Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01868:reg:4:p58
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2021L01868
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 58/63)
Character Range: 501541–504282

May and December 1972 respectively. When completed,

    69      Debates of the Senate Estimates Committee, 21 September 1972, p. 69, in House of Representatives file 72/318, OPH; Canberra News, no. 589, 22 February 1972.
    70      Souter, Acts of Parliament, pp. 488–90.
    71      File note, 'Parliament House Extensions: Accommodation for Private Members and Senators', 15 April 1970, Senate file 25/1/3, OPH.
    72      David O'Reilly, 'What to do with the old place', The Bulletin, 5 June 1990, p. 40.
    73      Minute, WJ Aston, Speaker, to the Hon PJ Nixon, Minister for the Interior, 'Additional Accommodation – Parliament House', 22 May 1970, Senate file 25/1/3, OPH; Noel Pratt, 'Hobson's choice in Canberra', The Australian, 9 September 1972.
  74      Sir John Overall, quoted in article by Sally McInerney, Sydney Morning Herald, 30 July 1983, p. 32. 75 Sparke, Canberra 1954–1980, pp. 162–66.
  the new southwest wing provided an additional 13300 square feet of floor space, excluding areas taken up by corridors, stairs, lifts, ducts and public facilities. Coupled with the additions to the roof and the front of the building, these extensions brought the total floor space of the building to almost three times its original size, while the number of rooms was increased to 640.76 The temporary office accommodation for the prime minister, his staff and the Cabinet Room in the extreme southwest corner of the southwest wing was completed and handed over for use on 5 December 1972. On the main floor, these comprised rooms M144 to M156 inclusive, and on the lower floor rooms L43, L44, L172, L173 and L174. It was into these areas that the Whitlam government moved on its election in December 1972 and from where Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and his deputy, Lance Barnard, ran the country as a two-man ministry in the first two weeks of the new government. One of the problems with the location of the Prime Minister's office in this part of the building, however, was that it was as far away as it was possible to get from the House of Representatives Chamber. When the division bells were rung, it thus allowed Whitlam very little time to make his way to the Chamber for the division. Perhaps fortunately, this arrangement came to an end in August 1973 when Whitlam, his staff and the Cabinet Room were able to take up residence in the remodelled offices in the eastern front section of the building, including the new northeast wing.77

  Following the vacation of the temporary Prime Minister's suite and Cabinet Room, this series of rooms was refurbished, mainly as ministerial suites for Senators D McClelland (M152), JL Cavanagh (M153) and KS Wriedt (M154). Most of the other rooms on the main floor level were