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Parliament House Canberra News and information about visiting, tours and events at Australia Parliament House.

Come along for the ride in ‘Auto angst’ by Vicki Varvaressos from the Parliament House Art Collections. Varvaressos ofte...
14/10/2026

Come along for the ride in ‘Auto angst’ by Vicki Varvaressos from the Parliament House Art Collections.

Varvaressos often paints personal moments of daily life in both a figurative and abstract style.

Of her practice, she says ‘the pictorial elements of my work are about the interrelationship between individuals, their gestures and nuances of human interaction’.

‘Auto angst’ is part of our Rotational Art Collection. The core purpose of this collection is to enhance daily life around the building, including in parliamentarians’ suites, our temporary exhibitions and the public areas. We also lend artworks to other public institutions for their exhibitions.

Image: Vicki Varvaressos (born 1949), ‘Auto angst’, 1985, Parliament House Art Collections.

‘People, Place, Portraits’ — now open at Australian Parliament House.The exhibition is curated by hART, one of Australi...
13/10/2026

‘People, Place, Portraits’ — now open at Australian Parliament House.

The exhibition is curated by hART, one of Australia's leading arts and social change organisations. The exhibition draws on 35-years of Big hART’s place-based work with communities across Australia. They share stories often overlooked in our nation’s cultural life.

‘People, Place, Portraits’ features his work along with artworks by Robert Hannaford, Evert Ploeg, Gloria Pannka, Kumantjai H. Tjapaltjarri Pareroultja and Tsering Hannaford. Digital portraits created by young people through Big hART's Digital Pop-Up Lab also form part of the exhibition.

The result is an exhibition that celebrates Elders, young people, artists and community leaders whose stories have helped shape the nation. The works invite all of us to think about who we choose to remember.

‘People, Place, Portraits’ is now showing in the Presiding Officers' Exhibition Area at Australian Parliament House in Canberra until 11 July 2027.

Bring the family, bring a friend — this one's for everyone. See more details: https://www.aph.gov.au/Visit_Parliament/Whats_On/Event/Big_hART_exhibition

Get ready to zoom in as we share some of the smallest artworks in the Parliament House Art Collections.Click on each ima...
09/10/2026

Get ready to zoom in as we share some of the smallest artworks in the Parliament House Art Collections.

Click on each image to find out more about some of our tiniest pieces within the Collection!

Did you know the floor in the Marble Foyer and the cladding of the Great Verandah are the same type of white marble?Know...
08/10/2026

Did you know the floor in the Marble Foyer and the cladding of the Great Verandah are the same type of white marble?

Known as ‘Paradise White’, the stunning marble came from a quarry in Carrara, Italy, where marble has been quarried since ancient Roman times. The Parliament House architects, Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp (MGT), carried out considerable research on the availability and suitability of different stones. They ultimately chose Paradise White marble because of its crystal uniformity and denseness.

The Marble Foyer’s geometric floor also features Granitello Nero and Atlantide Rosa marble. Look closely and you’ll see Atlantide Rosa used in the Marble Foyer staircases too.

Discover more stories set in stone by joining Parliament House Rocks, our family-friendly tour held on October 10 for Earth Science Week!

This tour is sold out, but you can join the waitlist for the chance to explore the geology of Parliament House: https://events.humanitix.com/parliament-house-rocks-earth-science-week-tour

Images: AUSPIC, Department of Parliamentary Services and Screencraft



07/10/2026

We're looking for artworks by students in years 5 and 6 that celebrate home, community, nature and the places that matter most.

The artworks will be combined into one big animated projection which will light up Parliament House during the Enlighten Festival. The festival will be held in Canberra from 26 February to 8 March 2027.

Find out more: https://www.aph.gov.au/StudentArtwork

Yesterday was World Architecture Day! To celebrate, we’re sharing facts about the architects behind Australian Parliamen...
06/10/2026

Yesterday was World Architecture Day!

