Centre of Democracy in Adelaide, South Australia | History Museum

Centre of Democracy

Locality: Adelaide, South Australia

Phone: +61 8 8203 9888

Address: Cnr Kintore Ave and North Terrace 5000 Adelaide, SA, Australia

Website: http://www.centreofdemocracy.sa.gov.au/

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24.01.2022 In yesterday’s post we looked at historic objections to the politicization of international sporting events such as the Olympic and the Commonwealth Games. This week has seen international discussion about whether or not countries such as our own should boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. What do you think? https://www.abc.net.au//push-for-australia-to-boy/12740548

23.01.2022 #vinylrevolutions The South Australian AIDS Memorial Quilts Exhibition was recently hosted by SAMESH and the History Trust of South Australia. In commemoration of those who lost their lives to HIV, the Centre of Democracy invites you to join us in listening to Annie Lennox’s version of ‘Every time we say Goodbye’ which appeared on the 1990 compilation album Red, Hot + Blue. The album features covers of Cole Porter songs by artists including Deborah Harry, U2, David Byrne, To...m Waits and Sinead O’Connor, sold over a million copies worldwide and was heralded as one of the first major AIDS benefits in the music business. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_efac2Ajkc

22.01.2022 We welcome this news today from the State and Federal Government. The new, soon to be open, Adelaide Holocaust Museum & Steiner Education Centre will help to shape how younger generations and the wider community understand the history of the Holocaust and their role in society. It is sometimes easy to take for granted here in Australia our basic human and democratic rights to freedom of assembly, political participation, speech, expression, and religion. The AHMSEC mission to educate about the history of the Holocaust and the importance of encouraging compassion and respect is a timely reminder for us all in this increasingly complex and changing world we find ourselves in.

22.01.2022 The United Nations was formally established #onthisday in 1945. It comprised of fifty member states, of which Australia was one. As of 2020 there are 193 member states. The UN’s aims are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, protect human rights, and be a centre for harmonising the actions of nations. Do you think the UN continues to play an important role in the practice of democracy?... Image: Flags of the member states of the United Nations, in front of the Palace of Nations (Geneva, Switzerland), courtesy Groov3

22.01.2022 Thought for the day

22.01.2022 #VinylRevolutions #Didyouknow Between the 9 and 11 December 1941 the Australian cricket associations of South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland held discussions with newly-elected Labor Prime Minister, John Curtin, that resulted in the decision to abandon all interstate matches for the remainder of the Second World War. First-class cricket in Australia resumed on 23 November 1945 at the Gabba between Queensland and New South Wales, though the Sheffield Shield was not awarde...d until 194647. Today at the Centre for Democracy we’re reflecting on the ways in which decisions such as this are made democratically, and wondering whether and how the coming cricket season will be impacted by COVID-19. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvgFF3yEwc8

21.01.2022 #Onthisday on 11 November 1975 the Gough Whitlam-led Federal Labor Government became the first and only government in Australian history to be dismissed by the Governor-General. Contention still surrounds the dismissal, which generated passionate protest across the country and divided opinion on both Australian democracy and the functioning of the parliament. The ‘Palace Letters’, released earlier this year, clearly show that Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, had discussed the... possibility of dismissing Whitlam with Buckingham Palace for months prior to actually doing so, and that the final decision on the sacking was kept from the Queen as it was better for Her Majesty not to know in advance. They also reveal that Kerr’s failure to warn Whitlam of his intention to dismiss him, was based on a fear that if he did so Whitlam may advise the Queen that I should be immediately dismissed. The position would then have been that I would be trying to dismiss him while he was trying to dismiss me an impossible position for the Queen.. I simply could not risk the outcome for the sake of the monarchy. The release of the Palace Letters by the National Archives of Australia certainly seems to give renewed strength to Whitlam’s now legendary address from the steps of Parliament House in which he proclaimed Well may God Save the Queen, because nothing will save the Governor-General. Image: Ticket and booklet from a dinner marking the 10th anniversary of the dismissal. Courtesy of John Trainer.

