OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE AND CURTILAGE HERITAGE MANAGEMENT PLAN 2008–2013

I0. Collection Management Policy
Part C – Implementation Tools
226 Old Parliament House and Curtilage Heritage Management Plan 2008–2013
d. Hansards, Parliamentary Papers and other printed material associated with the political history of Australia
e. Material that reflects the importance of OPH in the context of the development of Canberra
Category 4 - A representative collection of material which documents and illustrates the construction, design and iconography
of OPH as a building.
This category includes:
a. A comprehensive collection of original and copied plans of the building,
including details of construction, alteration and growth since 1923,
b. copies of official files relevant to construction, alterations and growth where they support
heritage and historical assessment of uses and changes in use of the building, especially where
those uses relate to political and parliamentary functions and everyday life at OPH,
c. photographs which illustrate the history of construction, alteration and growth of OPH since 1923, and
d. a representative collection of original souvenirs and memorabilia bearing images of the
building, which convey aspects of its social significance to visitors and tourists.
Category 5 - A representative collection of material which documents and illustrates the role and history of federal political parties
and other groups related to the development of Australian democracy.
This primarily, but not exclusively, includes material focussed on political parties which had
representation in the Federal Parliament, or parties and other groups which have significantly
influenced the direction of federal politics and the history of Australian democracy
Original and copies of materials such as:
a. manifestos and broadsheets,
b. party newsletters,
c. policy statements,
d. mass-produced speaker’s notes,
e. material produced for internal distribution, and
f. material produced by groups and candidates vying for party political office.
Category 6 - A collection of material which documents and supports exhibitions and scholarly research into the lives and achievements
of Australia’s prime ministers.
This is primarily material relevant to the political lives of prime ministers but also includes significant items which
relate to their personal lives, personalities and background. The papers of prime ministers, whether personal
or official, are not collected but will be directed to the National Archives of Australia in the first instance.
Priorities include originals and copies of:
i. publications by and about prime ministers, their governments,
political era and related parliamentary themes
ii. artistic representations eg. photographs, caricatures, portraits and other two and
three-dimensional representations of prime ministers including cartoons
iii. oral histories and other research materials which support scholarly work on the
governments formed by prime ministers, their party and other political affiliations,
their personal circles and philosophies, and their influence on Australia
iv. materials which support scholarly work and exhibitions on themes such as the leadership of
parliamentary democracies such as Australia and the history of prime ministerial government
v. a representative collection of gifts to prime ministers and other memorabilia
associated with their parliamentary careers and governments.
vi. The personal memories of Prime Ministers, recorded as oral histories
vii. Published and unpublished books, articles, theses, conference proceedings and other
publications by and about Prime Ministers, both scholarly and popular, and research
papers amassed by scholars working on Prime Ministers and their governments