Government House, Canberra
Encyclopedia
Government House, Canberra, commonly known as Yarralumla, is the official residence
of the Governor-General
of Australia
. It is located in the suburb of Yarralumla
, in the City of Canberra
, in the Australian Capital Territory
.
The house is set amid 54 hectares of parkland. The suburb of Yarralumla, which has grown up around Government House, is one of Canberra's most expensive residential areas and also the site of many foreign embassies.
At Government House, the governor-general presides over meetings of the Federal Executive Council
, holds investitures to present honours within the Order of Australia
and associated Australian military, bravery and civil decorations. The governor-general also receives visiting heads of state and other dignitaries and the credentials of ambassadors to Australia, and entertains people from all walks of life. It was in the study at Yarralumla that Sir John Kerr dismissed Gough Whitlam
as Prime Minister of Australia
on 11 November 1975 — the culmination of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.
The Queen of Australia, Queen Elizabeth II
, stays at Government House when visiting Canberra. Foreign heads of state also stay at Government House during official visits.
met in Melbourne
— the capital city of the State of Victoria. Most government offices were located in Melbourne as well and Government House, Melbourne
served as the governor-general's official residence.
When the area that was named as Canberra
in 1913 was chosen to be the site of the future capital city of Australia — and 910 square miles (2,358 square kilometres) of land excised from the State of New South Wales
(NSW) to form the Australian Capital Territory — the Commonwealth Government compulsorily acquired Yarralumla Station, a large pastoral property dating from the 1830s. Yarralumla's existing brick house, which had begun life as a rural homestead/family home, was subsequently renovated, enlarged and transformed into a vice-regal residence.
Due to the First World War
and the adverse post-war economic conditions which prevailed in its immediate wake, the federal government did not move to Canberra from Melbourne until 1927. It was only at this time that the governor-general began to use Yarralumla as his official seat, albeit on a limited basis at first. Between 1927 and 1930 the governor-general continued to live principally at Melbourne's Government House, residing at Yarralumla only during those periods of the year when the Parliament of Australia
was sitting. In 1930, Melbourne's Government House was finally returned to the possession of the State Government of Victoria
for use by the Governor of Victoria.
included provision for an impressive, purpose-built Government House in his plans for the modern city of Canberra. It was to be placed in a dedicated government precinct and provided with scenic views taking in Canberra's landscaped open spaces and central lake; but, as with so much of Burley Griffin's planning for the national capital, financial considerations intervened and the envisaged work never eventuated.
The core part of the current vice-regal structure began life as a double-gabled Victorian-era house, erected in 1891 by grazier Frederick Campbell at what was then the hub of a working sheep station. Previously, the site taken up by Yarralumla house was occupied by an elegant, Georgian-style homestead with shady verandahs on two sides, a shingle-clad roof and rows of French windows replete with shutters. That single-storey homestead had been lived in continuously by the interrelated Murray and Gibbes families from 1837 through to the end of 1881.
Augustus Onslow Manby "Gussie" Gibbes (1827-1896) had purchased Yarralumla sheep station and its homestead from his brother-in-law, (Sir) Terence Aubrey Murray, on 1 July 1859 for approximately ₤20,000. (The purchase price was to be paid in 12 instalments; see NSW Land Titles' Office, old system deeds, book 81, number 300.) "Gussie" Gibbes made improvements to Yarralumla and as well as running extensive flocks of sheep on the estate, he bred horses for the Indian market and collected rents from tenant farmers. He also planted decorative shrubs and trees among the native eucalypts that dotted the homestead's curtilage. These centred on an imposing deodar cedar which still stands to the house's south at the time of writing.
Gussie Gibbes' state of health declined as the 1880s dawned. He decided to sell his rural holdings and travel overseas for an extended period with his niece (and housekeeper) Leila Murray. So, on 8 November 1881, Frederick Campbell — who had been managing the neighbouring Duntroon
sheep station for his uncle and aunt — was able to purchase Yarralumla from his friend Gibbes for ₤40,000. (Campbell made a ₤10,000 down-payment on the property, discharging the rest of the purchase price by instalments in a process that took him until 1911 to complete: see NSW LTO, old system deeds, book 607, number 942.)
Unlike Gibbes, Campbell was a married man with a growing family that needed to be accommodated. He partially demolished the old Yarralumla homestead in 1890 and, the following year, finished building a three-storey, red-brick house on the site. NSW Government land-title records show that Campbell borrowed money from Gibbes (and from another one of Gibbes' brothers-in-law, Augustus Berney, a Sydney
-based Customs Department officer) to help pay for the building project. In 1899, Campbell razed what was left of the original homestead, replacing it with a substantial brick extension to the main house. An impressive wooden shearing shed was also built by Campbell in the 1890s to service Yarralumla's flocks of sheep. The shearing shed is situated near the banks of the Molonglo River
, below the Scrivener Dam
.
The Commonwealth Government bought Yarralumla from Campbell in 1913. It decided to use Campbell's vacated home as a temporary residence for the Governor-General of Australia. Consequently, another three-storey block was erected behind the existing one and a new entrance portal was constructed on the southern frontage. A stable block was constructed to the west of the structure and cottages built for staff. Since the 1920s the building has been extended and refurbished several more times; but the basic structure of the 1891 house can still be seen clearly when viewed from the south.
