Parliament House – the ultimate inside squiz!

Posted on 3 October, 2018

Ever wanted to get a “proper” look in and around our most expensive and expansive building?

Before I came to HerCanberra, I was a newspaper journalist working for The Canberra Times and Australian Financial Review. And for 13 years I was blessed to work in what I consider to be one of the most extraordinary buildings in the world.

Not a day would go by when I didn’t enter the massive Great Hall of Parliament House – en route to my desk in the Press Gallery – and feel my stomach flip in appreciation of what the building looked and felt like from the inside, and what it meant to our nation.

Our Federal Parliament is the equivalent of a small city half-submerged in Capital Hill. Like an iceberg, you don’t see most of it.

It’s been 30 years since it opened – our old Parliament House was retired, and our nation’s political leaders moved into the Romaldo Giurgola-designed, 4,700 room building. On a busy sitting week, the building houses a workforce of more than 3000. It has everything a city would need – from shops and cafes, to a childcare centre, gymnasium, library, medical centre, hairdresser and even a meditation room.

While visitors can experience a little of its grandeur and fast-paced inner workings on formal tours, those who want to understand the true scale and operations of the home of Australian democracy need to make the time to attend its upcoming Open Day. On Sat 6 October, between 9am and 5pm, the doors will be open wide and a number of special events have been planned to make it a full and fun day for the whole family.

Visitors will be able to see areas not normally open to the public as well as chat to some of the people who keep the building running and experience a raft of special events organised for the thousands of local and interstate guests expected to attend.

For instance, get in early and start the day with an 8am Yoga Australia session on the front lawns – think of it as a downward dog for democracy!

Walk though the Senate and House of Representatives Chambers and chat to some of the elected parliamentarians happy to explain their jobs and workplace. Try your hand as the Serjeant at Arms in a parliamentary role-play or channel your inner-politician in the intense glare of the cameras. Veteran political journalist Paul Kelly will deliver the inaugural Speaker’s Lecture and those true political junkies will experience a thrill when they catch a glimpse of the highly secure Cabinet Room.

Meanwhile, don’t think this is all serious policy and politics – the best open days have something for everyone and kids will love seeing the detection dogs and their handlers, and having their photo taken in front of their favourite backdrop at the pop-up studio. There will be musical entertainment throughout the day, including performances by the Po Boys, Paverty Bush Band, Canberra Youth Choir, Duntroon RMC Clarinet Quartet and Eric Avery.

Make like a politician or staffer and eat a carnival style buffet in the staff dining room or grab a beanbag and a sandwich or sushi and stake out a position under one of the beautiful trees in the internal courtyards (and yes of course there will be a sausage sizzle!).

Meanwhile, birthday cupcakes will be available for kids and you can even try some of the honeycomb from the Parliament House beehives.

Give the Royal Australian Air Force Roulettes as they fly high over the House, and don’t miss out on your chance to roll down the grass hill—and yes there is still plenty of hill to roll down!

Open Day visitors will also have the opportunity to enter a competition to win a Gold Ticket for two and experience Parliament House like never before. All you will need to do to enter is collect an entry form (available from the information desk on Open Day) and write down in 30 words or less what Parliament House means to you. The 15 lucky winners and their guests will enjoy a day of super exclusive experiences at Parliament House, including a visit to the ABC studio in the Press Gallery, a tour of the basement and the underground Art Store, and lunch with the Executive Chef in one of the private dining rooms.

This year, Parliament House and Government House will both be hosting Open Days on the same day. To make it easier for visitors to explore two of the nation’s most iconic houses, and drop in on Australia’s premier flower festival Floriade, a complimentary shuttle bus service will run between the three locations every 20 minutes. The shuttle bus service will include stops in the City Interchange, Commonwealth Avenue at Regatta Point, Albert Hall, and alongside the public carpark on Langton Crescent (park and ride location), and of course Parliament House and Government House.

the essentials
What: Parliament House Open Day
When: Saturday 6 October
Time: Between 9am-5pm (yoga at 8am for the early birds)
Web: aph.gov.au/openday
Cost: Free entry