20.01.2022 #OnThisDay in 1978 Premier Don Dunstan, introduced a Bill to the South Australian Parliament that he described as both a ‘historic measure’ and ‘an act of simpl...e justice’. While the Bill had not passed when Labor lost office in September 1979 it led to the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act which received assent from the Governor General on 19 March 1981. In 1976, an activist group, the Pitjantjatjara Council (PC) was formed to lobby for land rights for Pitjantjatjara peoples across South Australia, Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Discussions with the PC led to the establishment, by Dunstan, of the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Working Party (PLRWP). Embracing a First Nations world view, and questioning the Eurocentric notions of land that had underpinned and justified the displacement of Aboriginal peoples, the PLRWP recommended the transfer of the land title to the North West Aboriginal Reserve to the Pitjantjatjara peoples, and that Pitjantjatjara peoples have ‘full powers of management of their Lands’. These recommendations formed the basis of the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Bill. A modified Bill finally passed through both Houses in March 1981, as the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Act 1981 (SA), later renamed as the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjarra Land Rights Act 1981 (SA) (APYLRA). Image: Premier David Tonkin and the Chairman of the Pitjantjatjara Council, Mr Kawaki Thompson, signed their agreement to the Pitjantjatjara Land Rights Bill on 2 October 1981, State Library of South Australia, B 72743/19.

20.01.2022 25 November is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women Despite the adoption of the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) by the UN General Assembly in 1979, violence against women and girls remains a pervasive problem worldwide. An initiative launched in 2008 and known as the UNiTE to End Violence against Women aims to raise public awareness around the issue as well as increase both policymaking and res...ources dedicated to ending violence against women and girls. There is still a long way to go at the global scale. To date, only two out of three countries have outlawed domestic violence, while 37 countries worldwide still exempt rape perpetrators from prosecution if they are married to or eventually marry the victim and 49 countries currently have no laws protecting women from domestic violence. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, emerging data and reports from those on the front lines, have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has intensified. As COVID-19 cases continue to strain health services, essential services, such as domestic violence shelters and helplines, have reached capacity. More needs to be done to prioritize addressing violence against women in COVID-19 response and recovery efforts. This year’s theme for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women is Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!. Like in previous years, this year's International Day will mark the launch of The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. It was started by activists at the inaugural Women’s Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women’s Global Leadership. It is used as an organising strategy by individuals and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls. To find out more visit the website: https://www.un.org//obse/ending-violence-against-women-day #GenerationEquality #orangetheworld #16days #spreadtheword #SIW20 #onthisday UN Women

19.01.2022 #Vinylrevolutions We’re working on a new photographic exhibition that documents the Anti-Vietnam moratorium protests that took place in Adelaide in 1970-72, and we’re listening to Redgum’s I Was Only 19. More information about our latest exhibition coming soon. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aisR-Lz5YpQ

16.01.2022 *NEW BLOG POST* The Vietnam Moratoriums in Adelaide 2020 marks the fiftieth anniversary of Australia’s first Moratoriums, which saw thousands of people in cities across the country gather to protest against Australia’s participation in the war in Vietnam and the conscription of the nation’s young men. The massive marches that took place on 8 + 9 May and 18 September 1970, and 30 June 1971 were unprecedented in Australia, as was the campaign of which they were a part. To learn... more visit our website then head along to the gallery to see an exhibition of photographs from the Adelaide moratoriums by local Leo Davis. Presented by The History Trust of South Australia and the Centre of Democracy from 2 November 2020 to 11 July 2021. https://centreofdemocracy.sa.gov.au//%ef%bb%bfthe-vietnam/

15.01.2022 As part of Social Inclusion Week, we're listening to Aretha Franklin's "Respect" - a truly recognisable #vinylrevolution. Released during a pivotal time in the feminist and civil rights movements, Franklin’s version of Respect became emblematic of both. So many people identified with and related to ‘Respect’, Franklin wrote in her autobiography. It was the need of a nation, the need of the average man and woman in the street, the businessman, the mother, the fireman, the... teacher everyone wanted respect. It was also one of the battle cries of the civil rights movement. The song took on monumental significance. https://www.vox.com//aretha-franklin-2018-respect-song-oti https://youtu.be/n0POmdK18WU

15.01.2022 Don't miss your chance to see the amazing exhibition 'Outblak Adventures: Still Moving'. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBTI performers, artists, and community members have been part of the Adelaide Feast Festival since its inception. This exhibition brings together publicity, artwork, film, images, people, and stories that span 21+ years. The exhibition is on at the Light Square Gallery until this Saturday 28th November. Week days from 9am- 5pm and Sat from 11am 3p...m. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdUvqEjVtX4&feature=youtu.be

