House of Representatives

This is the House of Representatives Chamber in Old Parliament House. I was standing in the press gallery to take this photo, with the ornate timber Speaker's Chair immediately below me. Members of the Government sat on the right of the Speaker, and the Opposition on the left. The seats at the centre table were for the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. Hansard reporters, who recorded all parliamentary sessions (originally by hand) were seated at the central table on the Opposition side.

The Senate Chamber is in a mirror position on the other side of Old Parliament House. It has a very similar layout to this chamber, but has a red colour scheme (similar to the British House of Lords, although our Senators don't have any connection to any sort of peerage system).