Old Parliament House

In 1988, the Commonwealth Parliament transferred to the new Parliament House on Capital Hill. It also serves as a venue for temporary exhibitions, lectures and concerts. On 2 May 2008 it was made an Executive Agency of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. On 9 May 2009, the Executive Agency was renamed the Museum of Australian Democracy at Old Parliament House, reporting to the Special Minister of State. Designed by John Smith Murdoch and a team of assistants from the Department of Works and Railways, the building was intended to be neither temporary nor permanent—only to be a "provisional" building that would serve the needs of Parliament for a maximum of 50 years. The design extended from the building itself to include its gardens, décor and furnishings.

Location

Old Parliament House is at the base of Capital Hill at the centre of the Parliamentary Triangle, which itself forms the heart of Walter Burley Griffin's design for Canberra—an open vista of Lake Burley Griffin, Anzac Parade, the Australian War Memorial and Mount Ainslie beyond.

On either side of the building are situated the Parliamentary Gardens—one each for the House of Representatives (eastern side) and the Senate (western side)—which Murdoch intended as integral elements of the building, to provide both diversion and contemplative space for members and senators. The gardens were neglected for a period after the building was vacated by the parliament in 1988. After restoration, they were officially reopened to the public in 2004, now known as the National Rose Garden. (More detail is provided in the Gardens section below.)

Address: 18 King George Terrace, Parkes ACT 2600, Australia
Hours: Closed ⋅ Opens 9AM Sun
Construction started: August 28, 1923
Founded: December 1992
Material: Brick