Senior Constable Colin Sims said the medical centre appeared much as it did while in operation ''but with a bit less red around the place''.

About 400 post-mortem examinations are conducted there each year on people who have died under suspicious circumstances, been killed, committed suicide or died within 72 hours of an operation.

Visitors saw displays of educational tools including skulls, preserved organs and limbs. They quizzed pathologists, police and disaster victim identification experts about their work.

Forensic pathologist Lavinia Hallam said her job was about getting to the truth and providing answers.

''At the end of the day these are people's relatives and the reason I like doing this work is that I think it's worthwhile. It provides answers not only for the coroner, but for families and it's interesting,'' she said. Some cases were harder to deal with than others, but the staff supported one another.

''We all find the babies and children more difficult, the young people and the suicides,'' Dr Hallam said.

It might have been the last open day at the facility, which no longer meets the needs of Canberra's population. The cool room holds 12 bodies. A new centre in Phillip will hold 60.

For more, pick up a copy of today's Canberra Times