To get to Mt Stromlo Observatory, you head South through Canberra and turn right at the new Parliament House.
Many visitors miss this turn off, not realising, that the building that resembles a crematorium set in a lawn cemetery, is actually our national Parliament, and how this came to be is exciting reading.
It seems for many years, work at Mt Stromlo had been seriously affected by light pollution from late night sittings of Parliament, while the prodigious amount of hot air emanating from the debating chamber degraded seeing to an alarming extent.
Confidential representations by influential amateurs to the more scientifically minded MP's brought astounding result. It was decided to bury the new Parliament House deep in a hill. This not only reduced the area emitting light, but the hot air and associated noxious gases were filtered through soil and specially developed grasses where they would be mostly absorbed.
Monitoring the results, the consensus has been that the results have been worthwhile. Not only has the sky over Canberra been remarkably transformed, but a brilliant example has been set for Governments abroad.
US Government observers are reported to have been recently in Canberra developing a plan to move the White House stone-by-stone into a cavern deep in the Catskill Mountains, as a prelude to shifting congress. Congressmen are believed to be supporting the move on defence grounds alone.
President Clinton is seriously considering re-locating the members of congress to disused WW2 Japanese bunkers on the island of Guam. The location for the senate is still under review.