The Government
House, Sydney which is the official residence
and remains the official reception space of
the Governor of New South Wales, Australia.
Governor Phillip's cottage on the site of
Old Government House, Parramatta (circa 1798).Government
House is located in Sydney just south of the
Sydney Opera House, and overlooks Sydney Harbour.
The first
resident, Governer George Gipps, did not move in until
1845. In 1835 the British government agreed that a
new Government House in Sydney had become a necessity,
and the Royal Architect, Edward Blore, was instructed
to draw up plans. Construction commenced in 1837 and
was supervised by Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis,
and Colonel Barney of the Royal Engineers. Stone,
cedar and marble for the construction were obtained
from various areas of New South Wales. A ball in honour
of the birthday of Queen Victoria was held in the
new building in 1843, although construction was not
complete.
Government House was designed in
a romantic Gothic revival style - castellated, crenellated,
and turreted and is decorated with the coats of arms
of its successive occupants. with its setting on Sydney
Harbour, has a garden area of 5 hectares and is located
south of the Sydney Opera House, overlooking Farm
Cove Additions have included a front portico in 1873,
an eastern verandah in 1879 and extensions to the
ballroom and Governor's study in 1900-01.
Between 1845 - 1996 it served as
the Governor's residence, office and official reception
space. Yet, since 1996 the Governor has not used it
as a residence and the Governor's day office has been
relocated to the historic Chief Secretary's Office
building nearby, at 121 Macquarie Street.| Government
House ,Sydney is open to the public, even if it remains
the Governor's official reception space and is normally
used for Vice regal purposes.
