Events and activities
Official celebrations began on Thursday 17 November 2005. Events provide an opportunity for the community to come together and celebrate this significant milestone.
A highlight of the 150th anniversary celebration is the state-wide travelling exhibition: Bills Bells & Ballots -150 years of Victoria's Parliament.
Other initiatives planned throughout the anniversary year to showcase this historic occasion will include (see also Past events):
- 9 October 2006 - 30 April 2006
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And your petitioners humbly pray...150 years of petitions in Victoria - Parliament House
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As one of the final events in a year-long celebration of 150 years of democracy in Victoria, the Public Record Office Victoria and the Parliament of Victoria presents And your petitioners humbly pray… 150 years of petitions in Victoria. The exhibition gives visitors a chance to lift the archive lid and view a selection of previously unseen petitions presented to the Victorian Parliament. Petitions range from the quirky and one-off to those that have influenced Victorian legislation, including the famous Ned Kelly petition.
The exhibition will be on display at Parliament House from 9 October until 1 November 2006. Open Monday to Friday from 8:30am until 5:30pm.
It will then move to the Victorian Archives Centre in North Melbourne from 11 November 2006 until 30 April 2007. Open from 9am until 4:30pm Monday to Friday and every second and last Saturday of the month from 9am until 4:30pm.
Admission to both venues is free.
For more information visit www.prov.vic.gov.au/petitions/ or phone Public Record Office Victoria on 9348 5749.
- 29 October 2006
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Open Garden - Parliament House
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As part of the Parliament of Victoria’s 150th anniversary celebrations, Parliament House will open its heritage-listed gardens for members of the public to wander through on self-guided tours. To be held Sunday 29 October, Open Garden 2006 will allow visitors and gardening enthusiasts the rare opportunity to enjoy afternoon tea in the magnificent gardens.
Planting of the original garden began in 1856, the same year in which the Parliament officially opened. Laid out in a geometric design, the gardens were originally used as a public thoroughfare but are now kept closed to the public. Open Garden 2006 will allow visitors to see the abundant collection of plants, winding paths, large expanses of lawn, memorial plaques, bowling green and tennis court which make up this green oasis in the middle of Melbourne’s CBD.
Admission is free and the gardens will be open from 1pm until 4pm on 29 October 2006.
- 25 November 2006
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150 years since the official opening of Parliament House
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The official celebrations will culminate on Saturday 25 November 2006. Also on this day the 2006 state election will be held.
- Download a copy of the 150th anniversary events schedule. If you would like to know more please contact us
- 6 March - 24 March 2006
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Drawn on the issues: 150 years of state political cartoons – Parliament House
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The cartoon exhibition will feature published cartoons of former Premiers and significant political events from Melbourne's newspapers and political journals.
- 19 March 2006
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150th anniversary of the secret ballot
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Victoria 's secret ballot was a world first. The Parliament of Victoria and the Victorian Electoral Commission will work together to commemorate this anniversary.
- 21 April 2006
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150th anniversary of Eight Hour Day
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Celebrations will include a re-enactment of the 21 April 1856 march of building workers from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House.
- 3 May 2006
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Freedom and Diversity: Real Challenges to Democracy
- The first public lecture by the Chair of Victorian State Parliamentary Democracy, Professor Brian Costar.
When American revolutionary Patrick Henry famously declared in 1775 ‘Give me liberty or give me death’ he established freedom as the central motif of the American republic. Between 1820 and 1930 33 million people flocked to the US from Europe in search of a better life. The reality and myth of liberty helped unite them as a nation. Because our foundation as a nation was less dramatic than America’s, liberty has never acquired the same status here. Yet Australia has experienced waves of immigrants which have made it one of the world’s most ethnically diverse societies. This lecture will engage with current controversies concerning multiculturalism and argue that ‘democracy’ can be to Australia what ‘liberty’ is to the United States. - 25 June 2006
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Open Day 2006 – Parliament House
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The 2006 Open Day provides an opportunity to see inside the historic building and find out what goes on inside! The focus for the Open Day will be 150 years of the Parliament of Victoria.
Admission is free and Parliament House will be open from 11am until 4pm.
- 3 - 14 July 2006 (weekdays only)
NAIDOC Week Indigenous Art Exhibition, Parliament House.
The 2006 NAIDOC Art Exhibition will bring together renowned Indigenous artists to mark the 150th anniversary of the Parliament of Victoria. The site of Parliament House has been prominent in Aboriginal history prior to colonial settlement. Since its construction Parliament House has held meaning for Victoria’s Aboriginal people who have gathered at the foot of the building in both celebration and protest. Exploring themes of democracy and representation, this exhibition will look at the historical significance of Parliament House from an Indigenous perspective.
- 25 - 28 September 2006
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YMCA Victoria - Youth Parliament, Parliament House
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YMCA Victoria Youth Parliament is a program designed to give young Victorians between the ages of 16-25 a chance to be heard at the highest levels of State Government, on a wide range of issues relevant to young people's lives. 2006 marks the 20th anniversary of Youth Parliament in Victoria. For more information visit YMCA Victoria Youth Parliament.
Past Events