About the display
Australia’s Magna Carta is now back on display at Parliament House after an extensive conservation and research project.
Over the last eight years this research project has enhanced understanding of the over 700 year-old document’s history. It has also contributed to an updated conservation plan to ensure its continued public display for future generations.
First issued in 1215, the Magna Carta (Latin for ‘Great Charter’) is celebrated as a founding document in the development of constitutional and parliamentary government. Very few 13th century official copies of the Magna Carta are known to survive.
In 1952 Prime Minister Robert Menzies announced that the Australian Government had purchased a 1297 inspeximus copy of the Magna Carta for the nation. It is one of only four known original 1297 inspeximus copies in existence.
Over the 50 years since the Magna Carta’s first public display in Australia, the knowledge, techniques, and technology in the scientific field of materials conservation developed
significantly.
The Magna Carta is now on public display on Level 1 in a new custom-made preservation case that will maintain the condition of the document’s materials: parchment, ink, seal and cords.
The Conserving the Magna Carta exhibition is also currently on display at Parliament House.
This exhibition invites visitors to find out about this important conservation project by showcasing the scientific research and analysis that has allowed this Magna Carta to return to display. You can find the exhibition in the Presiding Officers Exhibition Area.
First published at Parliament House website, December 8, 2024
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