First parliamentary broadcast
08 May 1945
The proceedings of the Australian Parliament are broadcast for the first time.
The Australian Parliament was broadcast for the first time on 8 May 1945 when Acting Prime Minister Ben Chifley announced the war in Europe was over. Australians were able to hear the news of this momentous occasion live on their radios. The broadcast was considered a success and the ABC began regular radio broadcasts of Parliament in 1946. This allowed Australians to better access, follow and understand the work of Parliament.
The first television broadcast of Parliament took place in 1959 for the opening of the 23rd Parliament. The 1974 joint sitting of Parliament was also televised, although it wasn’t until the 1990s that the meetings of Parliament were regularly broadcast on television. In 1990 the daily sessions of the Senate were broadcast on both radio and television. The House of Representatives quickly followed and began televising daily sessions in 1991. Since 1999, the proceedings of Parliament have also been streamed online.
Prime Minister Ben Chifley addressing the House of Representatives, Canberra
National Archives of Australia, A1200 L12402
Description
A black and white photograph of the House of Representatives in Provisional (Old) Parliament House taken in 1945. Prime Minister Ben Chifley addresses the members of the House from the central table. Microphone stands have been placed around the room to capture audio.
Various copyright conditions apply to content in the National Archives collection, depending on the type of material and its age.
For permission to reproduce images and records from the collection, submit a copyright request.
Advice about copyright of material in the National Archives collection can be found in Fact Sheet 8 – Copyright.