Lord Stonehaven
was the first governor-general to live in the house, being in attendance at the opening of the new provisional Parliament House (now Old Parliament House
) in Canberra in 1927. Australian-born Sir Isaac Isaacs
was the first governor-general to live at Government House for an entire term. The house remained small when compared to Government House in Melbourne, and successive governors-general and their wives complained about its inadequacies as a place for official entertaining. Plans for a much grander — and permanent — vice-regal establishment were never implemented as a consequence of the economic hardship caused by the Great Depression
of the late 1920s and 1930s. The grave crisis posed to Australia's security during the Second World War
also halted further work.
In 1927, the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI
and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
) stayed in the house when they visited Canberra to open the Provisional Parliament House
. Prior to their arrival, extensive improvements were made to ensure that the building would provide standard of accommodation appropriate for members of the Royal Family. These improvements were overseen by the then Commonwealth Architect, John Smith Murdoch
. The interiors of the refurbished house, along with much of their furniture, were designed by Ruth Lane Poole, of the Federal Capital Commission
. They are in keeping with the prevailing "stripped-classical style", with more formal interiors provided for the official reception rooms, and a lighter scheme prevailing in the private residential rooms. (Lane Poole was also responsible for the interiors of The Lodge — the official residence of the Prime Minister
.)
A private sitting room was built in 1933 at the request of Lady Isaacs
over the south entrance porch, which looks south across the gardens to the Brindabella Ranges
and the foothills of the Australian Alps
beyond.
In 1939, Government House was again extensively renovated and expanded in the "stripped classical style" typical of Canberra’s early public buildings, to a design by E. H. Henderson, Chief Architect of the Works and Services Branch of the Department of the Interior. Lord Gowrie
lived in the house at this time, and it was not regarded as being large enough to meet the demands made of it. The 1899 Campbell extension was therefore demolished and a new, more substantial replacement erected. The drawing room was made larger, while more bedrooms were installed on the second storey, and a "state entrance" built on the northern side. Further alterations to the existing building were also made, adding a nursery on the third-storey and extending the dining room.
All these changes to Yarralumla had been spurred by the impending appointment of the Duke of Kent
as the next governor-general. He was due to succeed Lord Gowrie in early 1945. However, the Duke died in an aircraft crash in Scotland
in 1942 while on active service in World War II
, and his elder brother, the Duke of Gloucester
, was appointed in his place. The changes were completed in time for the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
In the 1990s, a new chancery building, designed by Roger Pegrum in a "stripped classical style" design, was constructed to house the offices of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General
and associated administrative staff.
Some critics have said that the current Government House lacks distinction and architectural unity, and proposals have been put forward from time to time to construct a new Government House. None of these proposals are currently known to be under active consideration by the authorities.
, in the suburb of Yarralumla
. It is located on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin
on a north-south orientation and is reached by Dunrossil Drive — named after the only Australian governor-general to die in office, Lord Dunrossil
. At the entrance to the grounds are iron gates, decorated with the Royal and Commonwealth coats of arms, and a gatekeeper's cottage. The curving drive leads to the house through ornamental lawns and gardens.
Government House is comprises a central brick block, erected by Frederick Campbell in 1890-1891 on the remnants of an 1830s' homestead. The house was enlarged in 1899 and again during the 1920s. Further additions were made to it in the 1930s and 1940s. All of these structures were rendered with a layer of cement and painted cream. The roof tiles are green.
The "State Entrance" to Government House is located on its eastern façade, and is protected by a porte-cochere, within which there is a set of steps leading up to the main entry doors.
Running along the centre of the house is the wood-panelled "State Entrance Hall", lined with Australian artworks and furniture, including a study by multiple Archibald Prize
-winner Sir William Dargie
for the so-called "Wattle Portrait" of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia and a study for a portrait, again by Dargie, of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
.
Official ceremonies, such as the swearing-in of Cabinet ministers, the presentation of honours and the holding of receptions take place in the drawing room, which is hung with paintings by Australian artists and contains examples of early Australian furniture.
The drawing room leads through to the private entrance, which is composed of a series of rooms leading from the south façade (with views of the Brindabella Ranges
) through to the "State Entrance Hall". Again, these rooms are hung with paintings by Australian artists and contain antique furniture and other items of interest.
Beyond the private entrance are a morning room and a small dining room. This small dining room features a series of paintings by Australian indigenous
artists. These rooms lead back to the "State Entrance Hall".
On the lakefront side of the house is the "State Dining Room". It features a large bay window overlooking Lake Burley Griffin
that leads out on to a terrace. Also on the ground floor, and commanding views of the lake, are the governor-general’s study, where the vice-regal incumbent works and receives visitors, and a sitting room with an attached vestibule which links with a number of offices and service rooms.
The upper floors of Government House contain the governor-general's private residence and guest rooms.
The furnishings and decoration of Government House represent a wide spectrum of Australian artists and craftspeople, ranging from colonial times to the present day and expressing a rich variety of styles. It also houses a large collection of artworks by Australian indigenous artists. Cultural institutions including the National Gallery of Australia
, the National Library of Australia
and The Australiana Fund
, have lent much of the furniture and art objects gracing the house.
