Australia’s Parliament House exists
not just as the national legislature, but also as a significant tourist destination
and cultural institution. As part of this expansive role, light illuminations
projected onto the Parliament House façade have highlighted many cultural
commemorations and celebrations. This Flagpost identifies the varied history of
these illuminations, especially within the context of the annual ACT Government
festival, Enlighten.
Parliament House and Enlighten
Alongside Parliament House’s
permanent cultural fixtures (including the Forecourt
Mosaic, Great
Verandah Coat of Arms, Historic
Memorials Collection, and Great
Hall Tapestry) the annual Enlighten illuminations provide a further vibrant
offering. Since its inauguration in 2011, Enlighten’s ‘After Dark’
Illuminations have visibily transformed some of the nation’s most well-known
cultural institutions (see the ACT Government’s Enlighten
Strategic Plan). Along with Parliament
House, these include the National Gallery of Australia and Old Parliament House
(since 2011) and the National Portrait Gallery and Questacon (since 2012). Total
attendance for Enlighten increased from 8,678 visitors in 2011 to 391,826 in 2023.
The following table details the
Parliament House projections, which includes many depictions taken from the Parliament
House Art Collection. However, as each year
involves multiple projections, those listed may not be fully comprehensive.
| Year |
Projection |
| 2011 and 2014 |
Featured projections of Arthur
Boyd’s Great
Hall Tapestry, in four panels (1984–88), portraits of past
Prime Ministers from the Historic
Memorials Collection, 12 examples of the Marble
Foyer marquetry panels, the Magna
Carta, the names of all 150 electorates, and a mosaic created from Parliament
House fixtures, finishes and artwork. |
| 2015 |
Featured projections of Mavis
Ngallametta’s Bushfire
at Ngak-Pungarichan (2013), a celebration of the Magna
Carta’s 800th anniversary, and the names
of all 150 federal electorates. |
| 2016 |
Featured projections of Arthur
Boyd’s Great
Hall Tapestry, in four panels (1984–88), 12 examples of the Marble
Foyer marquetry panels and the Magna
Carta. |
| 2017 |
Series of projections included
Joseph McGlennon’s Florilegium #1 (2014), Michael Nelson Jagamara,
Luritja/Warlpiri people and Imants Tillers’ The Messenger (2014), Samson
Poantimului, Tiwi people Tokwampini (2011), Robyn Stacey’s Beau
Monde (2006), Alick Tipoti, Kala Lagaw Ya people Gubau Aimai Mabaigal
(Wind Makers) (2006) and the names of all 150 federal electorates. |
| 2018 |
Featured projections under the
theme ‘Strange, Beautiful and Unexpected’ including the Barunga Statement,
images of the Hansard Library, James Guppy’s Red Poppy (2005), a work
by Yankunytjatjara artist Yatjiki (Vicki) Cullinan and a new
design by Ken Done, created to mark the 30th anniversary of Parliament
House. |
| 2019 |
Featured projections of Kuru
Ala – The Home of the Seven Sisters, a collaboration by artists Myrtle
Pennington, Ngalpingka Simms, Kanta Donnegan, Jennifer Mitchell and Tjaruwa
Woods, Laurie Nona’s Badhu Habaka (2016), Matilda Nona’s Sawur
(Vine) (2016), an original image by David Booth, images of women in
politics and Indigenous fabric designs. |
| 2020 |
Featured projections of Jacqueline
Gribbin’s print series Dear Gilbert…(Song for the Ichthyologist) (2017–19),
Sydney Ball’s Betela (1976), Arthur Boyd’s Untitled (design for the
Great Hall Tapestry) (1984) along with a specially commissioned work by
Claudia Moodoonuthi titled DULKAWARNGIID – Bentinck Island (2019). |
| 2021 |
Featured projections under the
theme ‘Hope’ including images of the first members of the Commonwealth Parliament,
Christian Thompson’s Writing on the Wall (2019), collated
images of stained glass and glass sculpture as well as images of maireener shell
necklaces from the Parliament House art collection. |
| 2022 |
Featured projections of Dora
Meeson’s The
Women’s Suffrage Banner (1908), Kumantye Jagamara’s Possum
and Wallaby Dreaming (1994), Catherine Nelson’s Tropic (2020),
Tony Bishop’s Coachwood [Ceratopetalum apetalum], one of twenty marquetry
panels (1986–87) and images of Parliamentary trailblazers. |
| 2023 |
Featured a Home
is Where the Habitat Is animation by Eggpicnic’s Camila De Gregorio
and Christopher Macaluso, along with a special Pride Week projection (10–12
March). |
| 2024 |
Featured a LEGO
animated version of the building designed by Ryan ‘Brickman’ McNaught. |
Commemorative Illuminations
The National
Capital Plan identifies Canberra as ‘a symbol of Australian life and a
location for memorials and national events.’ Accordingly, illuminating
Parliament House for commemorative purposes contributes to fulfilling this
symbolic representative function.
Since opening in 1988, Parliament
House has featured 30 commemorative illuminations, with more than half
occurring in the last decade. Of these:
- 13
were for international observances,
- 7
were in response to significant international events,
- 6
were for national observances,
- 2
were in celebration of significant international agreement anniversaries and
- 2 were
in celebration of nationally significant events.
The following table details the instances of illumination (compiled
from available sources and should not be considered comprehensive).
The US White House and UK Houses of Parliament engage in similar light illuminations for cultural commemorations, and Canadian Parliament Hill hosts an annual sound and light show against the backdrop of the Parliament Buildings.