Home

Welcome to the website of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery. Sometimes referred to as the Canberra Press Gallery, our role is to report on Australian federal politics in publications and broadcasts both nationally and internationally. Media working in the Press Gallery may write for newspapers, online publications, radio, television and social media. The role of the press at Parliament House is always evolving to incorporate the challenges of new media.

Whether members of the Press Gallery or not, all media working at Parliament House are to abide by the Rules For Media Related Activity In Parliament House And Its Precincts available as a PDF on the Parliament House website.

Since the first day of the first sitting of the first Federal Parliament in 1901, the members of the Federal Parliamentary Press Gallery have watched and recorded the activities of the nation’s elected representatives.

We are still doing the same job today, although Twitter, the Internet and 24-hour TV news have changed the way we do it.

The Press Gallery plays a vital role in the life of the Parliament – the written and spoken word, the photographs and the images are the means by which citizens can be informed about the activities and decisions of their elected representatives and their Government. The importance of the media is recognised by the use of the term the Fourth Estate.

The media is an essential part of democracy and something we should not take for granted. Public understanding and trust comes from the coverage and scrutiny the media provides. Even the politicians themselves rely on this scrutiny. An informed electorate is essential for democracy.

Most Australians may only visit Federal Parliament once. Some will never visit. The way they observe what is going on is through the lens of the media. The Press Gallery is the eyes and ears of the people.