Deep in the belly of Old Parliament House, the original home of Australian democracy, lies a new exhibition, Changemakers, which celebrates the women who have shaped society as we know it today.
The Museum of Australian Democracy’s new small but mighty collection houses mementos and personal items of those who have played a key role in shifting conservations and altering the future for other Australian women.
As you approach the entrance, walls draped with handmade banners from textile artist and activists demand your attention. Embroidered with poignant messages of the struggles long faced by women and minorities such as ‘A woman’s place is in the House and the Senate’, ‘I won’t be quiet so you can be comfortable’ and ‘Always was, Always will be’.
Bright colours and lights invite attendees to follow the paths paved by female politicians, sportswomen, activists, and artists, stopping in the moments of time in which these women rallied against the limitations placed on them, challenged laws and outdated policies that saw them as deserving less, and altered national opinions.
See the famous red Rodo shoes worn by Julie Bishop when she announced her resignation from the position as Minister for Foreign Affairs, after she was overlooked in the 2018 Liberal Party leadership spill. Witness the seemingly never-ending battle of the prevention of sexual violence against women, while an obstetrics case shows the grim realities of bearing a child in the 1930s and ‘40s.
Australian feminist icon Dame Quentin Bryce officially opened the exhibition, delivering a moving speech, in which she recalled moments from her groundbreaking career. A highlight included when she had the honour as Australia’s first and only female Governor-General to swear in Australia’s first and only female Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, at Government House in 2010.
One the country’s favourite journalists, Annabel Crabb, hosted a panel of women whose hard work awarded them a place in the exhibition to discuss “what it means to have a seat at the table”.Former Australian of the Year,Rosie Batty AO, described how a tragic event led her on the path to advocacy for the reformation of family violence laws. Dr Mehreen Farqui shared her story of coming to Australia and fighting to break down walls and become the first Muslim to sit in Australian Parliament as well as the country’s first Muslim Senator. Awe-inspiring women more than deserving of their place within this dip into the ocean of the contributions women have made to our country.
Follow the path at the Museum of Australian Demonocracy; moadoph.gov.au
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