1988 Opening of Parliament House

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Australia’s Parliament House that we see today, was opened on the 9th of May 1988 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Planning began in 1901 following the Federation of Australia, with Canberra decided as the nation’s capital and the adoption of Walter Burley Griffith's plan for the city. WWI disrupted plans for a permanent building, so an interim one was built in 1927 though this soon proved cramped and inadequate. Planning only resumed in 1978 when Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser announced Capitol Hill as the new site for the permanent parliament house. On the 26th of June 1980, the now famous Mitchell / Giugola and Thorp design was selected with its giant flag mast dominating feature.