Old Parliament House, Federal government building in Canberra, Australia
Old Parliament House is a neoclassical government building in Canberra, standing with white exterior walls and symmetrical wings directly on the shore of Lake Burley Griffin. The central entrance leads to two chambers, office spaces, and press rooms that are now arranged as a museum.
The building opened in 1927 and served as the seat of Australian Parliament until the government moved to a new building on Capital Hill in 1988. After the relocation, it was converted into a museum preserving the parliamentary history of the country.
The name reflects the building's former role, now preserved as a museum where visitors see how political decisions were made throughout the twentieth century. Original furniture remains in the chambers where members of parliament and senators once debated, showing how daily work unfolded inside these rooms.
Guided tours through both chambers, the office of the prime minister, and press rooms take place daily and last about one hour. Access is through the main entrance, and the grounds are largely designed for barrier-free movement.
The gardens around the building contain two separate rose beds with a total of about 4,000 rose bushes, each assigned to one of the two parliamentary chambers. This division reflects the structure of the bicameral system and offers visitors a quiet outdoor area for walking.
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