Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01869:reg:6:p19
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01869
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 6 (pt 19/86)
Character Range: 61443–65192

stands for the right to argue and dissent, and reflects the orderly succession of governments through the democratic process, as reflected by the seven changes of government that took place during the years in which Parliament sat in the building.                                                                                                As the original focus of the Commonwealth Parliament and Government in Canberra, Old Parliament House is intimately associated with the political history of Australia, and the development of Canberra as the capital of Australia, from its opening in 1927 until the opening of the new Parliament House in 1988. The Old Parliament House was the second home of the Parliament which was located in the Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne from Federation in 1901 until 1927, and was the first purpose-built home for the Australian Parliament.
The building set the pattern of combining the functions of the executive arm of government and the legislative function in the one building. This commenced with the provision of ministerial offices at the design stage followed by Prime Minister James Scullin moving Cabinet meetings into the building in 1930–31. These actions initiated the major expansion of the building to house both the legislative and executive functions of government, a pattern that continued in the design of Parliament House.

NATIONAL HERITAGE LISTED VALUES                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       COMMONWEALTH HERITAGE LISTED VALUES
Attributes key: fabric shown in green; associations and uses shown in bold
The North Wing has historic importance as the main venue for parliamentary functions from 1927 to 1988. The Senate Chamber, House of Representatives Chamber, and King's Hall are highly significant as venues for the debates, petitions and votes associated with 61 years of Australian legislature.
Old Parliament House is an important place in the story of the creation of the Australian democracy and has associations with several related defining events. Landmark political events associated with the building included legislation in 1942 adopting the Statute of Westminster 1931 and the declarations of war in 1939 and 1941. The building was also the place of 61 years of national legislation shaping Australian society, the extension of the voting age to 18-year-olds in 1973, and the establishment of new political parties such as the Democratic Labour Party in 1950s, the Australian Democrats in 1977 and the Liberal Party of Australia in 1944–45.
Old Parliament House saw the growth of Commonwealth responsibility for Aboriginal affairs.  Key  events included the Bark Petition sent by the Yirrkala community to the House of Representatives in August 1963 protesting bauxite mining in Arnhem Land, and the Referendum in 1967 that overwhelmingly supported Commonwealth power to legislate for Aboriginal people. Amongst other developments, the Referendum result led to the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, proclaimed on Australia Day 1977. With the new responsibilities