AMANDA KELLER VISITS PARLIAMENT HOUSE

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1 AMANDA KELLER VISITS PARLIAMENT HOUSE The Australian flag flies high above Parliament House in Canberra 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is an iconic sight that most Australians are familiar with. Less well known is the fact that once a month, a dedicated team of four specially trained flag fitters have the adventurous task of ascending the 81 metres of stainless steel flag mast to change a flag that is the size of a double decker bus! Amanda Keller makes a special visit to Parliament House to meet Dave Clifton and the team from the Department of Parliamentary Services, who have this unusual and privileged job.

2 ABOUT THE FLAG AT PARLIAMENT HOUSE The Australian flag flies 81 metres above Capital Hill and can be seen from many vantage points all around Canberra. It is flown from a four-legged stainless steel mast, which rises from the grass-topped roof of Parliament House. The only flag that is ever flown from Parliament House is the Australian flag. The flag itself weighs 25kg and at 12.8 metres long by 6.4 metres high, it is roughly the size of a double decker bus. The flag itself sits above the exact centre of Parliament House. It also connects the building s law-making axis including the House of Representatives and Senate chambers with the land axis, which starts from the forecourt and unites the significant public areas in the building. This represents the people, the parliament and the government the pillars of Australian democracy, all united under one flag.

3 The four-legged mast of the flag is one of the largest stainless steel structures in the world, weighing 220 tonnes. The structure of the mast is in keeping with architect Walter Burley Griffin s vision of a pyramidal government building at the centre point in his design plans for Canberra. He envisioned a ceremonial public space that would celebrate the achievements of the Australian people. CHANGING THE FLAG The treatment of the flag at Parliament House must adhere to strict flag protocols. These include illuminating the flag at night, ensuring the flag never touches the ground and maintaining the flag so it is not flown when faded or damaged in any way.

4 At such a height, the flag can be affected by strong winds and bad weather. In order to keep the flag in prime condition it must therefore be replaced once a month. This is done by a team of specially trained flag fitters from the Department of Parliamentary Services, usually on the first Wednesday of every month. At any one time there are twelve to fourteen Australian flags on rotation so that they wear evenly. Each flag is stored in a large flag bag with a unique identification number on it. Changing the flag is a high-risk job and the fitters, who are trained as high-risk operators, have to work very closely together. Whilst two of the fitters remain on the roof to operate the winch that raises and lowers the flag, the other two fitters ascend one of the steel mast legs in a moving platform. At the top, the flag fitters radio down to the team below to lower the flag. Once it is in reach they are able to unclip the old flag and reattach a new one, which is carefully secured and winched back into place. There are spectacular views across the city and surrounding landscape from the height of the flag mast few people get to see Parliament House and Canberra from this perspective. If any of the flags are damaged or faded, they are sent away to be repaired before they can be allowed back into rotation. The Department of Parliamentary Services monitor the condition of the flag on a daily basis, making sure there are no tears or rips and that it is still flying high especially after a windy night! Visitors are able to walk directly beneath the flag on the roof of Parliament House. Only trained personnel from the Department of Parliamentary Services are allowed up the flag mast itself. To read the list of the many flag protocols click on this link:

5 ABOUT PARLIAMENT HOUSE Parliament House is the meeting place of the Parliament of Australia. The unique building is an iconic Australian landmark found in the capital city of Canberra. Construction of the expansive structure that stands today began in 1981 and took seven years to complete it was opened on 9 May therefore marks the 30 th anniversary of Parliament House. Prior to 1988, a location now known as Old Parliament House served as the home of Federal Parliament. Today, the building houses the Museum of Australian Democracy and sits to the northeast of Parliament House. 90 per cent of the materials used to construct the new building are Australian and it sits on an impressive 32 hectares of land. Inside the house itself, there are 4500 rooms with a total

6 area of 250,000 square metres. Over 5000 people work in the building when Parliament is sitting and there are an average of 1 million visitors every year. Parliament House is open the to public all year round, closed only on Christmas Day. Visitors can immerse themselves in Australian democracy by watching Question Time, observing bills being debated and sitting in on committee enquiries that explore the issues of today. Parliament House is easily accessible by bus or car; there is a public car park beneath the building. There is currently some construction work taking place to repair the skylight at Parliament House. Some aspects of the building will be obscured until mid-2018, however you can still plan a visit and enjoy all that Parliament House has to offer. To find out more, go to aph.gov.au/visit_parliament

7 ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN FLAG The Australian flag is a prominent national symbol of Australian identity and pride. On 3 September each year, Australian National Flag Day is celebrated to mark the first time the flag was flown in The makeup of the Australian flag has changed many times over the past century. The current flag known as the Commonwealth blue ensign was officially proclaimed the national flag of Australia in The symbolism of the flag design comprises three elements: In the upper left-hand corner, the Union Jack references the nation s history of British settlement; beneath this, there is a white Commonwealth, or Federation, star with seven points that signify the union of the six states and the territories of the Commonwealth of Australia; and finally the Southern Cross on the right-hand side of the flag is a reminder of Australia s geographical location, as the constellation can only be seen in the southern hemisphere.

8 WEBLINKS aph.gov.au aph.gov.au/visit_parliament/things_to_do/learn_about_the_flag pmc.gov.au/government/australian-national-flag