Flagpole on Parliament, Canberra
It didn’t rain today, there was some sun, and it wasn’t too cold so it was a much nicer day. This morning we went to the Australian Parliament. We had a tour that lasted about an hour. It was interesting to compare the differences in they Australian and Canadian federal governments. One of the most obvious differences is how new their Parliament Building is. It was opened in 1988. The building itself is shaped like two boomerangs, and is topped by a massive stainless steel flagpole with that same shape. You can walk out onto the roof, and from there you have a great view out over the city of Canberra.
After lunch we went to the Australian War Memorial. The drive to the memorial, Anzac Parade, contains many sculptures and monuments. The memorial itself is a very large museum. We spent s couple of hours in the building looking at the exhibits, which are very impressive. They give a good depiction of Australia’s role in the history of the last 100 years.