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Published: September 8th 2014
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Northern Territory Parliament House
This has been built to withstand cyclones but is light and airy inside. Today we went to look at the Northern Territory Parliament House. Our guide, Jenny, told us that the current building was opened in 1994 and had been designed to conserve energy. It needs minimal artificial lighting because it has light coloured marble floors and walls and also uses light coloured timbers from Tasmania. The front of the high entrance hall and the back of the reception hall are also all glass, letting in a lot of light. The high ceilings, marble floors and extended roof eaves all help keep it cool without air-conditioning, too (except in the Northern Territory Library where the books need to be kept at a regular temperature).
Another feature of the two halls is the use of small panes of glass, rather than the usual large plate glass ones you see in most buildings. They are also reinforced with carefully designed, but still good to look at, steel struts. All this makes it more resistant to cyclone damage and if any glass does break, only a few small panes need replacing.
On the floor is a marble stylised Sturt Desert Rose (the state floral emblem), based on the design on the
Front Entrance of NT Parliament House
The window panes are small and reinforced with these metal struts so they can withstand another major cyclone. Any glass that breaks will be easily replaced with minimum cost. They let a lot of light in, too. NT Flag, with seven petals (although they only have five really). The Flag, designed in 1978, uses the natural colours often used by the Aboriginals in their paintings, of red ochre (which looks more like brown), black (charcoal) and white (from pipe clay which looks a bit yellowish on the flag). There is a Sturt Desert Rose on the red ochre background with a seven point star shape in the centre of it, representing the six states and NT – that hopes to be a state someday. On the left third of the flag is a black panel with the Southern Cross, as seen on the Victorian and Eureka Flags.
There was also a bust of a Chinese background Australian, Harry Chan, who was elected as President of the Legislative Council from 1965-69 and who also served as the Lord Mayor of Darwin. He was a well-respected and loved figure in Darwin. There has been a strong Chinese presence in Darwin since the 1874 when many came as indentured labourers but when it was found that they were skilled tradesmen they employed to build the roads, railway, in the mines, on the harbour and other major constructions.
The Main Hall
The Halls have lots of cooling marble and light woods and marbles to keep the maximum natural light. They stayed when the boom was over and started market garden and other businesses, which were vital to the survival of the town, despite much discrimination and hardship in the early years but with determination and perseverance have earned their honoured place in the Territory. Jenny certainly seemed very proud of Harry Chan’s achievements when she was telling us about him.
The Main Hall led out onto a lovely shaded, grassed terrace with a fountain courtyard and a magnificent view across Fannie Bay. We sat and listened to some of the history of the Bombing and of Cyclone Tracy under the shade of the eaves, and despite the temperature being in the mid-30s, it was very pleasant with a cooling breeze blowing.
Back inside, we were shown a small plaque in the floor that commemorated the 10 Post Office workers who had died during the first air raid. The Post Office had been on the site, along with the Telegraph Office. Also, on the walls were small biographies of those workers.
Next stop was upstairs (or the lift for me!) to the Viewing Gallery of the Legislative Assembly Chamber and the
NT Parliament House Terrace
This looked out over Darwin Harbour. It was lovely and cool under the shade with the sea breeze blowing. NT State and Parliamentary Library. The Library occupies the area that was built for a Legislative Council, in the hopes that one day they will become a state and will need it. In the meantime, it makes a good home for the records and books.
Jenny showed us two huge composite photos of Darwin made up of RAAF shots taken in 1941, Pre-Bombing, and 1942, Post-Bombing, from which you could see how much of the city had been destroyed. There was also a large graphic oil painting of the attack and a huge yellow wall quilt made in 1992, on the 50
th anniversary, which has 1,600 patches and 2,000 names or signatures of people who worked, lived and served in NT in World War 2. During the 50
th anniversary celebrations, anyone who had been there was invited to mark a patch and then Jenny Armour spent 18 months putting it all together, grouping the names, where possible, around the picture patches of landmarks and buildings in the city then. Relatives of those people often come to visit Darwin and want to see their family member’s signatures so they have a catalogue, with the patch location, for them
The Legislative Assembly Chamber
Note there are only 25 seats for the MPs and each has a desk. The Mace is on the table. to check.