To celebrate, we’re sharing facts about the architects behind Australian Parliament House, Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp (MGT) alongside some of our favourite photos of the building.

In June 1980, New York-based architectural firm MGT won the Australian Parliament House design competition. Coming up with a design for Parliament House was a huge undertaking, let alone winning the competition. The winning design had to be architecturally significant and a major national symbol while also respecting the Canberra city plan and supporting parliament.

The competition assessors praised MGT’s design for its simplicity and flexibility. They noted it was the only design that addressed Walter Burley Griffin’s plan of the capital and was able to accommodate the many needs of Parliament. The monumental flagpole could also stand as an inspiring national symbol.

In developing the design, principal architect Romaldo Giurgola was inspired by Australian literature. He described Australian writers Patrick White, Miles Franklin, Henry Lawson and Les Murray as particularly inspiring.

MGT were responsible for much more than just the architecture of the building. Their scope included interior and furniture design, landscaping and coordination of the Art/Craft program.

Giurgola was awarded the Royal Australian Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal for the Parliament House design. He was also awarded an honorary Doctor of Science in Architecture from the University in Sydney in 2003.

Images: Lyndal Curtis, Ashley St George, Screencraft and AUSPIC, Department of Parliamentary Services.

On 4 October 1983, prime minister the Hon. Bob Hawke MP laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament House. This was...
02/10/2026

On 4 October 1983, prime minister the Hon. Bob Hawke MP laid the foundation stone for the new Parliament House.

This was a major symbolic milestone in the construction of the building, which opened almost 5 years later on 9 May 1988.

The foundation stone is made from Christmas Bush red granite that was quarried near Oberon, New South Wales. Christmas Bush granite was carefully selected as part of the Great Verandah colour scheme and material palette. It is also used as paving at the main entrance, to line the nearby staircases and handrails of the Queen’s Terrace above. This creates visual continuity between the spaces.

You can see the foundation stone embedded in the wall at the main entrance when you visit Parliament House!

Image: ‘Untitled (Prime Minister Bob Hawke laying the foundation stone with mallet, Parliament House)’, 1983, courtesy Parliament House Art Collections.

Happy International Coffee Day! ☕Last financial year, our Catering Services team made 286,197 coffees and hot beverages!...
01/10/2026

Happy International Coffee Day! ☕

Last financial year, our Catering Services team made 286,197 coffees and hot beverages!

Next time you’re visiting, drop by Queen’s Terrace Café and grab a coffee. Whether you're a flat white fan, cappuccino connoisseur or latte lover, you'll find the perfect cup.

Images: Pew Pew Studio

There’s a lot on at Parliament House this October!Join a Spring Courtyards of Parliament House Tour on 2 and 3 October a...
30/09/2026

There’s a lot on at Parliament House this October!

Join a Spring Courtyards of Parliament House Tour on 2 and 3 October and learn about the stunning landscape architecture 🌸

Discover a new display, ‘Outside in: Landscapes across mediums from the Parliament House Art Collections’ from 6 October 🎨

Celebrate Earth Science Week on a ‘Parliament House Rocks’ Tour on 10 October. This tour is sold out but you can join our waitlist 🪨

It’s school holidays! Which means it’s the perfect time to take the kids on a How Parliament Works Tour. Tours run every day until 10 October 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

See powerful portraits and the stories behind them in ‘People, Place, Portraits’ a new exhibition at Parliament House, curated by hART from 12 October 🖼️

View newly acquired artworks from the Parliament House Art Collections from 12 October ✨

You can also join acclaimed portrait artist Tsering Hannaford and Big hART co-founder Dr Scott Rankin for a free artist talk on Tuesday 13 October 🗣️

Images: AUSPIC, Department of Parliamentary Services

29/09/2026

Have questions about submitting artworks for our 2027 Enlighten Festival projection?

Yasith is here to answer them.

Address

Parliament House
Canberra, ACT
2600

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+61262775399

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