The Old Parliament House was the provisional Parliament House of the Commonwealth of Australia. It was constructed through the early 1920s and opened by His Royal Highness the Duke of York on 9 May 1927. A number of extensions were added over the years however the building was cramped and inadequate. Initially constructed as a 'temporary' building with a life span of 50 years, the building was vacated in 1988 when the new Parliament House was opened by Queen Elizabeth II.