Artists with works displayed in Government House include E. Phillips Fox
, Tom Roberts
, Sir Arthur Streeton
, Sir William Dargie
, Margaret Preston
, Rupert Bunny
, Nicholas Chevalier
, W. B. McInnes
, Elioth Gruner
, Sir Lionel Lindsay
, Sir Bertram Mackennal, Sir Hans Heysen
, Lloyd Rees
, Fred Williams
, Arthur Boyd
, Sir Sidney Nolan
, Leonard French
, Justin O'Brien, Ray Crooke
, John Dowie
, Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula, Margaret Olley
, Pro Hart
, Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungarrayi, Charlie Tjararu Tjungarrayi and Paddy Japaljarri Sims.
Note: A comprehensive account of the genesis of Yarralumla appeared in 1988, under the title Gables, Ghosts and Governors-General (edited by C. D. Coulthard-Clark and published by Allen & Unwin, in conjunction with the Canberra & District Historical Society). See also the article "Yarralumla: the Gibbes Years", published in the Canberra Historical Journal (New Series, Number 48), September 2001, pages 11-31, for more detailed information about the 1837-1911 period of Yarralumla's history.
. Many of the trees in the gardens have been planted by visiting dignitaries. The grounds include extensive plantations of trees and sweeping lawns, which provide vistas towards Black Mountain
in the north and the Brindabella Ranges
in the south.
The "Wild Garden" or "English Garden" was laid out by Lady Gowrie
, and includes a memorial to Patrick Hore-Ruthven
, the only surviving son of governor-general Lord
and Lady Gowrie, who was killed in the Second World War. The design of this garden was influenced by the work of Edna Walling
and Paul Sorenson. Other gardens have been laid out by successive governors-general and their spouses. The lakeside lawn and terraces, for instance, were developed at the time Lake Burley Griffin was filled with water in the early 1960s, during the vice-regal tenure of Lord De L'Isle
. Further developments to the terraces were undertaken during the term of Sir Ninian Stephen
in the 1980s.
A rhododendron
grove was designed and planted in the 1970s by Otto Ruzicka, and is called the "Hasluck Garden" after governor-general Sir Paul
and his vice-regal consort, Dame Alexandra Hasluck
. In addition, large numbers of bulbs were planted along the eastern side of the "Vista Lawn" to the south of the house in the 1990s at the suggestion of Dallas Hayden, wife of governor general Bill Hayden
. Furthermore, a "Garden of Bravery" has been established close to Government House. It displays different Australian decorations, military medals and honours (including the Victorian Cross) in a floral setting.
About 100 metres south of the house, a slight depression can be detected in Yarralumla's "Vista Lawn". It marks the location of a filled-in brick and cement vault which once contained the bodies of two of the property's colonial-era inhabitants, Elizabeth Gibbes (c.1790-1874) and her husband, Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes
(1787-1873). Originally, the subterranean vault was surrounded by a stand of yews and hawthorns. In 1880, the coffins containing the remains of the Colonel and Mrs Gibbes were removed from the vault and reinterred at St John the Baptist Church, Reid
, by their son "Gussie" Gibbes (see above). In the same Canberra churchyard, just a few paces from the Gibbes' burial plot, lies the grave of Lord Dunrossil (1893-1961), Australia's 14th governor-general, who died during his Yarralumla tenure. See the monograph Rural Graves in the Australian Capital Territory: A [sic] Historical Context and Interpretation, by Anne Claoué-Long (National Trust of Australia
, Canberra, 2006) which is available online.
Official residence
An official residence is the residence at which heads of state, heads of government, gubernatorial or other senior figures officially reside...
of the Governor-General
Governor-General of Australia
The Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. It is located in the suburb of Yarralumla
Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory
Yarralumla is a large inner south suburb of Canberra, the capital city of Australia. Located approximately south-west of the city, Yarralumla extends along the south-west bank of Lake Burley Griffin...
, in the City of Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
.
The house is set amid 54 hectares of parkland. The suburb of Yarralumla, which has grown up around Government House, is one of Canberra's most expensive residential areas and also the site of many foreign embassies.
At Government House, the governor-general presides over meetings of the Federal Executive Council
Federal Executive Council
The Federal Executive Council is the formal body holding executive authority under the Constitution of Australia. It is equivalent to the other Executive Councils in other Commonwealth Realms such as the Executive Council of New Zealand and is equivalent to the Privy councils in Canada and the...
, holds investitures to present honours within the Order of Australia
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
and associated Australian military, bravery and civil decorations. The governor-general also receives visiting heads of state and other dignitaries and the credentials of ambassadors to Australia, and entertains people from all walks of life. It was in the study at Yarralumla that Sir John Kerr dismissed Gough Whitlam
Gough Whitlam
Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC , known as Gough Whitlam , served as the 21st Prime Minister of Australia. Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party to power at the 1972 election and retained government at the 1974 election, before being dismissed by Governor-General Sir John Kerr at the climax of the...
as Prime Minister of Australia
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
on 11 November 1975 — the culmination of the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis.
The Queen of Australia, Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
, stays at Government House when visiting Canberra. Foreign heads of state also stay at Government House during official visits.
Yarralumla
Between 1901, when the Commonwealth of Australia came into being, and 1927, the Parliament of AustraliaParliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
met in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
— the capital city of the State of Victoria. Most government offices were located in Melbourne as well and Government House, Melbourne
Government House, Melbourne
Government House, Melbourne is the office and official residence of the Governor of Victoria. It is set next to the Royal Botanic Gardens and surrounded by Kings Domain in Melbourne. It was the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia from 1901 to 1930...
served as the governor-general's official residence.
