Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01869:reg:6:p15
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01869
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 6 (pt 15/86)
Character Range: 49982–52758

gardens on either side of the House. Meanwhile, conversions of verandahs and loggias into offices continued. The building had reached 'saturation point', the Serjeant-at-Arms reported in 1940, and the wings only provided momentary respite. In 1948 a further floor was added to the new wings, which were themselves extended. One factor in this expansion was the growth in the number of parliamentarians in 1948, which for the first time took the size of the Parliament beyond what had been predicted in the 1920s. Because parliamentarians had individual seats, the Chambers themselves became crowded with seats and desks. Demand for offices meant that even though two new outer wings were added to the 1940s extensions in 1965 (House of Representatives) and 1970 (Senate), many backbenchers were forced to share their tiny rooms with each other and with their staff. In 1970 four rooms even had three members sharing them.

  These issues, the constant growth in the size of ministerial staff, and the substantial cost of maintaining an ageing building, revived the issue of the need for a permanent Parliament House after 1956. An extension of the north wing of the building in 1972 created only a modest new Prime Minister's suite along with a larger Cabinet Room and new accommodation downstairs for the Treasurer (in the space where Hansard had previously been located). Matching works gave the President of the Senate a small new suite and created a large committee room downstairs, which was in constant use as the Senate committee system grew; it also provided space for press conferences. Security also became an issue in the 1970s. Blast screens over some windows and a new security-screened entry under the front steps were stopgaps, and the need for new
  communications facilities created further problems. The provision of secure wiring for an ageing building, in which much of Australia's defence, foreign policy and security decisions were made, proved difficult, and the media, forced to crowd into a warren of shabby rooms on the top floor of the building, also needed new facilities. In 1983 Prime Minister Bob Hawke laid the foundation stone for a new Parliament House, which the Queen opened in 1988. After 61 years, much as had been predicted in the 1920s, the time had come for Old Parliament House to move into a new era of its eventful history.

  A full history can be found in Appendix D.

     3.    Heritage Values

     3.1.  Method of assessment

  The extensive research on the political, social and construction history of Old Parliament House (see Appendix D) has provided a comprehensive body of work from which several Statements of Significance have been developed.4 These Statements of Significance, along with the analysis of the heritage