Houses of Parliament Melbourne….

Set of three lithographs; one elevation and two floor plans of Peter Kerr’s design for the completion of Parliament House.

Front elevation paper size   : 430mm x 535mm
Drawing No.2   paper size   : 580mm x 715mm
Drawing No.3   paper size   : 578mm x 735mm

The elevation shows the row of 10 Doric columns on the west facade. The large Dome over the vestibule was never built. In the view of the elevation is a pasted flap with a design for flag pole rather than the dome. The dark lines on the plans, show the existing buildings i.e. the Legislative Assembly chamber on the left and the Legislative Council chamber on the right hand side with the Library at the rear divided off by a corridor. The plan indicates the treatment of the north and south sides and the completion of the Library facade.

In 1855 the new constitution of Victoria created two houses of Parliament, the Assembly and the Council and a competition was held for a new Parliament House. Knight & Kerr were the winners and in 1856 the two chambers were built by W. C. Cornish, contractor. The Parliamentary Library was built from 1859-1861 at the rear facing Macarthur Street. 

In 1877 Peter Kerr was appointed to the Public Works Department to continue the work and the Queen’s Hall and the vestibule linking both houses which were added from 1877-1879. A dispute over the choice of a suitable stone delayed the completion and the west front was completed in 1892. 

Kerr’s design for the completion was intended to wrap around the existing chambers but it was not used.