When the area that was named as Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
in 1913 was chosen to be the site of the future capital city of Australia — and 910 square miles (2,358 square kilometres) of land excised from the State of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
(NSW) to form the Australian Capital Territory — the Commonwealth Government compulsorily acquired Yarralumla Station, a large pastoral property dating from the 1830s. Yarralumla's existing brick house, which had begun life as a rural homestead/family home, was subsequently renovated, enlarged and transformed into a vice-regal residence.
Due to the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the adverse post-war economic conditions which prevailed in its immediate wake, the federal government did not move to Canberra from Melbourne until 1927. It was only at this time that the governor-general began to use Yarralumla as his official seat, albeit on a limited basis at first. Between 1927 and 1930 the governor-general continued to live principally at Melbourne's Government House, residing at Yarralumla only during those periods of the year when the Parliament of Australia
Parliament of Australia
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...
was sitting. In 1930, Melbourne's Government House was finally returned to the possession of the State Government of Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
for use by the Governor of Victoria.
History of the Site
American architect Walter Burley GriffinWalter Burley Griffin
Walter Burley Griffin was an American architect and landscape architect, who is best known for his role in designing Canberra, Australia's capital city...
included provision for an impressive, purpose-built Government House in his plans for the modern city of Canberra. It was to be placed in a dedicated government precinct and provided with scenic views taking in Canberra's landscaped open spaces and central lake; but, as with so much of Burley Griffin's planning for the national capital, financial considerations intervened and the envisaged work never eventuated.
The core part of the current vice-regal structure began life as a double-gabled Victorian-era house, erected in 1891 by grazier Frederick Campbell at what was then the hub of a working sheep station. Previously, the site taken up by Yarralumla house was occupied by an elegant, Georgian-style homestead with shady verandahs on two sides, a shingle-clad roof and rows of French windows replete with shutters. That single-storey homestead had been lived in continuously by the interrelated Murray and Gibbes families from 1837 through to the end of 1881.
Augustus Onslow Manby "Gussie" Gibbes (1827-1896) had purchased Yarralumla sheep station and its homestead from his brother-in-law, (Sir) Terence Aubrey Murray, on 1 July 1859 for approximately ₤20,000. (The purchase price was to be paid in 12 instalments; see NSW Land Titles' Office, old system deeds, book 81, number 300.) "Gussie" Gibbes made improvements to Yarralumla and as well as running extensive flocks of sheep on the estate, he bred horses for the Indian market and collected rents from tenant farmers. He also planted decorative shrubs and trees among the native eucalypts that dotted the homestead's curtilage. These centred on an imposing deodar cedar which still stands to the house's south at the time of writing.
Gussie Gibbes' state of health declined as the 1880s dawned. He decided to sell his rural holdings and travel overseas for an extended period with his niece (and housekeeper) Leila Murray. So, on 8 November 1881, Frederick Campbell — who had been managing the neighbouring Duntroon
Duntroon
Duntroon may refer to:* Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra, Australia* Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory, Robert Campbell's property in the suburb of Campbell, Canberra* Duntroon, Ontario, Canada* Duntroon, New Zealand* Duntroon, Scotland...
sheep station for his uncle and aunt — was able to purchase Yarralumla from his friend Gibbes for ₤40,000. (Campbell made a ₤10,000 down-payment on the property, discharging the rest of the purchase price by instalments in a process that took him until 1911 to complete: see NSW LTO, old system deeds, book 607, number 942.)
Unlike Gibbes, Campbell was a married man with a growing family that needed to be accommodated. He partially demolished the old Yarralumla homestead in 1890 and, the following year, finished building a three-storey, red-brick house on the site. NSW Government land-title records show that Campbell borrowed money from Gibbes (and from another one of Gibbes' brothers-in-law, Augustus Berney, a Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
-based Customs Department officer) to help pay for the building project. In 1899, Campbell razed what was left of the original homestead, replacing it with a substantial brick extension to the main house. An impressive wooden shearing shed was also built by Campbell in the 1890s to service Yarralumla's flocks of sheep. The shearing shed is situated near the banks of the Molonglo River
Molonglo River
The Molonglo River rises on the western side of the Great Dividing Range of eastern Australia in the state of New South Wales. Its source is on the other side of the mountain range from where the Shoalhaven River rises, in Tallaganda state forest at ~1200 metres altitude...
, below the Scrivener Dam
Scrivener Dam
Scrivener Dam is a concrete gravity dam in Canberra, Australia. It was completed in 1963 across the Molonglo River to create Lake Burley Griffin in the middle of Canberra. It was named in honour of the surveyor Charles Scrivener. The dam is located at . It was engineered to withstand a...
.
The Commonwealth Government bought Yarralumla from Campbell in 1913. It decided to use Campbell's vacated home as a temporary residence for the Governor-General of Australia. Consequently, another three-storey block was erected behind the existing one and a new entrance portal was constructed on the southern frontage. A stable block was constructed to the west of the structure and cottages built for staff. Since the 1920s the building has been extended and refurbished several more times; but the basic structure of the 1891 house can still be seen clearly when viewed from the south.
