The House of Representatives is closed. Learn more

Free entry

Open 9am to 5pm daily
(Closed Christmas Day)
Plan your visit

Find us at

18 King George Terrace, Parkes, ACT
Ngunnawal, Ngunawal, Ngambri Country
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A tour group stand in a circle around a tour guide who wears white gloves and stands in front of a bronze statue.
Two school children looking at the artwork in Behind the Lines
Two children playing with two PlayUP staff members
A volunteer takes a photo with a phone of a couple holding a young boy in the Senate Chamber.
A porcelain statue of a boat filled with men, women and children in formal old fashioned outfits wearing bonnets, waist coats and bows and hats. There are 3 figurines win all black with orange vests and machine guns.
A view from across a lake looking over to Old Parliament House, a long white building with a flag on top of it. The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is in front of this.

Referendums A to Z

An illustrated graphic reads Discover the A to Z of Australian referendums. The A and Z have a collage of images of people voting.

What is a referendum? Why should you care? We’ve broken down everything you need to know, from A to Z. 

Find out more

OLD PARLIAMENT HOUSE

History happened here.

A view into the Senate Chamber looking straight into the room with benches in a U-shape on either side of the centre table. The carpet is a rich red and the seats are red leather. Art deco lights hang from the ceiling and wood timber panels surround the room. This black and white photograph shows the Duke of York reading a message from his father the King in the Senate Chamber. The room is crowded with at least 200 people, mostly men with some women all wearing their best. Men are dressed in suits, military uniform or gowns and wigs while the women wear formal dresses with hats and gloves. The crowd is in a horseshoe shape around the central table while the Duke stands at the head of the table.

Senate chamber

A colour photograph of the Prime Minister's Desk. Behind it is a comfortable office chair and an Australian flag on a pole. In front and to the side of the desk are armchairs. This colour photograph captures a conversation between Prime Minister Bob Hawke seated on the left and Treasurer Paul Keating seated on the right. The photo shows the corner of the desk with Hawke sitting behind the desk while Keating sits to the side with both men facing each other. Both are dressed in black suits with white shirts and red ties contrasting the pale blue curtains in the background.

Prime Minister's Suite

ABC studio a photograph of the ABC studio

Parliamentary Broadcasting and ABC Studio

A dark timber panelled room with heavy curtins. A large wooden desk sits in the centre with papers, a telephone and timber trays. A stereo and old style TV sit in the corner. There is red carpet on the floor. A chair with a coat jacket sits at the desk. This black and white photograph shows the layout of the Clerk of the Senate’s office in 1985 when it was occupied by Alan Cumming Thom. The timber-panelled room contains a large desk (originally designed by the building’s architect, John Smith Murdoch), glass-fronted built-in bookshelves and a sideboard with an indoor plant. There are a range of visitor chairs and an easy chair in the foreground.

Clerk of the Senate's Office

A large timber desk covered in folders and notes, with a vase with roses on it. This professional colour photograph shows Principal Private Secretary John Porter and Speaker Joan Child sitting across from each other at the Speaker’s desk. John is wearing a dark suit, white shirt and dark tie and Joan is in a white blouse and vibrant blue jacket. They are discussing the daily program for the House of Representatives Chamber. There is a vase of roses, stationery and paperwork on the desk. In the background the curtains have been drawn to reveal a large east-facing window.

Speaker’s Suite

A green carpeted room with rows of wooden benches in a U shape facing a central table and the large, ornate Speaker's Chair. A colour photograph of the House of Representatives Chamber filled with seated politicians

House of Representatives chamber

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EXHIBITIONS

Democracy DNA: the People, the Prime Ministers and the World

Follow the journey of Australia’s democracy through the debates that have shaped our nation.

Statement: Jack Green's Paintings Statement: Jack Green's Paintings

Statement: Jack Green's Paintings

Paintings showing the impact of mining on Country, culture and community.

Behind the Lines 2022: the year in political cartoons Behind the Lines 2022: the year in political cartoons

Behind the Lines 2022: the year in political cartoons

Our annual celebration of political cartooning.

Blueprint Blueprint

Blueprint

Explore the steps we’ve taken to build a uniquely Australian democratic system.

Changemakers Changemakers

Changemakers

Celebrate activists and their allies who have championed justice and equality.  

PlayUP PlayUP

PlayUP

A hands-on exhibition with craft, stories, role play and games to foster imagination, inclusion and community.

Explore

A black and white photo of a group of women holding protest signs in 1975. Signs say 'sexism is alive and well in Australia' and 'dress for comfort not style'.

Democracy

How it works, why it matters and the power of your role in it.

A close-up of an ornate coat with gold embroidered leaves and gold buttons embossed with the Australian coat of arms.

Collection

Our collection captures the ideas, movements, people and events of Australian democracy.

A black and white image of a corridor filled with people crowding around one person

Stories

Deep dive into stories about Old Parliament House, Australian history and democracy.

Explore

A black and white photo of a group of women holding protest signs in 1975. Signs say 'sexism is alive and well in Australia' and 'dress for comfort not style'.

Democracy

How it works, why it matters and the power of your role in it.

A close-up of an ornate coat with gold embroidered leaves and gold buttons embossed with the Australian coat of arms.

Collection

Our collection captures the ideas, movements, people and events of Australian democracy.

A black and white image of a corridor filled with people crowding around one person

Stories

Deep dive into stories about Old Parliament House, Australian history and democracy.

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