The Parliamentary Triangle - 1
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Canberra's parliamentary
heart is in the shape of a triangle - the Parliamentary Triangle. This area was
planned as the location of buildings of national and parliamentary importance in
the original design for Canberra by Walter Burley Griffin.
The base of the triangle is the southern shore of Lake Burley Griffin between the bridges. Commonwealth Avenue and Kings Avenue form the sides of the triangle, which has its apex at State Circle at Parliament House. Walter Burley Griffin used three hills as landmarks for the triangle: Vernon (now called City Hill), Russell and Capital Hill. This aerial picture, taken above Capital Hill in 1956 when the Molonglo River was in flood, shows how the Parliamentary Triangle is formed and how Anzac Avenue and Old Parliament House are on a line drawn between Mount Ainslie and Capital Hill. |
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Three Foundation Stones of a Commencement Column,
marking the beginning of the building of Canberra, were laid on Capital Hill on
12 March 1913 by the Governor-General (Lord Denman, in uniform) the Prime
Minister (Andrew Fisher, at right) and the Minister for Home Affairs (King
O'Malley, at left of the Governor-General).
On the same occasion Lady Denman announced the name the future National Capital - Canberra. The stones were intended to support a commemorative column which was never constructed. The foundation stones were relocated in 1988 to the front of the new Parliament House which is built on Capital Hill. |
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Old Parliament House, opened in 1927, took three years to build and was intended to be the grandest building of the new National Capital. Like many of the early government buildings and houses in Canberra it was designed by the government architect J.S. Murdoch. With the exception of bricks, which were made locally, most of the building materials were brought in by train and then usually by horse-drawn vehicles because motor transport, such as this solid-tyred truck, photographed in 1926, was still uncommon. |
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The opening of Old Parliament House was performed by
the son of King George V, the Duke of York, who was to become King George VI.
Temporary grandstands for spectators were set up on the lawns opposite.
In this picture the Duke and senior service officers salute as Australia's most famous opera singer Nellie Melba, at left, sings God Save the King, the National Anthem that at the time was shared by Britain and Australia. |
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Old Parliament House had numerous additions and
alterations as the importance of the Commonwealth Government grew with a
consequent for extra accommodation for Ministers, other Parliamentarians and
their staffs.
Original interiors have been maintained in areas such as King's Hall, the two parliamentary chambers, the members' dining room and the passageways and many meeting rooms. The interiors have finished of Tasmanian blackwood and much of the furniture is made of other Australian timbers. |