Lord Stonehaven
John Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven
John Lawrence Baird, 1st Viscount Stonehaven, GCMG, DSO, PC, JP, DL , known as Sir John Baird, Bt, between 1920 and 1925 and as The Lord Stonehaven between 1925 and 1928, was a British Conservative politician, who served as a Member of Parliament, government minister, and was later the eighth...
was the first governor-general to live in the house, being in attendance at the opening of the new provisional Parliament House (now Old Parliament House
Old Parliament House, Canberra
Old Parliament House, known formerly as the Provisional Parliament House, was the house of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament after its relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra,...
) in Canberra in 1927. Australian-born Sir Isaac Isaacs
Isaac Isaacs
Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs GCB GCMG KC was an Australian judge and politician, was the third Chief Justice of Australia, ninth Governor-General of Australia and the first born in Australia to occupy that post. He is the only person ever to have held both positions of Chief Justice of Australia and...
was the first governor-general to live at Government House for an entire term. The house remained small when compared to Government House in Melbourne, and successive governors-general and their wives complained about its inadequacies as a place for official entertaining. Plans for a much grander — and permanent — vice-regal establishment were never implemented as a consequence of the economic hardship caused by the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the late 1920s and 1930s. The grave crisis posed to Australia's security during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
also halted further work.
In 1927, the Duke and Duchess of York (later King George VI
George VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
) stayed in the house when they visited Canberra to open the Provisional Parliament House
Old Parliament House, Canberra
Old Parliament House, known formerly as the Provisional Parliament House, was the house of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988. The building began operation on 9 May 1927 as a temporary base for the Commonwealth Parliament after its relocation from Melbourne to the new capital, Canberra,...
. Prior to their arrival, extensive improvements were made to ensure that the building would provide standard of accommodation appropriate for members of the Royal Family. These improvements were overseen by the then Commonwealth Architect, John Smith Murdoch
John Smith Murdoch
John Smith Murdoch was the chief architect for the Commonwealth of Australia from 1919, responsible for designing many government buildings, most notably the Provisional Parliament House in Canberra, the home of the Parliament of Australia from 1927 to 1988.-Personal Life:John Smith Murdoch was...
. The interiors of the refurbished house, along with much of their furniture, were designed by Ruth Lane Poole, of the Federal Capital Commission
Federal Capital Commission
The Federal Capital Commission was an agency of the Australian government formed to construct and administer Canberra from 1 January 1925. The Chief Commissioner of the body was Sir John Butters....
. They are in keeping with the prevailing "stripped-classical style", with more formal interiors provided for the official reception rooms, and a lighter scheme prevailing in the private residential rooms. (Lane Poole was also responsible for the interiors of The Lodge — the official residence of the Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
.)
A private sitting room was built in 1933 at the request of Lady Isaacs
Isaac Isaacs
Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs GCB GCMG KC was an Australian judge and politician, was the third Chief Justice of Australia, ninth Governor-General of Australia and the first born in Australia to occupy that post. He is the only person ever to have held both positions of Chief Justice of Australia and...
over the south entrance porch, which looks south across the gardens to the Brindabella Ranges
Brindabella Ranges
The Brindabella Range is a mountain range located on the border between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The ranges rise to the west of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, and include the Namadgi National Park in the A.C.T. and Bimberi Nature Reserve and...
and the foothills of the Australian Alps
Australian Alps
The Australian Alps are the highest mountain ranges of mainland Australia. They are located in southeastern Australia and straddle the Australian Capital Territory, south-eastern New South Wales and eastern Victoria...
beyond.
In 1939, Government House was again extensively renovated and expanded in the "stripped classical style" typical of Canberra’s early public buildings, to a design by E. H. Henderson, Chief Architect of the Works and Services Branch of the Department of the Interior. Lord Gowrie
Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC was a British soldier and colonial governor and the tenth Governor-General of Australia. Serving for 9 years and 7 days, he is the longest serving Governor-General in Australia's history...
lived in the house at this time, and it was not regarded as being large enough to meet the demands made of it. The 1899 Campbell extension was therefore demolished and a new, more substantial replacement erected. The drawing room was made larger, while more bedrooms were installed on the second storey, and a "state entrance" built on the northern side. Further alterations to the existing building were also made, adding a nursery on the third-storey and extending the dining room.
All these changes to Yarralumla had been spurred by the impending appointment of the Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent
Prince George, Duke of Kent was a member of the British Royal Family, the fourth son of George V and Mary of Teck, and younger brother of Edward VIII and George VI...
as the next governor-general. He was due to succeed Lord Gowrie in early 1945. However, the Duke died in an aircraft crash in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
in 1942 while on active service in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and his elder brother, the Duke of Gloucester
Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester
The Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was a soldier and member of the British Royal Family, the third son of George V of the United Kingdom and Queen Mary....
, was appointed in his place. The changes were completed in time for the arrival of the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
In the 1990s, a new chancery building, designed by Roger Pegrum in a "stripped classical style" design, was constructed to house the offices of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General
Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia
The Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia and his staff provide governors-general with the necessary support to enable them to carry out their constitutional, statutory, ceremonial and public duties. The position of Official Secretary was established in 1901, although only...
and associated administrative staff.
Some critics have said that the current Government House lacks distinction and architectural unity, and proposals have been put forward from time to time to construct a new Government House. None of these proposals are currently known to be under active consideration by the authorities.
The House
Government House is situated in the south-western part of CanberraCanberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, in the suburb of Yarralumla
Yarralumla
Yarralumla may refer to:* Government House, Canberra, the residence of the Governor-General of Australia known as Yarralumla* Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory, a suburb of Canberra* Yarralumla Primary School...
