Victorian Parliament House: photos of a tour

A few weeks back I went on a tour of the Victorian Parliament House.  I was rushing to be on time and didn't have time to take a decent photo of the building.  I like the busy nature of my photo.  Our state Parliament House looks down over the city and is often the site of protests (or wedding photographs).

The tour was arranged for members of our local Historical Society by our local MP (Member of Parliament).  It was a wet and windy night and only six of us were able to attend.  The small size of the tour made it very personal and relaxed.

 

To stand on the front steps is easy but getting inside means a security screening and, in our case, wearing a visitor pass sticker.  The vestibule is as impressive as you would expect from a monument to the riches of the Victorian gold rush.  The gold leaf  on the columns can be seen throughout the building to signify the wealth of a state which included Ballarat.  That country town was considered the world's richest alluvial goldfield during its peak between 1852 and 1853.

Just look at the grandeur of the tiled floor in the vestibule.  The doorkeeper and four assistants tool 4 months to lay the tiles in 1888.  

Above it was to be an impressive dome but by the time this was to be constructed in the 1890s, the state was in economic depression and it was put on hold indefinitely.  

From there we were taken into Queens Hall.  It is named after Queen Victoria.  Her statue can be seen behind the garden.This is a space that can be used by the public.  We were shown around by our local MP's staff.  (The MP had a family event and could not be there).  For some of the tour, the senator who also represents our locality showed us about.  We were delighted when the Premier Jacinta Allen was passing and stopped for a photo with us.

It was lovely to see the garden arrangements of the Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria.  Queen's Hall has portraits of most of the premiers of Victoria on the wall.  In this photo, you can see Jeff Kennett and Dick Hamer.

The Victorian Parliament has two houses mirroring the British Parliament.  Like the UK, the Lower House chamber is green and the Upper House chamber is red.  We were taken to the Upper House where our Senator tour guide sits.  The thing he said that surprised me most was that the only drinks they could have was water.  He said quite a few of them wished they could at least have a coffee.

Perhaps the ban on drinks other than water is because they are working in an amazing historic building.  It is rich in detail and meaning.  Above you can see one of the eight figures on the ceiling representing concepts important to Victoria.  This one is wisdom wearing a plumed helmet.  Something for politicians to aspire to!

Next was the Library.  It is such a magnificent room of columns and balconies that it seems incredible it is a working library.  Then you look down at the desks and see the large flat computer screens.

 

The library has two stories and a wonderful winding staircase between them.

I just love the bright red and orange hues of the books under the staircase.

Wouldn't this fireplace be so cosy with a roaring fire.  I wonder when was it was last lit.

These vintage leather chairs seem like they have been here since the dawn of the building.

We headed upstairs past the the fancy metal gates to the upstairs section of the library.

I was amused by this "Strangers Gallery" sign on the stairs up to the public viewing gallery above the Lower House.  The MPs were still sitting when we arrived.  A man scurried in after us to check we knew to keep our phones on silent and no photos.

The sitting was just finishing soon after we began viewing.  I was able to quickly take this photo once the MPs and staff had left and taken the parliamentary mace with them.  Then it was time to move on.

We went out from the viewing gallery by rows of photos of the Speakers of the House.

The main stairs were closed so we went down a back staircase.  It featured a window that was previously external.  The building of Parliament House started in 1856 and has continued ever since as the needs expanded. 

We ended our tour in the Caucus room.  It had photos of many caucuses throughout the years.  I was struck by how much had changed since this 1952 photo.  Men in suits and ties sit on chairs outside parliament house.  Does that mean they are in the middle of Spring Street?  In the middle of the front row sits the Premier John Cain Senior with his pipe.

The 1952 photo seems dull compared to the colour and variety of outfits in today's parliament.  One big difference is that the women's outfits are so far less uniform than men's but clothes generally are more informal.  Above is a photo of Joan Kirner who became Victoria's first female Premier in 1990. She is dressed very differently to the 1952 men.

We had a cup of tea in the Caucus Room with our MP's staffer and chatted about our electorate.  Actually there was quite a bit of conversation about what could be done to improve it.  

It was a pleasure and an honour to do the tour of Parliament House.  Tours are a great opportunity to promote and educate on the work of the Parliament.  The staff were lovely and genuine and the building is a marvel to behold.  You can see more about it and virtual tours on the Parliament of Victoria website.