Parkes A

Walk Features: This loop walk takes you from the front of Parliament House down Federation Mall, into the Senate Gardens at Old Parliament House, past the National Library, along the north shore of Lake Burley Griffin, past the National Gallery and up through the Old Parliament House rose gardens.

Duration of the walk: About 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Region: South Canberra.

Information about the Suburb: Parkes was gazetted in 1928 and named after Sir Henry Parkes, a Federalist, legislator and one of the founders of the Australian Constitution. Parkes contains many of Canberra’s large institutions and contains no residential area. Its streets are named after monarchs and constitutional references.

Walk Directions

Click here for a pdf version of the walk directions.

To get to the start of the walk proceed to Parliament House and meet at the top of Federation Mall on the L as you look down the Mall.

Note that streets in brackets means there is no street sign at this point of the walk.

  1. Before starting the walk you may wish to look at Canberra’s Foundation Stone at the top of Federation Mall.
  2. Proceed down a concrete path alongside Federation Mall on your R. Going over bridge note the geological formation down below on your R.
  3. Go L onto (Queen Victoria Tce).
  4. Proceed down Parliament Sq with Old Parliament House on your R.
  5. Go L into the Senate Gardens.
  6. Pass tennis courts on your L and go R down a concrete path at a plaque.
  7. Proceed out of the gardens and cross over King George Tce.
  8. Proceed through the rose gardens.
  9. Veer L towards the National Library and the corner of King Edward Tce and Parkes Pl West.
  10. Proceed down Parkes Pl West towards the lake.
  11. At the lake go L on a concrete path and follow it all along to the Commonwealth Av Bridge.
  12. Go up steps or take a path up to the bridge.
  13. Cross the lake.
  14. Proceed down steps or a concrete path to pick up a concrete path running around the lake on your R.
  15. Proceed all the way to Kings Av Bridge taking a concrete path off to your L and up onto the bridge.
  16. Cross the lake and veer R down a concrete path.
  17. Go through an underpass towards the lake.
  18. At the lake go L on a concrete path.
  19. Pass a large iron sculpture in front of the National Gallery.
  20. Go L on a concrete path as it runs between concrete walls and past the National Gallery on your L.
  21. Go R onto King Edward Tce.
  22. Opposite the Portrait Gallery on your R, cross over King Edward Tce and proceed into parkland.
  23. Continue straight ahead towards the rose gardens.
  24. Go through the rose gardens and cross over King George Tce and through white pillars into the Old Parliament House Gardens.
  25. Go L on a concrete path then R on a concrete path towards a building.
  26. Pass tennis courts on your R and proceed out of the gardens.
  27. Cross over Queen Victoria Tce and go R on a concrete path.
  28. Follow a concrete path around to your L then up alongside Federation Mall on your R.
  29. Go R at the top of Federation Mall and back to the start.