The three buildings that make up the majority of New Zealand’s parliamentary offices couldn’t be more different. The most iconic, called the Beehive, holds the offices of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, while the other two host Parliament itself and the official Parliamentary Library. Sitting in a row, it’s a rather odd journey through time here in Wellington, New Zealand’s capital.

Tours are free, but must be booked in advance, and take visitors through all three buildings, at least in part. (All are connected via interior passageways.) Of course, offices aren’t seen, and even the legislative chambers can’t be visited when Parliament is in session, although on a Monday morning it’s empty for my visit. And while seeing the buildings is cool, it’s the exploration of the history of New Zealand from a governmental standpoint that is even more exciting to me.

Unlike some countries, New Zealand doesn’t really have a specific date establishing independence. Rather, it was a process over a century or so. The 1835 Declaration of Independence is a starting point, wherein local Maori tribes declared that they were independent to prevent an overly ambitious France from getting any ideas on the islands. The 1840 Treaty of Waitangi (click here to read more about that from the Treaty Grounds in Bay of Islands) established the relationship between the tribes and the United Kingdom.

Parliament was established in New Zealand in 1854, and the 1865 Parliamentary Privileges Act gave it more autonomy. That act also corresponded to a move of Parliament and the capital to Wellington from Auckland, providing a more central location to quell talk of the South Island seeking to become its own colony.

In 1907, New Zealand moved from colony to dominion, again providing for a bit more self governance, and finally in 1947, the Statute of Westminster was passed, which enabled New Zealand’s Parliament to amend its own structure without any interference from London being possible.

So which one is actual independence? It’s hard to say. But today, New Zealand, while a member of the British Commonwealth, is a fully autonomous nation.

As the tour works its way through Parliament House (the central and “main” building for the legislature), we likewise learn about the evolution of the governance system itself. Originally having a bicameral legislature until 1951 when the Legislative Council (upper house) was abolished, New Zealand has been among the most progressive countries when it comes to making changes to its system. Maori men gained voting rights in 1867, and New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant women suffrage in 1893.

1986 saw three year terms established, and 1993 introduced proportional representation, making it basically impossible for a single party to dominate the legislature without the need for coalition partners.

It is a fun tour, and an eye-opening one for an American like me. Here is a country that has made incredible efforts to recognize mistakes made and to learn from those, constantly improving its system. Proportional representation, for instance, was adopted in response to the prior system, where two parties dominated single-member districts. Under that old system, smaller parties were basically denied representation despite at times getting almost 20% of the popular vote. I can’t imagine either major American party campaigning for something similar.

Voting in Parliament is done en bloc, where the party casts its vote on behalf of all members, meaning coalitions really do have to work together to get legislation passed. (The flip side of that is that members only vote on behalf of themselves in “conscience” votes rather than on legislation.) But with three year terms being established in response to voters being unhappy about the government not having to face reelection often, voters can weigh in regularly, shaking up coalitions by voting for a party that they feel better represents their concerns.

The tour explores the press room, a Maori decorated committee room, and some other public areas before ending back in the Beehive. But governmental exploration in Wellington continues.

Across the street are the oldest governmental buildings in the city, a set of yellow wooden buildings from 1879 that are meant to look like stone.

And just up the street is the New Zealand National Library, where some of the country’s most important documents are on display. For lovers of history and government, it is a must-see.

The 1835 Declaration of Independence is here, as is the majority of the Treaty of Waitangi. (Various portions were signed by tribes from different parts of New Zealand, so those are exhibited separately.)

But perhaps the coolest document is a roll (literally sheets of paper connected and rolled up) containing the signatures of 25,000 women petitioning the government for voting rights. The 1893 effort was led by Kate Sheppard, and when the signatures were unrolled in front of Parliament, it apparently made quite an impression. (It is longer than two football fields.)

Kate Sheppard herself is also honored here with a statue that combines her role in history with the more modern effort to combat domestic violence. Names of victims of domestic violence are written inside the silhouette of New Zealand’s most famous champion of gender equality.

So what is the takeaway from exploring Parliament in Wellington? To me, it is evolution. Just as New Zealand’s independence was a process, so too is the country’s governance. Admissions of past mistakes are common, and efforts to grow from those are ever-present. No system is ever perfect, but this one at least tries to consistently do better.

At the end of the day – and at the end of a fun day learning about it – that’s what we all want, isn’t it?

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