true for Australia.