Why is there more than one clock in the House of Representatives, behind the Speaker's chair?

Thanks for your question, Catherine. This was a tricky one and we had to go to the Serjeant-at-Arms for some help.

Parliament House has close to 2600 clocks. They all tell the time and most of them are also used to signal divisions in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

But the clocks in the Senate and House are different from other clocks in the building. They tell the time and count down the time left to give a speech.

The reason there are 2 clocks behind the Speaker of the House of Representatives’s chair is so that the space is symmetrical. Symmetry is an important part of the design of Parliament House.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Speaker's chair, which is a large wooden chair on a platform.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives

Penny Bradfield/DPS Auspic

The Speaker of the House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House of Representatives in the Speaker's chair, which is a large wooden chair on a platform.

Penny Bradfield/DPS Auspic

Description

The Speaker is a member of the House of Representatives who has been chosen to run the meetings of the House. In the House of Representatives the Speaker sits in a large, green, elevated chair behind a desk. From this position, the Speaker can see and hear all other members and all other members can see the Speaker. 

Permission should be sought from DPS AUSPIC for third-party or commercial uses of this image. To contact DPS AUSPIC email: auspic@aph.gov.au or phone: 02 6277 3342.