Conceived by American architect Walter Burley Griffin in 1912, but not built until 1988, Canberra's focal point was designed to blend organically into its setting at the top of Capital Hill; only a national flag supported by a giant four-footed flagpole rises above the peak of the hill. Inside are more than 3,000 works of Australian arts and crafts, and extensive areas of the building are open to the general public. Just outside the main entrance, look for a mosaic by Michael Tjakamarra Nelson, Meeting Place, which represents a gathering of Aboriginal tribes. There's also a 20m-long (66-ft.) tapestry of an Arthur Boyd painting in the Great Hall on the first floor and one of the four known versions of the Magna Carta in the Great Hall beneath the flagpole. Parliament is usually in session Monday through Thursday between mid-February and late June and from mid-August to mid-December (check www.aph.gov.au for scheduled sittings). Both the Lower House (the House of Representatives, where the prime minister sits) and the Upper House (the Senate) have public viewing galleries. The best time to see the action is during Question Time, which starts at 2pm in the Lower House. If you turn up early, you might get a seat; otherwise, make reservations for gallery tickets through the sergeant-at-arms (tel. 02/6277 4889) at least a day in advance. Free 45-minute tours of the building start every 30 minutes beginning at 9am.
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