Parliament House marks 25th anniversary

A WEEK is a long time in politics and for Australia's "new" Parliament House, it's been a very long 1300 weeks.

This Thursday, May 9, marks the 25th anniversary of the new parliament's opening by the Queen.

In 1988 there was some trepidation about moving up Capital Hill from the old parliament into the labyrinthine complex.

"There was an element of dread, that you thought oh-oh, we're going to this huge space, do you leave a trail of cut paper to know where you've been," former speaker Harry Jenkins told AAP.

But space had its advantages, particularly for MPs like Liberal Bronwyn Bishop whose new digs compared favourably with her old "broom cupboard".

Minister Warren Snowdon said the building's size caused - and still causes - problems for MPs trying to negotiate its 10km of corridors to get to the chambers for votes.

"I missed a division once," he told AAP.

"We ran down and the doors had just shut - whack - and we're standing outside feeling such idiots."

Newcomers like Senator Anne Ruston, who took up her post in September, still experiences building disorientation once or twice a sitting week.

Another issue, 25 years later, is the sense of social isolation many house dwellers experience.

Some MPs think another in-house bar could partially resolve the problem - after three bars included in the original design were subsequently closed.

But for many new hands like Liberal backbencher Wyatt Roy, the youngest MP elected to federal parliament and who, at 23, is younger than the house itself, it's as inspiring as its predecessor.

Parliament House was designed with a shelf-life of at least 200 years in mind, and if its first 25 years are anything to go by it will continue to evolve over the next quarter century.

Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) secretary Carol Mills says the ongoing challenge is keeping up with digital technology and security risks.

It only got in-house wi-fi in late 2012 and today is surrounded by anti-vehicle barriers.

Last year, DPS was under immense pressure after a man managed to breach security and join a prime ministerial press conference in the inner sanctum of the ministerial wing.

In 1988, more than 25,000 people turned out to see Her Majesty "unlock" the front doors.

Next week some of the 10,000 construction workers will hold a reunion along with architects Romaldo Giurgola and Ric Thorp.

A book on parliament's art collection will be launched on May 15 and the Mint has released a commemorative coin.

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