. It is located on the shores of Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River—which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle—was dammed...
on a north-south orientation and is reached by Dunrossil Drive — named after the only Australian governor-general to die in office, Lord Dunrossil
William Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil
William Shepherd Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil, GCMG, MC, KStJ, PC, QC , the 14th Governor-General of Australia, was born in Scotland and educated at George Watson's College and the University of Edinburgh. He joined the British Army in the First World War and served with an artillery regiment...
. At the entrance to the grounds are iron gates, decorated with the Royal and Commonwealth coats of arms, and a gatekeeper's cottage. The curving drive leads to the house through ornamental lawns and gardens.
Government House is comprises a central brick block, erected by Frederick Campbell in 1890-1891 on the remnants of an 1830s' homestead. The house was enlarged in 1899 and again during the 1920s. Further additions were made to it in the 1930s and 1940s. All of these structures were rendered with a layer of cement and painted cream. The roof tiles are green.
The "State Entrance" to Government House is located on its eastern façade, and is protected by a porte-cochere, within which there is a set of steps leading up to the main entry doors.
Running along the centre of the house is the wood-panelled "State Entrance Hall", lined with Australian artworks and furniture, including a study by multiple Archibald Prize
Archibald Prize
The Archibald Prize is regarded as the most important portraiture prize in Australia. It was first awarded in 1921 after a bequest from J. F. Archibald, the editor of The Bulletin who died in 1919...
-winner Sir William Dargie
William Dargie
Sir William Alexander Dargie CBE was an Australian painter, known especially for his portrait paintings. He holds the record for the most Archibald Prize wins; eight. He was an official Australian War Artist during World War II.- Biography :William Dargie was born in Footscray, Victoria, the first...
for the so-called "Wattle Portrait" of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia and a study for a portrait, again by Dargie, of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
.
Official ceremonies, such as the swearing-in of Cabinet ministers, the presentation of honours and the holding of receptions take place in the drawing room, which is hung with paintings by Australian artists and contains examples of early Australian furniture.
The drawing room leads through to the private entrance, which is composed of a series of rooms leading from the south façade (with views of the Brindabella Ranges
Brindabella Ranges
The Brindabella Range is a mountain range located on the border between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The ranges rise to the west of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, and include the Namadgi National Park in the A.C.T. and Bimberi Nature Reserve and...
) through to the "State Entrance Hall". Again, these rooms are hung with paintings by Australian artists and contain antique furniture and other items of interest.
Beyond the private entrance are a morning room and a small dining room. This small dining room features a series of paintings by Australian indigenous
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
artists. These rooms lead back to the "State Entrance Hall".
On the lakefront side of the house is the "State Dining Room". It features a large bay window overlooking Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin
Lake Burley Griffin is an artificial lake in the centre of Canberra, the capital of Australia. It was completed in 1963 after the Molonglo River—which ran between the city centre and Parliamentary Triangle—was dammed...
that leads out on to a terrace. Also on the ground floor, and commanding views of the lake, are the governor-general’s study, where the vice-regal incumbent works and receives visitors, and a sitting room with an attached vestibule which links with a number of offices and service rooms.
The upper floors of Government House contain the governor-general's private residence and guest rooms.
The furnishings and decoration of Government House represent a wide spectrum of Australian artists and craftspeople, ranging from colonial times to the present day and expressing a rich variety of styles. It also houses a large collection of artworks by Australian indigenous artists. Cultural institutions including the National Gallery of Australia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is the national art gallery of Australia, holding more than 120,000 works of art. It was established in 1967 by the Australian government as a national public art gallery.- Establishment :...
, the National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia
The National Library of Australia is the largest reference library of Australia, responsible under the terms of the National Library Act for "maintaining and developing a national collection of library material, including a comprehensive collection of library material relating to Australia and the...
and The Australiana Fund
The Australiana Fund
The Australiana Fund is an independent fundraising organisation responsible for the purchase and maintenance of artworks in the four Official Residences of the Governor-General of Australia and the Prime Minister of Australia.- History :...
, have lent much of the furniture and art objects gracing the house.
Artists with works displayed in Government House include E. Phillips Fox
E. Phillips Fox
- Education :Fox was born on 12 March 1865 to Alexander Fox and Rosetta Phillips at 12 Victoria Parade in Fitzroy, Melbourne, into a legal family whose firm, DLA Phillips Fox, still exists. He studied art at the National Gallery School in Melbourne from 1878 until 1886 under G. F...
, Tom Roberts
Tom Roberts
Thomas William Roberts , usually known simply as Tom, was a prominent Australian artist and a key member of the Heidelberg School.-Life:...
, Sir Arthur Streeton
Arthur Streeton
Sir Arthur Ernest Streeton was an Australian landscape painter.-Early life:Streeton was born in Mount Duneed, near Geelong, and his family moved to Richmond in 1874. In 1882, Streeton commenced art studies with G. F. Folingsby at the National Gallery School.Streeton was influenced by French...
, Sir William Dargie
William Dargie
Sir William Alexander Dargie CBE was an Australian painter, known especially for his portrait paintings. He holds the record for the most Archibald Prize wins; eight. He was an official Australian War Artist during World War II.- Biography :William Dargie was born in Footscray, Victoria, the first...