The final stop on the tour was the Legislative Assembly Chamber, itself, which we viewed from above in the Visitor Gallery. Of course, being the lower house, it is furnished in green (carpets, leather on seats and desks, walls etc.). It all looked so small, though! Having been to the Victorian Parliament in Melbourne and the Federal one in Canberra I was expecting lots of chairs and benches but this Parliament has only 25 members so they can spread out and each have their own desk! There is the usual chair at the top, beneath the Coat of Arms, for the Speaker and the central table where the Clerk and Deputy Clerk sit and where the mace sits while Parliament is in session. We were lucky enough to see the actual mace sitting in its place as Jenny had put it there before the tour, escorted by the Master at Arms, and would replace it in its vault afterwards. She also gave each of us a bookmark showing the mace and explaining its features. It was made by the Queen’s Jeweller in London from silver covered in gilt and weighs 4.2kgs. It has the NT
The Darwin Commemorative Wall Quilt
This contains 1600 patches with more than 2000 names and signatures on it from people who lived, worked or served in the area during World War 2 and who attended the 50th Anniversary Celebrations. Coat of Arms, some Wedge-tailed Eagles, the Sturt Desert Rose and the Tudor Rose (for England), a Spider Conch Shell at the bottom and a Crown and the St George Cross on top. Very nice.
After the tour Barry and I went back to the Main Hall and read some of the history of what being a Territory has meant. Mostly, they don’t have the final say on anything, which rankles and is why they want to become a state (although when the last referendum was held on the issue – it was rejected- so not everyone wants it). In particular, they have no say with regards to their uranium, or the National Heritage Areas of Kakadu or Uluru, and laws enacted can be over-turned by Canberra (as with the 1997 Law permitting euthanasia). Still, they live in hope.
Unfortunately, the Café in the building was closed so we headed out into the city to find some lunch. Across the road we passed the Chan (named for Harry Chan) Contemporary Art Gallery, which was open and had an exhibition of the Alice Springs “Beanies Competition” entries so we popped in to have a look
The Grouper Beanie
This was a part of the "Alice Springs Beanie Competition" exhibition held at the Chan Contemporary Art Gallery. I loved his expression. There were also lovely wall hangings. (more of a walk through by Barry – not his cup of tea). The hats were mostly made of wool, often felted, enhanced by other textiles including knitting. They were amazing creations, which I’d be afraid to wear, – from an Owl and the Pussycat in a Green Boat (with a white mouse!?); a group of three green Budgies; an electric fan complete with plug; a tea party with cups, saucers, a milk jug and a plate of sandwiches; a heart-shaped box of chocolates; to one of my favourites, a large Grey Grouper fish with a big grin on its face. There were also some very colourful wall hangings featuring the Australian Countryside and animals.
We found a café, Java Spice, just around the corner, and both ordered an iced coffee, an omelette, with ham, cheese and tomato, and some “Lumberjack Cake”, made with apples and dates topped with shredded coconut and very rich, served with ice cream. We sat outside and then saw that the omelettes were being cooked right beside us on a little cart set up under the awning. We got them seconds after they finished cooking and they were light and fluffy and very filling, especially with the four pieces of extra thick bread it came with! The cake was delicious, too, but I couldn’t manage it all so I kept half for later. Needless to say Barry ate all his and some of my omelette and bread. I don’t know where he puts it!
While we were eating we were accosted by some rather different birds looking for scraps, a Magpie Lark, an Orange-footed Scrubfowl and, greediest of all, a Bar-shouldered Dove. Nothing so mundane as sparrows here!
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