The first residence
of the Governor of New South Wales was a canvas and timber structure
brought out on the First Fleet by Governor Phillip in 1788. A more permanent
building was constructed on what is now the corner of Bridge and Phillip
Streets in Sydney the same year—; the site now occupied by the
Museum of Sydney.
The new building was extended and patched up over the years by successive
governors but was always in poor condition. The house had extensive
grounds to its east (the Governor's Domain), much of which remain today
as the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Domain and the grounds of the present
Government House.
A second Government House was erected in what was then an important
agricultural centre and is now the suburb of Parramatta, 25 kilometres
inland. This house, in far better condition and in a park-like setting,
was much preferred by successive Governors as the Sydney building continued
to deteriorate. This building survives today in Parramatta Park as a
National Trust property.
Governor Macquarie (1810-1821) set out to have a new residence designed
but the project was not approved by the British Government and only
the stables, designed by convict architect Francis Greenway, were erected.
This castle-like structure now forms the nucleus of the Sydney Conservatorium
of Music.
Finally however, in 1835, the British Home Office did agree that a new
Government House was essential, and the Royal Architect, Edward Blore,
was commissioned to prepare plans. Work began in 1837 under the supervision
of Colonial Architect, Mortimer Lewis and Colonel Barney of the Royal
Engineers. Stone was brought from Sydney quarries, cedar timber from
the Shoalhaven and Hunter River districts and marble from inland New
South Wales. Construction was slow. A Queens Birthday Ball was held
there in 1843 but the house was not occupied until June 1845 by then
Governor, Sir George Gipps.
Old Government House was abandoned and demolished and part of its land
passed to the city of Sydney. The building's foundations were rediscovered
in roadworks in 1899 and again in the 1990s, when the site was redeveloped.
These became the basis of the Museum of Sydney.
The present Government
House, with its setting on Sydney Harbour, has a garden area of 5 hectares
but adjoins the extensive Botanic Gardens beyond its fence and overlooks
the Sydney Opera House to its north. It was designed in a romantic Gothic
revival style—; castellated, crenellated, turreted and bedecked
with the coats of arms of its occupants over time. 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. It has 12 rooms, mostly
for official purposes, on the ground floor and 13 bedrooms on the second
floor, plus many spaces designed for offices and services.
From 1845 until
1996 it served as the Governor's residence, office and official reception
space. However, since 1996 the Governor has not used it as a residence
and the Governor's Office has been relocated (see below). The House
is now managed by the Historic Houses Trust and is open to the public
although it remains the Governor's official reception space and is frequently
used for Vice-Regal purposes. It is the base for a cultural program
organised by the Ministry for the Arts and, with the approval of the
Governor, is available for charitable and State Government functions.
Since 1996 the Governor
of New South Wales has occupied a suite of offices in the historic Chief
Secretary's Office in Macquarie Street opposite the gates into Government
House. The building, built in stages between 1873 and the 1890s, is
one of the city's most important landmarks. Designed in an Italian style
with a French Renaissance attic by Colonial Architects James Barnet
and, later, Walter Liberty Vernon, it features elaborate stone carving
with statues and coats of arms.
