Order! Order!

The Old Parliament & The New Parliament from the Australian War Memorial
see all photos »

An earlyish start - our plane was departing for Canberra at 10.40am. There was obviously no luggage and an on-line check-in made for a speedy journey through the airport and into the Quantas Executive Lounge (courtesy of Fr Philip).Our flight was on time, and in 40minutes we were touching down in Canberra (having had a light snack aswell - tea and a biscuit).

Canberra is the Capital of Australia - being chosen in preference over Sydney and Melbourne (falling as it does midway between the two). It is quite a small geographical area, and is independent of all States, and you really have to make an effort to go there. Many of the people we have met since our arrival in Australia, when we told them we were going to Canberra for the day remarked "that long?" It really wasn't that bad - but a day probably wasn't long enough.

"Stop the intervention.....get the troops out now"

The Australian War Memorial from the Queens Terrace, New Parliament Building
see all photos »

Outside the airport we jumped in a taxi and were driven offto the Old Parliament House buildings. Unlike many countries you visit, where their parliament buildings are those in use at the present time, because of the unique structure of the Comonwealth of Australia, the Old Parliament House, was only ever built as a temporary home for the House of Representatives and the The Senate (the Upper House). Being allowed access to these fascinating corridors of democracy and the rooms of State was a fascinating journey through time and history. Standing in the Prime Ministers Office and seeing photographs of other Heads of State and sat in the same room is a rather rare, unique and somewhat bewildering experience. One couldn't imagine this happening in our own Houses of Parliament. To stand on the floor of both the House of Representaives and that of the Senate, one could almost hear the wheels of democracy grinding along...do visit the Old House of Parliament if you ever get the opportunity.

The Central Staircases of the New Parliament Building (Eucalyptus Forest effect)
see all photos »

We stepped outside the Old Parliament House and walked round the building to the rear to a tree lined Mall, which led to the New Parliament House - a very modern building by contrast but beautiful in its own way. We passed by a crowd/camp of demonstrators protesting against the changes in the welfare payment system (sounds just like home).

We stepped inside the building and went through security and our first impressions were of the spaciousness and airiness of the entrance lobby - with its marbelled pillars and floors designed to look like a eucalyptus forest. We were met by Mr Christian Kerr, a friend of Fr Philip and a Political  Writer for The Australian and The Spectator. He had arranged for security passes, that would give us access to the whole building. Christian had been delayed initially upon our arrival, and apologised to us, explaining that all journalists had been in 'lock-down' for two hours in the Press Office, for a briefing with the Prime Minister, who was announcing $42 bn (AUS) to boost the economy.

The Dispatch Box and Speakers Chair in the Old Parliament House of Representatives
see all photos »

Christian showed us around as much as he could, and as the time was fast approaching 2pm, he had to return to the Press Gallery of the House of Representatives, whilst we three, through Fr Philip writing to his MP, had tickets for the Speakers Gallery (not the Public Gallery!), where we sat mesmerised at Prime Ministers Question Time - the first after the summer recess.

This was a fascinating experience - with its injection of humour, less formality and stuffiness, and words like "blokes", "bugger" and "fair-dinkum" being exchanged across the dispatch box and not an "Honourable Member" to be heard.

Order! Order! Mine's a Gin & Tonic Mr. Prime Minister
see all photos »

The Speaker (without hs wig) was quite blase about the exchanges across the House, the Prime Minister (Kevin Rudd) often having to raise his voice to be heard - yet keeping his cool. The Treasurer often being hissed at for suggesting the large surplus they had to enable this cash injection was what Labor (correct spelling) had created - the Liberals claiming credit, as Labour have only held office this past year. We stayed in the Chamber for about two hours then dragged ourselves away. We had just collected our cameras etc which we had left with security, when all of a sudden we heard a commotion and security officers running towards the Chamber. Seemingly, an elderly woman had started shouting protestations from the Public Gallery about the Welfare Reforms...soon a sizeable crowd of protestors were being ejected from the area outside shouting "Stop the intervention.....get the troops out now" It would appear democracy is alive and kicking in Australia!  Andrew managed to get some of the protestors on video.

Gin & Tonic arrives in the Gardens of the Commonwealth Club
see all photos »

The excitement over, we went for a cuppa - well a cold beer - to the Queens Cafe. This time, another siege of which we were given prior warning - 'aggressive magpies" which thought nothing of swooping down on unsuspecting customers and snatching their sandwich or cake...

Back to the tour - Christian reappeared briefly, really to offer further apology - but he needed to be in the House to hear further statements from the Chamber re: the PM's announcements, before filing his report. Our passes, however, were for unescorted personnel so we were able to explore more of the Parliament at leisure, including The Senate, which by compariosn to the House of Represntatives, was very sedate. All around the corridors of power, on walls and in cabinets, were fine art exhibits - paintings, ceramics, glass, wood, mosaics - all worth seeing.

It was time to leave Parliament. Fr Philip hailed a taxi, to take us from Parliament to the War Memorial of Australia. The Principal Architect of Canberra Walter Burley Griffin (an American from Illinois).

The Illinois architect visited Canberra in 1913 where he was lionised. This was the start of a love affair with Australia, but as with Utzon and the Opera House, the relationship teetered into heartbreak as he battled to have his ideas implemented and bureaucrats resisted his designs.

The Griffin Plan was finally accepted in 1925 and the Canberra of his dream began to take shape. The design of Canberra today is very much as Walter Burley Griffin planned, with streets formed in concentric circles, and a triangle formed by the current Parliament House at its apex, Commonwealth Ave and Kings Ave at its sides and the lake at its base. The War Memorial sits on the hill opposite the New Parliament House, sandwiching the Old Parliament House in between (see pictures). The taxi was sat waiting for us....after taking some pictures, we headed back to the cab, being circled above, as it were, by a flock of wild white macaws - strange seeing these birds flying wild - and not in cages in someones living room!

Fr Philip directed the taxi to The Commonwealth Club, where we were having dinner - before the taxi was invited to return and take us on to the airport. The restaurant didn't open until 7pm, and we needed to be away from the Club by 8pm, so really all we had time for were pre-dinner G & T's delicious and then making our way into the restauarnt area, we ordered main courses only - see review!

8pm - back in the taxi and off to the airport for our flight back to Melbourne via the Quantas Executive Lounge - and the complimentary bar - well shame not to really! On board and up in the air again, soon we back in Canberra, and Fr Philip drove us back to Fitzroy - seat of his democracy! Night.