14.01.2022 Today not only falls in the middle of NAIDOC week, it's also Remembrance Day. A good time to visit the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander War Memorial. Thou...sands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women have served in Australia’s defence forces. While they have been present at every conflict and almost every peacekeeping mission from the Boer War to the present, it is difficult to accurately determine how many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have served. Policy varied over time, but at some points Aboriginal people were discouraged or prohibited from enlisting. This did not stop people enlisting; but did prompt people to remain silent about their cultural heritage. For more visit: https://sahistoryhub.history.sa.gov.au//aboriginal-and-tor Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander War Memorial, History Trust of South Australia, CC-0

13.01.2022 It’s Social Inclusion Week! Social Inclusion Week (SIW) was established in 2009 by Dr Jonathon Welch, and is aim is to encourage people and communities to re/connect and to be inclusive of all cultures, age groups, nationalities and abilities. While there is no single definition of social inclusion the Australian Social Inclusion Board understands social inclusion as having equal access to the resources, opportunities and capabilities to:... Learn (participate fully in education and training) Work (participate in employment, voluntary work, and family and carer responsibilities Engage (connect with others and participate fully in local, cultural, civic and recreational activities, and have equal access to services) Have a voice (to actively participate in and contribute to society and the decisions that govern it) Specific individuals, groups, and communities have been, and continue to be excluded from these rights and practices. Social inclusion is integral to democracy.

13.01.2022 Reclaim the Night is a global women’s protest against sexual and domestic violence held annually on the last Friday in October. Reclaim the Night began in the UK in 1976 and the first marches in Australia took place in 1978. Unfortunately, the issue of violence against women is no less prevalent today than it was when this protest movement began half a century ago. Reclaim the Night SA Image: Reclaim the Night badge, State Library of South Australia, PRG 1491/24/2/28/1

13.01.2022 When it comes to politics throughout history, women have been largely left out. But in recent years, the tides have been turning, with many of the world's most successful activists and politicians bravely breaking down barriers and finally becoming the 'firsts' to be elected into governing roles in their respective countries. https://www.marieclaire.com.au/trailblazing-female-politici

12.01.2022 Sport is a fundamental right for Australians but many are still excluded. In October, eight peak Australian sporting bodies have unveiled guidelines for the inclusion for transgender people in their sports. #SIW20 Social Inclusion Week https://www.abc.net.au//sporting-bodies-unveil-gu/12719706

10.01.2022 On the second day of Christmas, my true love sent to me Two days in lockdown, and A #stitchandresist embroidery. Flatten the inequality curve... Stitched by Gwenda Pattern by Gwenda, words by Monica and Gwenda https://stitchandresist.com/

09.01.2022 #VinylRevolutions Today is World Kindness Day and we are reflecting on Jacinta Adern’s claim that the need for a robust democracy is not at odds with the need for kindness. Artists for Grenfell’s moving version of ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ shows how we might all contribute to a better, kinder, world. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O1CcwYf79I

09.01.2022 #Onthisday in 1968 two Olympic medal-winning African-American athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised a black-gloved fist during the playing of the US national anthem. The Black Power salute which made headlines internationally and led to the athletes’ expulsion from the Mexico City Games, is regarded as one of the most overtly political statements in the history of the modern Olympics. Interestingly the International Olympics Committee president, Avery Brundage, who cl...aimed that Smith and Carlos’ actions constituted "a deliberate and violent breach of the fundamental principles of the Olympic spirit, had made no such objection to Nazi salutes during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. When, at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Canada, Cathy Freeman won a gold medal in the 400m and carried both the Australian and Aboriginal flags on her victory lap, the official response was similar. Arthur Tunstall, chief de mission of the Australian teams to the Commonwealth Games told Freeman that if, upon winning the 200m race, she were again to fly the Aboriginal flag, he would send her home. Freeman won, ignored the diktat, and in doing so contributed both to sporting history, to the recognition of Aboriginal people and rights, and to the history of democracy. Unlike Smith and Carlos who, on their return to the US, were subject to extreme hostility, Freeman was largely applauded by Australians. Image 1: John Carlos, Tommie Smith, Peter Norman, 16 Oct 1968, Mexico City Image 2: Cathy Freeman, 1994 Commonwealth Games, Canada

09.01.2022 Today at the Centre of Democracy we are listening to ‘Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud’, by the legendary James Brown because it reminds us of an equally legendary event in the history of democracy that occurred 42 years ago tomorrow. Can you guess what it is? https://youtu.be/4hj1iWqoYEc

