Canberra Parliament House tours: Cost and sights
Free tours of Parliament House in Canberra focus on the art, architecture and how the legislative arm of Australia’s government works.
On top of Australia’s Parliament House, a man on a ride-on lawnmower drives by nonchalantly. His concentration is on keeping the grass as meticulously trimmed as possible. In an anodyne suburban cul-de-sac, there would be nothing unusual about this. But this is a rooftop. And, more specifically, it’s the rooftop of Australia’s Parliament House in Canberra.
It’s fair to say that you can’t ride a lawnmower around on top of most seats of government. And given the sole security guard sat at the far end, it would be perfectly conceivable to pull out a football and start kicking it around.
Free tours of Parliament House in Canberra
There are several tours of Parliament House in Canberra. The specialist tours focusing on the art and architecture attract a $20 charge. But there are also free tours of Parliament house. The basic option gives you a 90 minute time slot in the building, while other options take in Question Time or the building’s Aboriginal art.
Australia’s Parliament House finally opened in 1988, after 87 years of temporary solutions. It stands proudly on a hillside inside one of Canberra’s rigidly planned circles, major roads deliberately leading from it over the lake. It’s not just the roof that’s remarkable, though. Ordinary members of the public have remarkable levels of access to the building. Sure, there’s airport-style security at the entrance. But once through, you can pretty much wander around as you like.
If you want to just plonk yourself down in a chair for while, reading a book, then go right ahead. Should you wish to poke your nose around all the art inside, that’s fine. If you want to rent out the Great Hall for an event, then it’s open to anyone.
In the past, Parliament House in Canberra has been used for ballroom dancing, school band competitions and a big screen TV showing of a rugby league game. “It was a bit of a mess after that one, admittedly,” says tour guide Maree.
Great Hall at Parliament House
The free tours of Parliament House kick off inside the Great Hall. Here, a highly stylised painting of an Australian gum forest adorns the back wall. “It’s not actually a painting, although it looks like one,” says Maree. “It’s a tapestry. Thirteen weavers worked on it for two-and-a-half years.”
There’s a cockatoo in the picture, and to the left of it is a small shooting star. “It’s Halley’s Comet,” says Maree. “It was in the skies in 1986 when they started working on it, and that seem a nice way of putting a date on it.”
The tour gives surprising insights into the building’s design. The foyer’s light green marble pillars, for example, look like an Australian eucalypt forest. The portraits of former Prime Ministers and senators often come with titbits of information. The first PM, Edmund Barton, resigned after two years to become a high court judge.
The chambers for the House of Representatives and the Senate are also free to enter. The only restriction is that you’re not allowed to take photos if parliament is in session.
Chambers of Parlaiment
The chambers are modelled on those in Westminster, but there are a few subtle differences. Hansard, the official record of proceedings, is a computer with voice recognition software. There are also clocks on the walls, designed to time speeches. After some epic windbaggery in the past, speeches are restricted to 15 minutes, maybe half an hour with special dispensation. If a politician rambles on beyond that, their microphone is simply switched off.
This seems remarkably appropriate for a country that prides itself on its egalitarian nature. Politicians may walk all over the people who elect them, just as in any country. But with the remarkable roof, at least, the electorate can return the favour.
More Canberra attractions
Other attractions you can pack into a visit to the capital of Australia include the National Carillon, National Museum of Australia, the Questacon science museum and the Australian War Memorial. Also worth a look are the National Capital Exhibition, Segway tours around Lake Burley Griffin and the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex. More adventurous visitors might want to go walking in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, hot air ballooning over Canberra or hire a GoBoat on the lake.
The top Canberra accommodation picks
There is a large selection of Canberra accommodation options. But these are particularly good choices…
- The one with the highest guest rating: A By Adina Canberra.
- For something cool and stylish: East Hotel and Apartments.
- The one where the VIPs stay: Hyatt Hotel Canberra.
- For high quality apartments: Quest Canberra City Walk.
- For something much cheaper and family-focused: Alivio Tourist Park.