Image credit: CQF-Avocat
994.02 MUI
AUSTRALIAN HISTORY collection
994.03 THO
AUSTRALIAN HISTORY collection
G 2017 2:29
This short video introduces the Australian Constitution—the rules by which Australia is run.
G 1:40
The Story of Our Rights and Freedoms resources are designed to assist students in building a critical understanding of human rights and responsibilities, and to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills to apply human rights in everyday life. These resources were developed in partnership with Cool Australia.
Source: Parliamentary Education Office
The Separation of Powers: Parliament, Executive and Judiciary
The principle of the separation of powers distributes the power to govern between the Parliament, the Executive and the Judiciary.
G 2017 2:26
Get an introduction to the three levels of government with this short video. It explores the areas each level can make laws about.
E. 2008 22:07
This programme examines our three levels of government, how laws are created and the structure and role of the Australian parliamentary system. It discusses the role of the Commonwealth Constitution in establishing the Federal parliament and the way powers are divided. The programme looks at the step-by-step passage of a bill through both houses of parliament at a federal and state level and discusses why and how local government create laws.
G 2017 4:08
Discover the role and work of the Australian House of Representatives with this introductory video.
G 2017 3:32
Discover the role and work of the Australian Senate with this introductory video.
E 2017 6:41
The 1967 referendum saw the majority of Australians vote to change our country's laws to count Indigenous Australians as full citizens.
G 2015 8:00
Lizzie O'Shea outlines the two extreme ideas of the law.
E 2011 20:57
This outstanding programme was filmed in a real Australian courtroom and includes examples of juries in both criminal and civil proceedings, offering a fascinating, comprehensive overview of the Australian jury system.
E 2016 7:08
This video briefly outlines the Australian political system, firstly beginning with the Australian constitution, then explaining the role of the Prime Minister, then the role of the two houses before finally explaining the two major party's briefly.
E 2019 23:32
Today's video is explaining the basics of how government is formed, how to vote, and what the Senate and the House of Representatives are. This will be a great crash course for anyone with limited knowledge of how Australian politics works.
Constitution - A set of rules that guides how a country, state, or other political organisation works.
Legislature - Power to make and change law. The Legislature is made up of the Queen (represented by the Governor-General), the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Executive - Power to put law into action. The Executive is made up of the Queen (represented by the Governor-General), Prime Minister and ministers.
Judiciary - Power to make judgements on law. The Judiciary is made up of the High Court of Australia and other federal courts.
Democracy - The word democracy describes a form of government. The word comes from two Greek words that mean “rule by the people.” In a democracy the people have a say in how the government is run. They do this by voting, though there are usually rules about who can vote.
The House of Representatives - The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Australian Federal Parliament, the other being the Senate. It is sometimes called the 'people's house' or the 'house of government'.
The Senate - The Senate is one of the two houses of the Australian Federal Parliament. It consists of 76 senators, twelve from each of the six states and two from each of the mainland territories. It shares the power to make laws with the other House of the Parliament, the House of Representatives.
Governor General - The Queen's representative in Australia.
Prime Minister - The head of the Australian government, who leads the parliamentary party or coalition of parties that wins the support of the majority of members of the House of Representatives.
Premier - The elected leader of the political party or coalition of parties that form a state government.
Governor - The Queen's representative in each state of Australia.
Leader of the Opposition - A member of parliament who leads the largest party or coalition of parties that is not in government.
Bicameral - A parliament that consists of 2 chambers or houses.
Referendum - A national vote to consider a change to the Australian Constitution.
Rule of Law - The principle that all people are equal before the law and must obey it; that the law should be fair, clearly written and protect people's rights.
Witness - A person who gives evidence to a parliamentary committee.
Jury - A group of people who decide the answer to a question in a court room. Usually, this question is whether a person is guilty or innocent of committing a crime.