William Maughan could have selected no more unmistakable image of Wellington to set the scene for his satirical novel Good and Faithful Servants, first published in 1974: 

'From the lowliest branch of the Fisheries Department to the holy of holies - Parliament itself - no building is quite complete. They stand in the wind like a cluster of giant cripples, some half formed, some half destroyed, the biggest and most lordly cripple of all - Parliament - presiding over them with its mutilated dignity.'

The picture of perpetual architectural transition has been valid throughout the history of New Zealand's Parliament Buildings, seemingly always poised between one temporary measure and the next, with solutions devised, partly implemented, and then overtaken by successive schemes. The buildings at parliament, a landmark in the nation's capital, have played an important role in this country's history.

Based on: Alan Henderson, 'Contested Ground: the parliamentary precinct since 1840', People's History, 30, May 1999