The Parliament House is far and away the one "must-see" sight in Canberra. The modern new Parliament, the home of Australia's Federal Parliament body, is the replacement for the old whitewashed building just north of Capital Hill. This building, designed by Romaldo Giurgola of the architectural firm Mitchell Guirgola and Thorp Architects, was the result of a prestigious design competition in 1978. Giurgola designed the new Parliament to act as the physical and symbolic focal point of Canberra and the nation. It was officially christened by Queen Elizabeth II on May 9, 1988.
The most striking element is the central flagmast towering 81 meters over Parliament. The flagmast looks like a gigantic four-pronged tripod (quadpod?). The design of Parliament includes a bermed grass hill over the roof of the building. People have access to this area, from which you can walk around the flagmast and look over all of Canberra. This signifies that the politicians are working for and "under" the citizens of Australia. The natural elements are also emphasized by indigenous trees and flowers in the gardens surrounding Parliament.
Upon entering the building, you enter the Foyer consisting of a "forest" of wood and marble columns. The architects emphasized the patriotic use of products and materials grown and manufactured in Australia. While the high ceiling and fine materials do signify the importance of the space, it struck me as stylistically similar to a shopping center atrium. There are tours of the building starting from the Foyer every 30 minutes; they average 45 minutes in length. You can also conduct a self-guided tour of the vast complex. You can take a peek in the Chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives. If Parliament is in session, you can get tickets to attend and even participating in grilling MP's during "Question Time". The Member's Hall is located directly beneath the flagmast.
There are educational exhibits related to the historic events in Australia, the development of the nation's government, and so forth. There is a portrait gallery of Australian Prime Ministers. Documents on display include a precious copy of the Magna Carta (1 of only 4 originals from 1297) and the original Commonwealth of Australia Constitition Act of 1900. There is a documentary called "Open House" in the Viewing Room that depicts the design and construction processes surrounding the new Parliament. It was interesting to see the proud artists and their respective designs for the variety of paintings, mosaics, tapestries, sculptural reliefs.
The Queens Terrace Cafe, on the second floor, features Australian comfort foods like meat pies. It is adjacent to the Queen's Terrace, an outdoor patio with outstanding panoramic views of Canberra. There is a noble statue of Queen Elizabeth II standing regally in the terrace. The Parliament Shop has loads of interesting souvenirs, again with a strong emphasis on Australian-made products. If you have some postcards or letters, you can even get them postmarked at the Parliament's very own Australian Post.