Augmented Reality

Welcome to Parliament of Victoria's augmented reality experience

The augmented reality experience allows visitors an opportunity to see the evolution of Parliament House, hear about the history of parliament and the work of Members of Parliament, and most importantly, how you can have your say.

 

Get the ARConnect app

The ARConnect app is available free for Apple and Android devices. Selet the relevant link below to visit the App Store or Google Play store to download.

 

Download on the Apple App Store

 

Get it on Google Play

 

Navigating the experience

The experience starts at the bottom of the steps at the far-left facade of Parliament House. You will be prompted to slowly scan/pan your camera across the facade of Parliament House, until the progress bar is completed and the experience has loaded.

 

Temp picture.png

 

You can explore the various digital content on and around the banners that will appear on the steps, just above the carriage way. There are videos, audio, images and 3D assets to explore.

Tips for use

The experience is best viewed with the device in a vertical (portrait) orientation, but a horizontal (landscape) orientation may be easier for some of the videos, depending on how close you are standing.

Each of the videos have voice overs. There are captions, but wearing headphones will provide a more immersive experience and reduce noise interference.

Be mindful of navigating the steps, especially if the surface is wet.

If you close the app, you will need to briefly scan the building to realign the experience.

 

What to expect

The experience is split into five different sections inbetween the physical columns on the facade of Parliament House:

  1. Pre-colonial history of the land on which Parliament House sits
  2. The evolution of Parliament House
  3. A brief social history of parliament and the concept of representation
  4. The work of Members of Parliament
  5. Connecting with parliament and having your say

Click the relevant Download button at the top of the page to begin exploring Parliament House from a new perspective

Pre colonial history

  Title: Melbourne from the Falls 1837
  Artist: Robert Russell
  Date: 1837
  Source: State Library Victoria
     
  Title: View on the banks of the Yarra Yarra river
  Artist: George O’Brien
  Date: ca.1854-ca.1868
  Source: State Library Victoria 
     
  Title: Melbourne founded by Sir Richard Bourke 1837/Melbourne from the Falls, June 30, 1837
  Artist: Robert Russell, 1808-1900 
  Date: 1837
  Source: State Library Victoria
     
  Title: Eucalyptus trees in a landscape
  Artist: Charles Norton, 1826-1872
  Date: ca.1850-1860
  Source: State Library Victoria
     
  Title: View of Grandview Park, Pascoe Vale
  Artist: George O'Brien, 1821-1888
  Date: ca.1839
  Source: State Library Victoria
     
  Title: Ceres Mills, on the Yarra
  Artist: George Alexander Gilbert, 1815-1877
  Date: 1850
  Source: State Library Victoria

 

Evolution of Parliament House

  Title: Crowd gathered in front of Parliament House during Royal Tour of 1954
  Artist: Mark Strizic
  Date: 1954
  Source: State Library of Victoria
     
  Title: Design for the Houses of Parliament 1878
  Artist: Albert Charles Cook
  Date: 10 June 1878
  Source: State Library Victoria 
     
  Title: John George Knight and Peter Kerr
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Legislative Assembly 1886
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Legislative Council 1880
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Parliament of Victoria Library 1901
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Vestibule drawing with dome 1881
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Queen’s Hall
  Artist: G Rudd (photographer)
  Date: ca.1892-ca.1900
  Source: Parliament of Victoria 
     
  Title: The houses of parliament, Spring St., Melbourne
  Artist: John William Lindt
  Date: ca.1880-ca.1982
  Source: State Library Victoria
     
  Title: Original design for Parliament House showing design with dome
  Date: 1880 (approximately)
  Source: State Library Victoria 
     
  Title: Parliament House
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Petter Kerr & John George Knight
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Men of the AIF marching past the Town Hall [Parliament House] in Melbourne, Vic, their rifles, with bayonets fixed, are over their shoulders, prior to embarkation for overseas service, ca. August 1914
  Artist: The Rose Stereographs
  Date: ca. August 1914
  Source: Australian War Memorial
     
  Title: Aerial shot of Melbourne
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Crowd at World War I Armistice Celebration outside Parliament House, Melbourne, 1918
  Date: 1918
  Source: National Library of Australia
     
  Title: The New Hall, Houses of Parliament
  Artist: Albert Charles Cooke, 1836-1902
  Date: 15 April 1878
  Source: State Library Victoria 

 

The work of Members of Parliament

  Title: Photo 2022 installation on front steps
  Artist: Alana Holmberg, Abigail Varney, Rachel Mounsey and James Bugg (photographers)
  Date: May 2022
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: The opening of [the Second Session of the 15th] Parliament [of Victoria] - the Governor [the Earl of Hopetoun] on his way to the House
  Date: 1893
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Sir Henry Winneke was inaugurated as Governor of Victoria on 3 June 1974
  Date: 3 June 1974
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Speech of Her Majesty The Queen: Opening of the Second Session of the 39th Parliament of Victoria by Queen Elizabeth II
  Date: 25 February 1954
  Source: Parliament of Victoria

 

Connecting with parliament

  Title: Crowd gathered in front of Parliament House during Royal Tour of 1954
  Artist: Mark Strizic
  Date: 1954
  Source: State Library of Victoria
     
  Title: Eight Hours Day – the crowd at the corner of Bourke Street
  Artist: David Syme & Co. (Publisher)
  Date: 1 May 1896 
  Source: State Library Victoria
     
  Title: Photos of community members at committee inquiry hearings
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Voting at Wang. i.e. Wangaratta
  Artist: Le Dawn Studios
  Date: 1970
  Source: State Library Victoria
     
  Title: Election sketches (print: wood engraving)
  Artist: Alfred Martin Ebsworth
  Date: 10 March 1886
  Source: State Library Victoria
     
  Title: Her first bowls lesson
  Artist: 5 April 1938
  Date: The Argus, page 5
  Source: National Library Australia

 

A representative parliament

  Title: Opening of the first Legislative Council, 1851
  Artist: William Strutt
  Date: 1851
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Study for the Opening of the First Victorian Parliament, Melbourne 1856
  Artist: William Strutt
  Date: 1856
  Source: State Library of Victoria
     
  Title: Governor approaching Parliament House 1893
  Artist: Unknown
  Date: 1893
  Source: Parliament of Victoria 
     
  Title: Steps with Governor arriving and the guard
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Opening of the Second Session of the 39th Parliament of Victoria by Queen Elizabeth II on 25 February 1954
  Date: 25 February 1954
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Opening of Parliament
  Date: Unknown
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Parliament Opening 1929
  Date: 1929
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Opening of the 45th Parliament of Victoria by the Governor Sir Rohan Delacombe in the Legislative Council Chamber
  Artist: Victoria Department of Crown Lands and Survey
  Date: 1970
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Sir Henry Winneke was inaugurated as Governor of Victoria on 3 June 1974
  Artist: Unknown
  Date: 3 June 1974
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: The Lost Petition commemorating the women and children who have lost their lives to gendered voilence sine 2008
  Artist: Dans Bain (Petition artist)
  Date: 2022
  Source: Parliament of Victoria
     
  Title: Eight-hour day banner, Melbourne, 1856
  Artist: Unknown
     
  Title: Images of the Women's Suffrage Petition in 1891
  Source: Public Records Office