History of the Debate

Our blog features regular posts by people passionate about politics, participation and democracy in all its forms.

History of the Debate

Debates about whether Australia should become a republic have once again recently emerged in the public domain. It is a political topic that every so often resurfaces in public debate. As the republican question re-emerges we look at the history of this debate. The biggest event in the republican debate...

Queen Elizabeth II in Australia

Queen Elizabeth II was the first reigning monarch to visit Australia. As Sovereign she visited Australia sixteen times and stopped in Adelaide seven times. Royal visits are a chance to familiarise our Head of State with our cities and present the culture and industry of Australia. 1954 visit Her Majesty,...

Head of State

Constitutional Monarchy Australia, like the United Kingdom, is a Constitutional Monarchy. This means the reigning British monarch is our head of state. This system of government is common to 43 countries. As Head of State, the Monarch’s role is limited to constitutional and representational duties. The ability for Australia to...

Active Citizenship

In the last few years, “active citizenship” and its practice has become more and more prevalent in political discussions, but what does it actually mean? During my internship with the Centre of Democracy, I was tasked with figuring this out. Put shortly, active citizenship is about civic engagement, but how...

Vinyl Revolutions

Over the course of history, music has played a prominent role across every culture of humanity. Music is typically used as a leisure activity in contemporary societies for individuals to listen to, play or even discuss. Music in protest, however, serves a powerful function in mobilizing people in the name...

Doing Democracy, one stitch at a time.

The Centre of Democracy (CoD) is a distributed museum which has a permanent gallery in Adelaide, South Australia, and extends its presence through online and temporary physical spaces. Its mission is to share stories about the history of democracy in South Australia and to encourage and support civic engagement. Throughout...

As I cannot write – A blog for Stitch & Resist

Lizzy Emery is a PhD candidate in the Department of Women’s Studies at Flinders University whose dissertation focuses on feminist craft practice, including craftivism. Lizzie has taught textiles at the UniSA School of Art since 2014 and has facilitated workshops in a variety of areas of textile crafts over the...

The Vietnam Moratoriums in Australia

On 29 April 1965 Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that in response to a second request from the Government of South Vietnam, Australia would commit an infantry battalion for service. The decision was motivated by the belief that ‘the takeover of South Vietnam would be a direct military threat to...

Tailoring Don Dunstan

Don Dunstan’s pink short shorts are a South Australia icon. When Premier Dunstan posed, beaming, on the steps of SAs Parliament House on November 22nd 1972 wearing his pink shorts, a white t-shirt and white knee-hi socks, he made headlines. “Dazzling Don Dunstan has done it again”, The News reported:...

Against her better judgement?

On 18 December 1894 the South Australian Parliament passed the Adult Suffrage Bill which granted women the right to vote and to stand for election. Since this required a change to the Constitution of the Parliament of South Australia, royal assent was required. The Bill was enacted two months after...

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