On the 22nd of April in 1857, The Parliament of South Australia sat for the first time.
Today marks the 150th anniversary of responsible governance in South Australia, and the Parliament of South Australia welcomes the public for an Open Day.
Members of the public are given free entry to access various rooms throughout Parliament House, including its chambers, parlour lounges and library.
The Other Pride Of South Australia by Linh
Many South Australians are Adelaide Crows or Port Adelaide proud, but we should also consider the other pride of South Australia. Namely, our State Parliament House.
For 150 years, South Australia has flourished politically, economically and socially, making us a very enviable Festival State.
On its 150th anniversary, State Parliament has opened the doors of Parliament House, allowing the general public to experience the beauty, grandeur and history of the various rooms where some of our state politicians spend much of their time.
There's the House of Assembly also called the Lower House, where you can sit in the seats of Premier Mike Rann, Treasurer Kevin Foley or Opposition leader Martin Hamilton-Smith. The Speaker's Chair is the only seat not permitted for public access. Upon the green carpet are the South Australian motifs of grapes, wheat sheaves and wattle. Adding to the traditional touch is the 'blood or sword line' which runs in front of the Treasury bench and the Opposition front bench. It's to keep the members of Parliament from crossing over the floor of the other party.
A favourite with the public is the Legislative Council or Upper House, sometimes called the 'House of Review'. Its beautiful furniture made of Queensland maple is stunning, the red carpet featuring the Sturt Desert Pea enriches the atmosphere and the lighting and acoustic properties are superb. Most impressive is the President's chair (President is the equivalent to the Lower House's Speaker), which is made of English Oak and carved with Gothic decorations and the seat is covered in red velvet. The President's Chair is also closed to the public.
A personal favourite is the Parliamentary Library, where all its three metre high wooden book shelves are filled with many rare and essential hard covered books/reports/journals/encyclopaedias et cetera, each with a gold embossed seal of identification on the front cover. The erudite would certainly be in their element, surrounded with a myriad of historical literature on every subject imaginable.
Some precious yet quirky literary gems I found while trawling the shelves include Debrett's Etiquette and Modern Manners, Oscar Wilde - A Biography by H. Montgomery Hyde, Dynasty - A Legend, A Family and the Port Adelaide Football Club by Fos Williams (football legend) and Michelangelo Rucci (sports writer at 'The Advertiser'), Keith Dunstan's Ratbags featuring a foreword by Barry Humphries and the book with over 550 subjects to help you entertain, insult and amuse any audience... 5600 Jokes For All Occasions by Mildred Meiers and Jack Knapp.
The centrepiece of the library is the Terrestrial Globe, which stands one metre high and was made in London in 1854. The Globe was ordered by the then Legislative Council Library in 1854 and represented the state of the art mid-nineteenth century educational technology.
Another interesting relic is a copy of the very first edition of 'The Advertiser', then known as 'The South Australian Advertiser', Volume One, edition one on Monday 12th July 1858. It was broadsheet size, all black and white, with classified line ads and no images.
The experience of touring Parliament House can also be enjoyed on days when Parliament is not sitting, with a Tour Guide or Parliamentary Officer. Visitors are also permitted to sit in the Galleries during 'Question Time' on sitting days. For more information, click HERE.
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