Government & Law

Left to right - the Beehive, Parliament and the Old Parliamentary Library

The 'icon' of Government here, but in reality it's mainly ministers' offices and committee rooms. 1960s British architecture at its weird best. 

A native of Cornwall, New Zealand's first Prime Minister Richard Seddon is pointing at the Beehive and asking 'what new horror is this?'

Parliament itself is where it's always been - next door to the Beehive, in a rather grand Edwardian building. There's an excellent tour here.

Designed to withstand the fires which destroyed its neighbours and predecessors, the Library is an attractive piece of colonial Victoriana.

The largest wooden office block in the world, there was a time when the entire New Zealand Public Service was housed here. These days it's the university Law Faculty, and it's well worth a visit.

New Zealand's new Supreme Court is stunning, and presumably designed to convey  collaborative constitutional deliberation, unlike the old building...

Where needing replacement or not, the old Supreme Court had none of the sparke le of the new. I'm thinking any of These days it's basically just offices and looks a bit sad - as if it's really just waiting for an earthquake to come along.

These are all just what you'd expect and not really worth featuring here ... unless you have a particular interest.