Government House, located on the Queens Domain, is the official residence and workplace of the Governor of Tasmania.
Built in the Gothic Revival style, it is regarded as one of the best Vice Regal residences in the Commonwealth.
History
Government House was built as a replacement of an earlier residence that was constructed in Macquarie Street in 1817. It was designed by colonial architect William Porden Kay.
Construction of the House commenced in 1855. Some of the building’s sandstone was quarried on-site, and local timbers were used for the joinery. Welsh slate was used for the roofs, and furnishings were ordered from Trollope and Sons in London.
The majority of the construction was completed in 1857. Internal finishing was completed over the next two years.
Sir Henry Fox Young became the first Governor to take up residence in the House. He moved in on 2 January 1858.
Government House in c.1880
Today
Government House remains much as it was in 1860. It is home to incumbent Governor, Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC.
Government House today
Interior
Government House has 73 rooms, the finest of which include a ball room, a drawing room, an ante-drawing room, and a dining room.
The scale, detail, and finish of the state rooms, as well as the entrance hall and grand corridor, are unequalled in Australia.
Most of the furniture that was brought to the house from England during the 1800s is still in use today.
Exterior
Government House has exceptional stone work. It has window mullions, gargoyles, and chimney pots. Special features include a clock in the tower, the Royal Coat of Arms on the southern façade, and the bas-relief on the western tower entrance that is sometimes referred to as the Great Seal of Van Diemen’s Land.
Grounds
Government House sits on 4.5 hectares of established gardens, paddocks, cottages, stables, and other buildings.
The gardens are considered one of Australia’s finest private gardens from the Victorian era. They have been kept much as they were during the 1850s and 1860s. They include fowl yards, an orchard, and kitchen gardens. Produce from the gardens is used in the Government House kitchen.
Some of the trees on the grounds were planted in the 1840s, which means they pre-date Government House. Others have been planted by visiting royalty, heads of state, and other distinguished visitors. New trees are currently being planted in anticipation of the older ones dying.
Functions
Receptions, dinners, and other events are often held at Government House. It also has an annual open day.
For a list of upcoming Government House events, click here. Please note that current COVID-19 restrictions will apply at each event.
Bibliography
- On the Convict Trail – Government House, Hobart.
- The Official Website of Government House Tasmania.
- History of the clock in the tower of Government House.
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Tas That Was is a column that includes:
- anecdotes of life in Tasmania in the past;
- historical photographs of locations in Tasmania; and/or
- documentaries about locations in Tasmania.
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