School tours at Parliament House

One of our Tour and Outreach Managers, Bronwyn, provides some insights into visiting Parliament House on a sitting day and some of the different things that can happen ...

As someone who regularly takes tours both on sitting days and non-sitting days, here is what I enjoy about sitting day tours, and some things you should know before you book. 

Both chambers of parliament have a set schedule that they follow, but parliament remains fairly unpredictable. I’ve also had students on tours who have had the opportunity to witness fiery procedural debates, hear their presentatives from their electorates talk about their school, and important pieces of legislation that were then discussed on the news after their visit. Even when a bill is being that is not particularly relevant or exciting for students, they are still able to look around the room and form a greater understanding of how the system works.

There can be a downside to the unpredicatability of a sitting day tour though. I’ve previously had groups that have arrived just in time for both houses to take a break. For example, both houses will break in condolence if a former Member of Parliament has passed away.

A big potential benefit of taking a sitting day tour is that the Members of Parliament are usually all on the premises and are more likely to be able to come and speak to a group. Some MP’s are so keen to engage with groups that the tour guides can sit back and let the MP do half part of the tour for them. When this opportunity arises, I like to encourage students to ask questions about the Members. This way the students can learn more about what their MP does each day, why they decided to run for parliament and what it’s like to represent their area. On rare occasions some students are even able to say hello to the Premier as she’s walking around the building. 

There are also some resources to help you prepare for your visit. Check out our other blog post Supporting your visit to Parliament House and download a copy of our Social stories designed to guide visitors through what to expect on their visit.

If you’re interested in coming to visit parliament on a sitting day, check out our sitting calendar before getting in touch with us at tours@parliament.vic.gov.au. The Experiences for schools at Parliament House page has more information about school engagement opportunities.