- Address: Spring St, East Melbourne VIC 3002, Australia;
- Website: parliament.vic.gov.au;
- Phone: +61 3 9651 8911;
- Open: 08.30-17.30 except for the weekend;
- Entrance: as part of the excursion group, without payment
The building of the Parliament of Victoria is one of the most famous sights of Melbourne . This monument of architecture from the times of the Victorian era effectively looks on the background of urban new buildings and is an excellent place for photo shoots. For those wishing to see the interiors of the building, regular excursions are held.
History of the building of the Parliament of Victoria
In 1851, in southern Australia , Victoria was created, with a center in Melbourne. Four years later, the Imperial Parliament expanded the rights of the state, including the right to have an independent government.
There was no suitable building for parliament in the young city. The idea of building a large stone building for the government of Victoria appeared in the vice-governor Charles La Trobe. The place was chosen more than suitable - on a hill, at the beginning of Burk Street, from where a wonderful view of the city. Construction of the parliament building began in 1856, was carried out in several stages, and has not been completed to date. The first under the project of Charles Pasley were built the Hall of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria and the Hall of the Legislative Council, housed in two separate buildings on different sides of Bourke Street. Three-story houses with columns and sculptures were a novelty for the inhabitants of Melbourne and quickly became a local landmark.
The Parliament of Victoria was not always in the building. From 1901 to 1927, while building the Australian capital of Canberra, the building housed the Federal Parliament of Australia.
The building of the Parliament of Victoria in our days
Not all of the architect's dreams were realized in this building, but it shakes its solidity and power, being one of the best examples of civil architecture in the British Empire. The parliament building is open to all comers - citizens, tourists, schoolchildren, students studying architecture and design. A standard excursion lasting about one and a half hours includes a brief presentation, a visit to several rooms that are inaccessible to the general public, the library and parliamentary gardens. Visitors will be able to visit the heart of the parliament - the session halls, where state laws are developed and parliamentarians meet.
Huge artistic value is represented by interiors with huge chandeliers, antique statues, beautiful floor mosaics.
In the evenings, the building is beautifully illuminated.
How to get there?
Located in the heart of Melbourne, on Spring Street. A tram line passes past the building, you can get there by trams 35, 86, 95, 96, the landmark is the intersection of Spring St / Bourke St. Next to the parliament building is the metro station with the same name.
You can get inside the building by pre-registering for a tour (group tour of 6 people). Excursions are free, conducted from Monday to Friday.
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