Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01869:reg:4:p45
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01869
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 45/63)
Character Range: 468791–471754

had to work in a room in which a teleprinter carried out its noisy function. To add to the journalists' woes, they regarded the toilet facilities as insanitary and the worst in the building. During 1939, some of these complaints were addressed by way of the construction of five additional offices for the press, together with a common room, on the upper floor of the House of Representatives side of the building. Although this went some way towards alleviating the journalists' problems, the work had other unfortunate consequences. While opening parts of the roof to install RSJs to support the new offices, some heavy downpours of rain occurred which, in March 1939, flooded out the southern part of the main building, necessitating the redecoration of the Cabinet Room, some Ministers' offices and some rooms on the lower floor beneath them.48

  War and the changes of the 1940s

  The outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 had, not surprisingly, a major impact on Commonwealth Government administration in Canberra, accelerating its growth and increasing its complexity. The national war effort entailed a phenomenal increase in government responsibilities and business, and already before the end of 1939 five new government departments had been established; a further 12 would be created before the war ended. In addition, the role and workload of all government departments expanded greatly.49 As a result of the increased government business, accommodation space in Parliament House reached a critical shortage within a few months of the war's outbreak.

    46      Paul Hasluck, The Government and the People 1939–1941, Canberra, Australian War Memorial, 1952, pp. 415–16, 435; J McEwen, Minister for the Interior, in Hansard [HReps], 6 October 1938, in CRS A461, item B4-1-10; Emerton, 'The Case for a Permanent Building', pp. 8–9; House of Representatives file 61/17, OPH; Pearson and O'Keefe, 'Parliamentary Library Old Parliament House: Heritage Analysis', April 1998, vol. 1; Tanner and Associates, 'Provisional Parliament House Canberra: The Conservation Plan', pp. 14-1, 14-4.
    47      Emerton, 'The Case for a Permanent Building', p. 9; minute, HVC Thorby to T Paterson, Minister for the Interior, 'Re – Alterations to Parliament House, No. 1 and No. 2 Secretariats', 2 April 1936; minute, C Whitley, acting Principal Designing Architect, to Assistant Secretary, Department of the Interior, 13 May 1936, CRS A292/1, item C10111.
    48      Letter, President, Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery, to Chairman, Parliamentary Joint House Committee, 17 February 1938; minute, Meyer to Mr Jackson, 28 August 1939, CRS A292/1, C15168; Cabinet Agendum, 'Parliament Press Gallery. Request for Additional Accommodation', 4 April 1938, CRS A6006, item 1938/04/08.
    49      Hasluck, The Government and the People 1939–1941, pp. 435–36, 581
  While the exigencies of war could not have been foreseen, the accommodation problem was