Parliament House, Canberra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Parliament House |
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The main entrance at blue hour
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| General information | |
| Location | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory |
| Country | Australia |
| Construction started | 1981 |
| Completed | 1988 |
| Inaugurated | 9 May 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia |
| Cost | A$1.1 billion |
| Height | 107 metres (351 feet) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 250,000 m² (2,700,000 sq ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Romaldo Giurgola |
| Architecture firm | Mitchell Giurgola & Thorp Architects |
| Structural engineer | Irwinconsult |
| Main contractor | Concrete Constructions John Holland |
Parliament House is where the Parliament of Australia meets. It is located in Canberra, which is the capital city of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp Architects. It was built by two companies working together: Concrete Constructions and John Holland.
Queen Elizabeth II, who was the Queen of Australia at the time, officially opened Parliament House on 9 May 1988. Building it cost more than A$1.1 billion. Before this new building, the Australian Parliament met in Melbourne until 1927. Then, from 1927 to 1988, they met in what is now called "Old Parliament House". The new building's construction started in 1981. Its main design looks like two boomerangs, and it has a tall, 81-metre (266 ft) flagpole on top.
Parliament House has 4,700 rooms, and many parts are open for people to visit. Inside, there's a grand marble staircase that leads to the Great Hall. This hall has a very large tapestry on display. The room where the House of Representatives meets is green, and the Senate chamber is red. Between these two rooms is the Members' Hall, which has a water feature and is not open to the public. The Ministerial Wing is where the Prime Minister and other government ministers have their offices.
Contents
Where Did Parliament Meet Before Canberra?
In 1901, the six British colonies in Australia joined together to form the Commonwealth of Australia. At that time, Melbourne and Sydney were the biggest cities. However, because of their long history of rivalry, neither city could become the national capital.
So, a part of the Constitution of Australia said that the capital city would be chosen by the Parliament. It had to be in New South Wales and at least 100 miles (160 km) away from Sydney. The Parliament would meet in Melbourne until the new capital was ready.
In 1909, after many discussions, Parliament decided that the new capital would be in the southern part of New South Wales. This place is now Canberra. The government took control of the land in 1911. But then World War I started, and nothing much was built for several years. The Federal Parliament did not leave Melbourne until 1927. While waiting, the Australian Parliament met in the 19th-century Parliament House, Melbourne. The Victorian State Parliament met in the nearby Royal Exhibition Building for 26 years.
What Was the Old Parliament House Like?
After World War I, a committee was set up to get Canberra ready to be the capital. This included building a Parliament House. The committee decided to build a "provisional" (temporary) building. They thought it would be used for about 50 years until a new, "permanent" one could be built.
However, Old Parliament House ended up being Parliament's home for 61 years. In its last ten years, the building became very crowded. There simply wasn't enough space for everyone.
Building the New Parliament House
In 1978, the government decided to build a new Parliament House. It would be located on Capital Hill. A competition was held to find the best design. Architects from 29 countries sent in 329 different designs.
The winning design came from an architectural firm called Mitchell/Giurgola, based in Philadelphia. The architect in charge of the work on site was Romaldo Giurgola, who was born in Italy. His design involved burying most of the building under Capital Hill. On top, there would be a huge spire with a large Australian flag. The outside of the new building also copied some patterns from the Old Parliament House. This gives them a slight resemblance, even though the new building is much bigger.
Giurgola wanted the building to look beautiful. He had a landscape architect, Peter G. Rolland, guide the civil engineers. This was unusual in Australia at the time. Rolland was very important in designing all the outdoor areas, including pools, paving, lighting, and where artworks would go. Experts from the Australian National Botanic Gardens helped choose the plants. The building was designed to last for 200 years.
Construction started in 1981. The goal was to finish the House by Australia Day, 26 January 1988. This was the 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia. It was expected to cost A$220 million. But neither the deadline nor the budget was met.
Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the building on 9 May 1988. This date was special because it was also the anniversary of the opening of the first Federal Parliament in Melbourne in 1901. It was also the anniversary of the Provisional Parliament House opening in Canberra in 1927.
The flag on the 81-metre (266 ft) flagpole is 12.8 by 6.4 metres (42 by 21 ft). This is about half the size of a tennis court. The flagpole weighs 250 tonnes (550,000 lb) and is made of shiny stainless steel from Wollongong. It was designed to be the most important part of Parliament House. It is an easily recognized symbol of Australia's government. You can see it from far away during the day, and it is lit up at night. The flag itself weighs about 15 kilograms (33 lb).
The Parliament House site covers 80 acres (32 ha). The building was designed to look like it sits above Old Parliament House from a distance. The new building is four metres (13 ft) higher than the original hill. About one million cubic metres (35,000,000 cu ft) of rock was dug out from the site. This rock was used to fill in low areas in the city. Most of the granite used came from Australia. Twice as much granite as needed was quarried to make sure only the best quality was used, especially for the curved walls.
