A great library bonfire was narrowly avoided in 1907, when fire swept through Parliament Buildings in Wellington.
Parliament Buildings
Events In History
Articles
The House of Representatives
New Zealand's Parliament dates back to 1854, just 14 years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the beginning of the European settlement of the country. For most of its history as a nation state, New Zealand has had some form of elected government. Read the full article
Page 1 - The House of Representatives
New Zealand's Parliament dates back to 1854, just 14 years after the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi and the beginning of the European settlement of the country. For most of its
Page 2 - Quick history
New Zealand's Parliament has been making laws, scrutinising the government and representing New Zealanders for over 150 years.
Page 3 - Parliament
Today there are two parts to Parliament – the House of Representatives (or the Lower House) and the Governor-General, but between 1854 and 1951 there was a third part, the
Page 4 - Doing business
The operation of Parliament has changed over time as its workload has grown and new systems such as MMP have been implemented.
Parliament Buildings
Parliament buildings have been modified, destroyed by fire, half-built and restored; the parliamentary places and spaces have formed an important part of New Zealand's history. Read the full article
Page 1 - History of Parliament Buildings
Parliament buildings have been modified, destroyed by fire, half-built and restored; the parliamentary places and spaces have formed an important part of New Zealand's
Page 2 - First Parliament buildings
Auckland was a bustling place in 1854 when Parliament met there for the first time. The buildings were located in paddocks on what was then the edge of town, Constitution Hill,
Page 3 - The halfway house
In 1911, a competition was held for designs for a new building to house Parliament. From the 33 proposals, John Campbell's was selected and building began, although it did not all
Page 4 - Current buildings
Parliament Buildings are made up of the Edwardian neo-classical Parliament House and the Beehive – its name inspired by a brand of
Page 5 - Doing up the House
In 1992 the biggest heritage building conservation project in New Zealand was undertaken with the strengthening and refurbishing of Parliament House and the Parliamentary
Page 6 - A workplace
Many people call Parliament their workplace, but for MPs and others, the parliamentary complex has not always been the ideal place to spend long
Page 7 - Library
For people passing Parliament's grounds, the library building is a picture postcard, but it is also an important research institution that has thousands of books, newspapers and
Page 8 - Disasters
Fires and earthquakes have been major threats to New Zealand's Parliament
Page 9 - Further information
Find out more about the history of Parliament
Parliament's people
Today there are usually between 120 and 123 MPs in New Zealand's Parliament, which is a far cry from the 37 who met for the first time in Auckland in 1854. Read the full article
Page 7 - Spectators
Aside from its constitutional functions, Parliament has also provided a spectacle for members of the
Parliament's culture and traditions
Explore Parliament's rich history and its colourful culture and traditions. Read the full article
Page 3 - Parliament in postcards
Painters and photographers loved to capture the beauty of Parliament's buildings in postcards, and New Zealanders and visitors sent these to friends and family in new Zealand and
Page 4 - Westminster traditions
Many parliaments take a lead from Britain's centuries-old House of Commons, and New Zealand, too, followed the traditions in the home
Page 7 - A public meeting place
New Zealand is one of the few countries in the world in which the public can walk freely around the grounds of
Main image: Panorama: Parliament grounds from the front
Panorama of Parliament Buildings and grounds with the Beehive, Parliament House and the Parliamentary Library. Includes commentary by John O'Sullivan, former General Manager of the Parliamentary Service