08.01.2022 Congratulations to our Feminist Writers Festival ticket winners! Thank you to everyone that entered our competition. If you missed out don't worry, follow the Feminist Writers Festival and check out their website - there are still tickets available for this Saturday's event! https://feministwritersfestival.com/fwf2020-program/

07.01.2022 "We have been pushed aside for so many years and you can see that we are starting to be more visible," she said. We are like anyone else and we need to be seen more and accepted more." Fa'afafine means the mannerisms of a woman in Samoan culture, and the custom is practiced in other Pacific Island countries too. But over time, what it means to be fa'afafine has evolved to include the transgender community. While Fa'afafine are respected in Samoan society, the nation's LGBT c...ommunity still faces discrimination. Social Inclusion Week #SIW20 https://www.abc.net.au//australias-faafafine-comm/12703256

06.01.2022 The Australian federal election held on 13 December 1919 was the first since the passage of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, and it introduced preferential voting for both houses of parliament. Preferential voting allows voters to individually number and rank all candidates for both houses of parliament according to their preferences. It means a person’s vote is still counted, even if their candidate of choice is eliminated due to a lack of votes. If no candidate secure...s an absolute majority of primary votes, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated from the count. The votes for the eliminated candidate are then redistributed among the remaining candidates according to the number two preference the ballot paper. Even if, when voting for the Senate, a voter chooses to rank the parties above the line on the ballot paper (rather than the individuals listed below the line), preferences are still employed because the vote endorses the declared preferences of the party ranked first by the voter. Australia is one of only three nations to use this system for national elections. You can find out more here: https://peo.gov.au/ Image: Parliamentary Education Office, Australia

06.01.2022 The Centre of Democracy's Stitch & Resist project has thrived through the pandemic and has created conversations far beyond what we originally imagined. It has become a way for people to engage, communicate and connect using craft. Similarly, the team at South Australia's History Festival initiated a platform for young people to bring fresh perspectives into museum collections through poetry and to show them that their voices and opinions matter, especially during a global pandemic. https://medium.com//museum-poetry-during-a-pandemic-47d7e9

05.01.2022 The Migration Museum documents people’s experiences of migration and celebrates cultural diversity in South Australia since its opening in 1986. The closing of ...Australia’s international borders as a response to the Covid-19 pandemic has had a major impact on migration. The Australian government expects its first net negative migration since 1946. Mandy Paul, Director of the Migration Museum, had a closer look at the current situation. Read her article on Medium: https://medium.com//global-crises-and-migration-from-the-s #MigrationMuseums Image: Opening of the Migration Museum, 1986.

05.01.2022 We are not going to lie: we, along with our partners at the History Trust of South Australia, are particularly disappointed that amongst everything else we have... had to close the AIDS Quilt exhibition early, and that we cannot proceed at this time with the planned AIDS Quilt forum. It was a couple of years work to get to this point, and we know some of you hadn't yet seen it on display, and some of you were looking forward to attending and/or participating in the Quilt forum (as were we!). Those who have seen it have told us how much it meant to them - and that has meant a lot to us. We, like everyone else, know we need to do our bit to help get the COVID-19 virus under control: even when that means swallowing some unpleasant medicine. But it's not all bad news! Both we and the History Trust of South Australia are passionate about bringing the Quilt to you, and about holding the forum for the community to celebrate its past and discuss its future. (Also, none of us like to give up very easily). So, we are incredibly excited and heartened to tell you that The AIDS Quilt exhibition and forum will now be part of South Australia's History Festival in May 2021! South Australia's History Festival is an annual statewide event presented by the History Trust of South Australia. Held throughout May each year, the History Festival explores the state’s places and spaces, stories, collections and ideas that make us who we are. So watch this space for the return of the Quilt, as details become available! In the meantime we would also like to assure everyone that we will continue to digitise the panels for the proposed SA Quilt website. (This will be done ASAP, but we are sure you understand that with everything in flux right now we don't even want to estimate a date). Thanks everyone, and please stay safe ( by @merchusey )