, Margaret Preston
Margaret Preston
Margaret Preston was a well-known Australian artist. She was highly influential during the 1920s to 1940s for her modernist works as a painter and printmaker and for introducing Aboriginal motifs into contemporary art.-Early life:...
, Rupert Bunny
Rupert Bunny
Rupert Charles Wulsten Bunny was an Australian painter, born in St Kilda, Victoria. He achieved success and critical acclaim as an expatriate in fin-de-siècle Paris....
, Nicholas Chevalier
Nicholas Chevalier
Nicholas Chevalier was an Australian artist.-Early life:Chevalier was born in St Petersburg, Russia, the son of Louis Chevalier, who came from Vaud, Switzerland, and was overseer to the estates of the Prince de Wittgenstein in Russia. Nicholas' mother was Russian...
, W. B. McInnes
William Beckwith McInnes
William Beckwith McInnes was an Australian portrait painter, winner of the Archibald Prize seven times for his traditional style paintings.-Early life:...
, Elioth Gruner
Elioth Gruner
Elioth Lauritz Leganyer Gruner, early anglicised from Grüner , was an Australian painter, winner of the Wynne Prize seven times.-Early life:...
, Sir Lionel Lindsay
Lionel Lindsay
Sir Lionel Arthur Lindsay was an Australian artist and brother of artist and illustrator Norman Lindsay.-Early life:...
, Sir Bertram Mackennal, Sir Hans Heysen
Hans Heysen
Sir Hans Heysen, OBE was a well-known German Australian artist. He was particularly recognized for his watercolours of the Australian bush. He won the Wynne Prize for landscape painting a record nine times.-Biography:...
, Lloyd Rees
Lloyd Rees
Lloyd Frederic Rees AC CMG was an Australian landscape painter who twice won the Wynne Prize for his landscape paintings....
, Fred Williams
Fred Williams
Frederick Ronald Williams OBE was an Australian painter and printmaker. He was one of Australia’s most important artists, and one of the twentieth century’s major painters of the landscape...
, Arthur Boyd
Arthur Boyd
Arthur Merric Bloomfield Boyd, AC, OBE was one of the leading Australian painters of the late 20th Century. A member of the prominent Boyd artistic dynasty in Australia, his relatives included painters, sculptors, architects or other arts professionals. His sister Mary Boyd married John Perceval,...
, Sir Sidney Nolan
Sidney Nolan
Sir Sidney Robert Nolan OM, AC was one of Australia's best-known painters and printmakers.-Early life:Nolan was born in Carlton, a suburb of Melbourne, on 22 April 1917. He was the eldest of four children. His family later moved to St Kilda. Nolan attended the Brighton Road State School and...
, Leonard French
Leonard French
Leonard William French OBE is an Australian artist, known principally for major stained glass works.French was born in Brunswick, Victoria...
, Justin O'Brien, Ray Crooke
Ray Crooke
Ray Crooke , is an Australian artist born in Melbourne. He won the Archibald Prize in 1969 with a portrait of George Johnston.His painting The Offering is in the Vatican Museum collection. Many of his works are in Australian galleries. He is known for serene views of Islander people and ocean...
, John Dowie
John Dowie (artist)
John Stuart Dowie AM was an Australian painter, sculptor and teacher. He was born in the suburb of Prospect in Adelaide, South Australia, and studied architecture at the University of Adelaide, as well as painting with Ivor Hele and Marie Tuck...
, Johnny Warangkula Tjupurrula, Margaret Olley
Margaret Olley
Margaret Hannah Olley AC was an Australian painter. She was the subject of more than 90 solo exhibitions.Margaret Olley was born in Lismore, New South Wales. She attended Somerville House in Brisbane during her high school years...
, Pro Hart
Pro Hart
Kevin Charles "Pro" Hart, MBE , born in Broken Hill, New South Wales, was considered the father of the Australian Outback painting movement and his works are widely admired for capturing the true spirit of the outback...
, Yala Yala Gibbs Tjungarrayi, Charlie Tjararu Tjungarrayi and Paddy Japaljarri Sims.
Note: A comprehensive account of the genesis of Yarralumla appeared in 1988, under the title Gables, Ghosts and Governors-General (edited by C. D. Coulthard-Clark and published by Allen & Unwin, in conjunction with the Canberra & District Historical Society). See also the article "Yarralumla: the Gibbes Years", published in the Canberra Historical Journal (New Series, Number 48), September 2001, pages 11-31, for more detailed information about the 1837-1911 period of Yarralumla's history.
The Gardens
Extensive landscaped grounds surround the house. They were first devised and put in place by the horticulturalist Charles WestonThomas Weston (horticulturalist)
Thomas Charles George Weston MBE was an Australian horticulturist and was responsible for the afforestation of Canberra....
. Many of the trees in the gardens have been planted by visiting dignitaries. The grounds include extensive plantations of trees and sweeping lawns, which provide vistas towards Black Mountain
Black Mountain (Australian Capital Territory)
Black Mountain is situated close to the central business district of Australia's capital city Canberra. Like all major hills in Canberra it is protected from development by the Canberra Nature Park. It is covered in native bushland and is a haven to native wildlife.With its peak at 811.987m AHD,...
in the north and the Brindabella Ranges
Brindabella Ranges
The Brindabella Range is a mountain range located on the border between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, Australia. The ranges rise to the west of Canberra, the capital city of Australia, and include the Namadgi National Park in the A.C.T. and Bimberi Nature Reserve and...
in the south.