There was an idea to knock down Old Parliament House. This would have created a clear view from the new Parliament House to Lake Burley Griffin and the Australian War Memorial. But people successfully argued to save the historic building. It now houses a parliamentary museum.
The original plan was for Parliament House to be open to everyone for free. The wide lawns leading up to the entrances were meant to show this. The building is a very popular place to visit in Canberra, with about 1 million visitors each year. In recent years, security has been greatly increased due to safety concerns. For example, barriers have been built to stop cars from driving onto the lawns.
What is the Layout of Parliament House?
When you enter Parliament House, you go into the main foyer. This leads to the Great Hall. In the Great Hall, there is a huge tapestry based on a painting by Arthur Boyd. The original painting is also in the building. Important government events often happen here. The Great Hall can also be used for public events like weddings. The nearby University of Canberra even holds graduation ceremonies here.
Behind the Great Hall's tapestry is a movable wall. This opens up to the Members' Hall, which has a water feature in the middle. This area is only for people who work in the building and special visitors. Straight ahead from the Members' Hall is the Ministerial Wing. This is where the Prime Minister and other government ministers have their offices.
From the Members' Hall, you can go to the House of Representatives building on the left and the Senate building on the right. Visitors can go to the public galleries and the Main Committee Room by taking impressive marble staircases from the entrance foyer to an upper level. There are also 19 other committee rooms that are open to the public. A very secure Cabinet Room is on the ground floor.
The House of Representatives Chamber
The House of Representatives chamber is decorated in green. This colour was chosen to match the British House of Commons. However, the green here is a softer shade, like the colour of eucalyptus leaves or the Australian bush.
From the picture, you can see the press gallery in front. Public galleries with 388 seats are on the left and right. Soundproofed galleries for school groups are directly above these. No talking is allowed when the House members are present.
Members of the government's Cabinet speak from a table with a special box called the despatch box. Other members, called backbenchers, have a microphone at their desk and just stand up to speak.
On the table, there is a copy of Hansard, which records everything said in Parliament. The clerk and deputy clerk sit here. The clerk knows all the rules of Parliament. They are also in charge of ringing bells during a vote, called a division. In front of the clerk are hour glasses. The outer glasses measure four minutes, and the middle one measures one minute. When there's a division, a four-minute glass is turned. Bells ring, and clocks flash green for the House of Representatives or red for the Senate for four minutes. After the time is up, the doors are locked, and votes are counted. Members vote by moving to the government side for a "yes" vote or the opposition side for a "no" vote. If there are many votes in a row without a break, the one-minute hourglass is used.
Like in the Westminster system, members of the ruling party sit to the right of the Speaker. The Opposition sits to the Speaker's left. Independent members and smaller parties sit on the cross-benches. The long benches closest to the despatch boxes are for the Cabinet on the government's side and the Shadow Cabinet on the Opposition's side.
The Senate Chamber
The Senate chamber is decorated in red. This matches the colour scheme of the House of Lords in the UK. But here, the red is a softer shade, like the colours of the earth and the outback.
The seating for visitors is similar to the House of Representatives. However, in the Senate, only the leader of the government or opposition approaches the lectern to speak. Other senators use a desk microphone. Unlike the House of Representatives, there isn't a clear difference between front and back benches in the Senate. All senators, including ministers, have the same two-seat benches. The press gallery is located above the Senate chamber.
The person in charge of the Australian Senate is the President of the Senate. They sit in a similar position to the Speaker in the House of Representatives. Behind the President's seat are two large, modern throne-like chairs. The bigger one is used by the Governor-General or the monarch (when visiting) when they open Parliament. The smaller throne is for their partner.
Art Collection at Parliament House
Parliament House has a large Parliament House Art Collection with over 6,000 artworks. This includes specially ordered and purchased portraits of every prime minister, governor-general, president of the senate, and speaker of the house. It also has many other artworks important to Australia.
Events and Functions at Parliament House
The new Parliament House is a major place for events in Canberra. It hosts many of the nation's biggest and most important functions. Parliament House is used for meetings, conferences (both government and private), celebrations, and other events. It is one of the few parliament houses in the world where private events are allowed. Parliament House has 14 different spaces that can be used for special events.
Solar Power Project
In 2011, the Department of Parliamentary Services started a trial solar power system on the roof of Parliament House. This system has 192 solar panels on the Senate wing and 42 panels on the Gardeners' Compound roof. When it was built, it was one of the largest solar power systems in Australia.
The system was turned on in June 2011. It has worked well, providing enough power for the lights in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. This saves about $9,000 a year, and this saving is expected to grow to $17,000 annually. In 2012, the system won an award for "Best design and installation of a grid-connect power system greater than 10 kW".
Engineering Heritage Award
Both the old and new Parliament House received an Engineering Heritage National Marker from Engineers Australia. This award recognizes their importance in engineering history.
See also
In Spanish: Parliament House para niños
