Why do they need such a big flag?
Australian Parliament House flagmast and flag.
DPS Auspic
Australian Parliament House flagmast and flag.
DPS Auspic
Description
This photograph shows the stainless steel flagmast on top of Parliament House with a second Australian flag in the foreground.
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.
Thanks for your question Sam! The Australian flag and flagmast above Australian Parliament House was designed to be a prominent and recognisable symbol of the Australian Parliament. The flag—which measures 12.8 metres by 6.4 metres—marks the exact centre of the building and was intended to be seen from most parts of Canberra. It is flown over Parliament House 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is floodlit at night.
Parliament House is one of the largest buildings in the southern hemisphere. It is 300 metres long and 300 metres wide and has a floor area of more than 250 000 square metres. A big flag was needed to fly over such a big building!