This was the parliament when it first came to canberra but before the current parliament building was built in about 1988.

It has a more colonial look to it, a white european looking building with rose gardens near the lake.

It is still a major tourist attraction for it’s historial value, but also features a National Portrait Gallery, with pictures of lots of well-known and some not so well known australians, and some good touring exhibitions, and a cafe that has drinks on a Friday after work. This has become a ritual event, particularly for public servants, with lots of people-watching, flirting, networking, winding down from the week, and other antics going on.