Australia's Democracy: About our Democracy

Every democratic society is distinct. The same is true for Australia, which is a representative democracy and, currently, a constitutional monarchy.

"Begin your exploration of the three levels of government in Australia with this short introduction. Discover the responsibilities of the federal Parliament, state and territory parliaments and local government, and how they work together ... "

"Do you know what each level of government is responsible for? Test your knowledge of the three levels of government in Australia with this game. Use in the classroom or just for fun."

"This fact sheet introduces the three levels of government in Australia and lists some of the responsibilities of each level."

This is the official website of the Parliament of Australia. You can access information about the two different houses of Parliament - the Senate and the House of Representatives. You can also watch a sitting of Parliament live.

"When you rock up to the polling station on election day, you'll get two ballot papers. The big, white one is for the Senate, and the smaller green one is for the House of Representatives."

Scroll through an interactive timeline of Australia's history and development into a democracy through to present day. Click on the various moments to learn more.