Parliament House
A building buried under a hill, whose grassed roof you walk on.
Duration
1 hr 30 min – 2 hrs 30 min
Best time
On a sitting day
Open
Every day
Entry price
Free
Parliament House was completed in 1988 after an international competition won by an American architect, Romaldo Giurgola. Its premise is political: rather than dominating the hill, the building is buried inside it, and the hill continues over the top as lawn.
So you can walk on the roof of Parliament, literally above the members — the idea being that power comes from the people and stays subordinate to them. The eighty-one-metre flagmast above it carries a flag the size of a bus. Entry is free and debates are public when the chambers sit.
Getting there
Capital Hill, on the axis with Anzac Parade. Bus from the centre, or twenty minutes by car.
Rules on site
Entry is free but the security screening is airport-style. The public galleries for Question Time fill up: seats are booked, and sitting days are published in advance.