The "Wild Garden" or "English Garden" was laid out by Lady Gowrie
Zara, Countess of Gowrie
Zara Eileen Hore-Ruthven, Countess of Gowrie was the Irish-born wife of the 1st Earl of Gowrie, Governor of South Australia 1928-34, Governor of New South Wales 1935-36 and the longest-serving Governor-General of Australia 1936-44...
, and includes a memorial to Patrick Hore-Ruthven
Patrick Hore-Ruthven
Major The Honourable Alexander Hardinge Patrick Hore-Ruthven was a British soldier and poet.Hore-Ruthven was born in Quetta in India. He was the only surviving child of Alexander Hore-Ruthven and his wife, Zara Eileen née Pollok.He studied at Cambridge University from 1931...
, the only surviving son of governor-general Lord
Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC was a British soldier and colonial governor and the tenth Governor-General of Australia. Serving for 9 years and 7 days, he is the longest serving Governor-General in Australia's history...
and Lady Gowrie, who was killed in the Second World War. The design of this garden was influenced by the work of Edna Walling
Edna Walling
Edna Walling was one of Australia's most influential landscape designers.Walling grew up in the village of Bickleigh in Devon, England...
and Paul Sorenson. Other gardens have been laid out by successive governors-general and their spouses. The lakeside lawn and terraces, for instance, were developed at the time Lake Burley Griffin was filled with water in the early 1960s, during the vice-regal tenure of Lord De L'Isle
William Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle
William Philip Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle and 6th Baron De L'Isle and Dudley VC KG GCMG GCVO KStJ PC , was the 15th Governor-General of Australia and the final non-Australian to hold the office...
. Further developments to the terraces were undertaken during the term of Sir Ninian Stephen
Ninian Stephen
Sir Ninian Martin Stephen, is a retired politician and judge, who served as the 20th Governor-General of Australia and as a Justice in the High Court of Australia.-Early life:...
in the 1980s.
A rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
grove was designed and planted in the 1970s by Otto Ruzicka, and is called the "Hasluck Garden" after governor-general Sir Paul
Paul Hasluck
Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck KG GCMG GCVO KStJ was an Australian historian, poet, public servant and politician, and the 17th Governor-General of Australia.-Early life:...
and his vice-regal consort, Dame Alexandra Hasluck
Alexandra Hasluck
Dame Alexandra Hasluck, AD, alternatively named Lady Hasluck , was an author and social historian in Western Australia...
. In addition, large numbers of bulbs were planted along the eastern side of the "Vista Lawn" to the south of the house in the 1990s at the suggestion of Dallas Hayden, wife of governor general Bill Hayden
Bill Hayden
William George "Bill" Hayden AC was the 21st Governor-General of Australia. Prior to this, he represented the Australian Labor Party in parliament; he was a minister in the government of Gough Whitlam, and later became Leader of the Opposition, narrowly losing the 1980 federal election to the...
. Furthermore, a "Garden of Bravery" has been established close to Government House. It displays different Australian decorations, military medals and honours (including the Victorian Cross) in a floral setting.
About 100 metres south of the house, a slight depression can be detected in Yarralumla's "Vista Lawn". It marks the location of a filled-in brick and cement vault which once contained the bodies of two of the property's colonial-era inhabitants, Elizabeth Gibbes (c.1790-1874) and her husband, Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes
John George Nathaniel Gibbes
Colonel John George Nathaniel Gibbes was a British army officer who emigrated to Australia in 1834, becoming a Crown-appointed member of the New South Wales Legislative Council and the Collector of Customs for the Colony of New South Wales for a record term of 25 years.In his capacity as head of...
(1787-1873). Originally, the subterranean vault was surrounded by a stand of yews and hawthorns. In 1880, the coffins containing the remains of the Colonel and Mrs Gibbes were removed from the vault and reinterred at St John the Baptist Church, Reid
St John the Baptist Church, Reid
St John the Baptist Church is the oldest church in Canberra, Australia, and also the oldest building within Canberra's city precinct. It is sited at the corner of ANZAC Parade and Constitution Avenue in the suburb of Reid.-Construction:...
, by their son "Gussie" Gibbes (see above). In the same Canberra churchyard, just a few paces from the Gibbes' burial plot, lies the grave of Lord Dunrossil (1893-1961), Australia's 14th governor-general, who died during his Yarralumla tenure. See the monograph Rural Graves in the Australian Capital Territory: A [sic] Historical Context and Interpretation, by Anne Claoué-Long (National Trust of Australia
National Trust of Australia
The Australian Council of National Trusts is the peak body for community-based, non-government organisations committed to promoting and conserving Australia's indigenous, natural and historic heritage....
, Canberra, 2006) which is available online.
See also
- Government HouseGovernment HouseGovernment House is the name of many of the residences of Governors-General, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. It serves as the venue for the Governor's official business, as well as the many receptions and functions hosted by...
- Government Houses in the CommonwealthGovernment Houses of the British Empire and CommonwealthGovernment House is the name given to some of the residences of Governors-General, Governors and Lieutenant-Governors in the Commonwealth and the British Empire. It serves as the venue for the Governor's official business, as well as the many receptions and functions hosted by the occupant...
- Governor-General of AustraliaGovernor-General of AustraliaThe Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia is the representative in Australia at federal/national level of the Australian monarch . He or she exercises the supreme executive power of the Commonwealth...