Museum of Australian Democracy

The Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House is a living museum of social and political history, located in a nationally listed heritage building in Parkes, Canberra. The Old Parliament House, formerly known as the Provisional Parliament House, was the seat of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. Because of it’s temporary nature, it didn’t have sufficient space for all the members and a number of extensions were made over the years. It was almost torn down when the new Parliament House was finally built but was preserved for its historical significance and is now operated as a museum.

It is fascinating to see what the cramped offices and workspaces would have looked like when it was operational, and the exhibits have improved since the last time we visited 15 years ago.