Originally known as the ‘Members Dining Room’ Strangers’ Restaurant was used exclusively by male Members until 1966, when Mrs Ellen ‘Vi’ Jordan, only the second woman elected to the Queensland Parliament, successfully asserted her right to dine here.
In the 1970s, the dining room was opened for Members and their guests and renamed ‘Strangers’ Dining Room,’ the term ‘stranger’ referring to any person visiting the parliamentary precinct who is not a Member of Parliament.
The heritage room retains much of its original charm, with early Australian cedar yoke back chairs, inlaid parquet floors and interior decorations reflecting the late Victorian era of its construction, circa the 1890s.
In 2006, Queensland Parliament House opened Stranger’s Dining Room to the public for the first time, for our highly popular high tea events, and in 2019, for lunch and dinner with it more commonly being known as Strangers’ Restaurant.
Strangers’ welcomes the public to dine between 12:00pm and 2.00pm Wednesday*, Thursday* and Fridays, and 6:00pm-9:00pm for dinner on Fridays only.
*Excluding Parliamentary sitting days, you can check out the Sitting calendar here (link to Queensland Parliament website).
