The Queen Mother And Old Parliament House

The death of the Queen Mother represents a severing of probably the last official link with the 1927 opening of what is now called Old Parliament House. The distinctive white building was intended to be a 'temporary' Parliament House, but was retained until the current Parliament House was opened in 1988.

As the Duchess of York, the Queen Mother was 26 years old when she accompanied her husband, Bertie, Duke of York and later King George VI, to open Australia's first national Parliament in the new capital, Canberra. Until then, Federal Parliament met in Victoria's Parliament House.

Old Parliament House is now a museum of great historical and social value. It was the scene of Australia's declaration of war in 1939, the dismissal of Gough Whitlam in 1975 and many other political events in Australia's federal history. Many who have worked in both the old and new Parliament House buildings, whilst acknowledging the former's lack of facilities, lament the loss of political atmosphere and camaraderie that accompanied the arrival of the latter.

• Old Parliament House website

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