04.01.2022 Spring is in the air and many of us are looking forward to donning our swimmers and heading to the beach. But before you do, did you know that beach attire has long been the subject of debate, and even of a protest or two? In 1907 Sydney’s Waverley Shire Council proposed that male bathers should be as well-covered as their female counterparts. The mayor of Waverley described the proposed costume as: "A combination, consisting of guernsey with trouser legs and reaching from ne...ar the elbow to the bend of the knee, together with a skirt not unsightly but simply attached to the garment and covering the figure below the hips to the knee." Beach goers were outraged and on 20 October thousands poured onto the sands of Bondi, Manly and Googee beaches to (successfully) protest against the proposed regulations. More recently controversy broke out over the burkini (or burqini), a type of modesty swimwear for women designed by Australian Aheda Zanetti. The burkini was banned in parts of France, Switzerland and Morocco, but protests in Germany resulted in the over-ruling of a ban on its use in public swimming pools. While in Australia there has been no attempt to regulate the wearing of birkinis, political figures such as Pauline Hanson and Kim Vuga have denounced the garment. Only a couple of weeks ago Perth’s Adventure World prohibited the wearing of thong-style bikini bottoms in the fun park. While debates about what constitutes appropriate beachwear continue, it might be worth considering the notion of civil liberties next time you’re about to take a dip. Image 1: Early/mid-twentieth century men’s trunks with modesty flap, South Australian Maritime Museum, HT2018.1115 Image 2: Adventure World Facebook ad

03.01.2022 There is still plenty of time to submit a piece for the Stitch & Resist project! We've extended the submission deadline to 30 April 2021. Thank you to everyone that participated in a workshop this year. For those who missed out or want to come along again, stay tuned! We will be running more workshops in late February and March 2021. For inspiration, handy tips, free patterns and to submit your piece - visit the Stitch & Resist website: https://stitchandresist.com/... #stitchandresist

03.01.2022 According to a report released this year by the Electoral Commission of South Australia, our State Parliament has the worst female representation in the country. And the way we’re going, we won’t see gender parity until 2050. This group intends to fix that. Suffragette Group, a project founded by Chelsey Potter, aims to counter the male-dominant culture in South Australian politics. It’s something that hasn’t been done in Australia before, she says. Suffragette Group is es...sentially a non-partisan political consultancy firm for women, Chelsey explains, but what we’re looking to do, essentially, is create a community for women to support women. The consultancy firm offers pre-selection campaigning advice for women, with the aim to get more women into the lower and upper house. One thing I’ve learned in politics is that I don’t think that party marketing, or the way things are traditionally done, works for women at all, Chelsey says, because running for pre-selection is a big undertaking. It takes a lot of time. Changing a discriminatory culture in politics won’t happen overnight. But running for pre-selection is a powerful way for women to accumulate more power within politics, and to then create the kind of support network Chelsey wants to see. I think women need someone in their corner, no matter what party they’re in, she says. To find out more, visit their website. *This piece came from an article in Citymag, words by Angela Skujins. #SIW20 Social Inclusion Week Suffragette Group https://www.suffragettegroup.com.au/

02.01.2022 22 November 1972, 48 years ago today: SA Premier Don Dunstan wears pink shorts to work at Parliament House Adelaide. The shorts can now be seen in the Centre of Democracy in Adelaide. https://centreofdemocracy.sa.gov.au//tailoring-don-dunstan/

01.01.2022 You too can join the global movement speaking out against racism, sexism, homophobia, and violence. #ProudBoys Little did Donald Trump imagine that his response to the question of whether he would disavow white supremacists and militias - "Proud Boys, stand back and stand by" would set in motion a global backlash. Proud Boys is the name of a far-right, male-only, pro-gun organization associated with white supremacy and political violence. The group who took Trump’s words... as an endorsement of their beliefs and actions was founded in 2016 by Gavin McInnes who said of the group: We love Trump [Election night 2016] was just heaven, and we thought, finally, all of this politically correct pandering, all this pedantic social justice warrior stuff, it’s going to at least take a break. In response to the President’s comments, former Star Wars actor and activist George Takei suggested a clever comeback aimed at drowning out hate by replacing it with love. Takei tweeted: What if gay guys took pictures of themselves making out with each other or doing very gay things, then tagged themselves with #ProudBoys? Since then the #ProudBoys has been hijacked by the queer community and the internet has been flooded with pictures of gay men celebrating their love. #DemocracyInAction #LoveIsLove #ReclaimingMyShine

01.01.2022 On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me A #stitchandresist embroidery. I’m really quite cross Stitched by Karen... Pattern designed by Rayna Fahey https://stitchandresist.com/