Parliament House, Adelaide

Parliament House, on the corner of North Terrace and King William Road in Adelaide city centre, is the seat of the Parliament of South Australia. It was built to replace the adjacent and overcrowded Parliament House, now referred to as "Old Parliament House". Due to financial constraints, the current Parliament House was constructed in stages over 65 years from 1874 to 1939.

History

A commission, appointed by the Governor of South Australia, was set up in 1874 to adjudicate a design competition for the new building. A design by prominent Adelaidean architect Edmund Wright and his partner Lloyd Taylor was selected winner. This Greek Revival design featured ornate columns of the Corinthian order, impressive towers and a grand dome. However, lack of funds resulted in the towers and dome being removed from the design that was implemented. Occasionally, plans to construct the towers and dome are revived, but none have ever been implemented.

Parliament House was built with Kapunda marble and West Island granite. Construction began on the West Wing in 1874 and was completed in 1889 at a cost of £165,404. The West Wing contained the new chamber for the South Australian House of Assembly and associated offices. The South Australian Legislative Council continued in the Old Parliament House next door. Economic depression in the 1890s prevented the completion of Parliament House, and it was not until 1913 that plans were sketched for the East Wing. The outbreak of the......
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