Locals and visitors have been invited to see a new side to the city's largest building as part of the Canberra and Region Heritage Festival, continuing until April 26.
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Parliament House is hosting a new series of guided tours, showcasing how heritage values were woven into the home of Australia's democracy and politics from the first design brief and through its 27 years of operation to date.
Department of Parliamentary Services heritage expert Robyn Stewart will take tour participants behind-the-scenes of Parliament's kilometres of corridors, offices, centrepiece venues and both Senate and House of Representatives chambers.
On show will be the unique design concepts of the building, lasting craftsmanship, landscaping and national collections of furniture and art.
"It is an extraordinary building in terms of democracy and was created as a legacy to the Australian people," Ms Stewart said.
"We will be going into some spaces where people will be able to see some very special and rarely seen elements and talking to them about how the people of Australia are actually represented."
The small group tours, which run daily at 10am and 3pm, are designed to showcase Parliament House as an active and vibrant work of art and will mostly avoid the public spaces many Australians are familiar with.
"Many people don't realise that the building came about at a very special moment in time, as a Bicentennial gift to the nation," Ms Stewart said.
"It is meant to be a permanent reminder of how we got to where we were at in 1988 and it is built to have those values come forward into our future. It is a vision of where we were going and a constant reminder of the values we want to take with us going forward. People just don't realise how that has been portrayed in a built form."
Included in the tour are the suites of the speaker of the House of Representatives and the Senate president, where foreign dignitaries are welcomed, as well as spaces near the chambers where MPs and Senators can pause to reflect before joining debate.
Ms Stewart said her favourite part of Parliament House was the central Members' Hall, which forms the centre of the building and the top of the Parliamentary Triangle.
"It is where the building splits into its four major functions, of Senate, House of Representatives, public spaces and the executive. It is a very timeless space and is right under the Australian flag," she said.
ACT Minister for Ageing Mick Gentleman said the festival had something for Canberrans of all ages.
"Take some time with family and friends to have some fun and adventure – and discover what's so special about our city and region."
The Canberra and Region Heritage Festival continues until April 26. For more about the tours, visit www.aph.gov.au/Visit_Parliament/ or call 02 6277 5050
