Government House, Hobart
Encyclopedia
Government House, Hobart is the home and official residence of the Governor of Tasmania, Australia
.
The palatial house is located on Lower Domain Road in the Queens Domain
, near the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
, and is the official residence of the governor of Tasmania
. There have been three Government Houses, all in Hobart
.
moved into the first Government House - a new wooden hut in Barrack Square. As local bricks gradually became available the hut was extended, but it was a primitive three-room home that let in the wind and rain.
The second Government House was built in 1817 at the junction of Macquarie Street and what is now Elizabeth Street. It had 14 rooms on two storeys and had servants' quarters, a coach house and stables, but it was badly built - of brick, wood and stucco, with later extension of sandstone - and was demolished in 1858.
. Designed by the Director of Public Works and colonial architect William Porden Kay, it is a fine example of an early Victorian
country house in Gothic Revival
style and is one of the largest of its type in Australia
.
Work eventually started in 1855 on a hill of the 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) grounds that overlooks the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and the Derwent estuary. Sandstone
was quarried on site (the excavated holes were made into ornamental pools), cedar and teak were recycled from an old ship, and slate for the roof was imported from Wales
. Furniture was imported from London
. Construction was completed in 1857
The House consists of 73 rooms, some of which are Elizabethan
and Jacobean
Revival styles. The finest rooms are the Main Hall, The Dining Room, The Ante-Drawing Room, The Drawing Room, The French Room, The Ballroom, and the Conservatory. Apart from the Conservatory, which was rebuilt to original designs in 1991, Government House remains as it was when it was first occupied.
The scale, detail and finish of the entrance hall, grand corridor and state rooms together with their furniture are unequalled in Australia. Much of the furniture ordered especially for the house and shipped out from England is still in daily use.
Outstanding exterior features of the house include bas-relief architectural sculpture
s, exceptional stonework, and individually carved sandstone chimney pots. The House also features ornately designed English garden
s.
became the first Governor to take up residence, moving to the capital from Government Cottage, Port Arthur, Tasmania
.
Apart from being the venue of a busy round of annual receptions, dinners and other events, Government House has since 1990 had an annual open day, an initiative of the then Governor, General Sir Phillip Bennett
.
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...
.
The palatial house is located on Lower Domain Road in the Queens Domain
Queens Domain
The Queens Domain, also known as The Domain to locals, is a small hilly area of bushland just north-east of the CBD of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, alongside the Derwent River...
, near the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens
The Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, which cover an area of approximately 14 hectares , were established in Hobart in 1818 and are located within the Queens Domain. The Gardens hold historic plant collections and a large number of significant trees, many dating back to the nineteenth century...
, and is the official residence of the governor of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. There have been three Government Houses, all in Hobart
Hobart
Hobart is the state capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Founded in 1804 as a penal colony,Hobart is Australia's second oldest capital city after Sydney. In 2009, the city had a greater area population of approximately 212,019. A resident of Hobart is known as...
.
Earlier residences
In 1805, after two years in a tent at Sullivans Cove, Governor CollinsDavid Collins (governor)
Colonel David Collins was the first Lieutenant Governor of the Colony of Van Diemens Land, founded in 1804, which in 1901 became the state of Tasmania in the Commonwealth of Australia.-Early life and military career:...
moved into the first Government House - a new wooden hut in Barrack Square. As local bricks gradually became available the hut was extended, but it was a primitive three-room home that let in the wind and rain.
The second Government House was built in 1817 at the junction of Macquarie Street and what is now Elizabeth Street. It had 14 rooms on two storeys and had servants' quarters, a coach house and stables, but it was badly built - of brick, wood and stucco, with later extension of sandstone - and was demolished in 1858.
Architecture
Tasmania's Government House is today regarded as one of the best Vice Regal residences in the CommonwealthCommonwealth
Commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has sometimes been synonymous with "republic."More recently it has been used for fraternal associations of some sovereign nations...
. Designed by the Director of Public Works and colonial architect William Porden Kay, it is a fine example of an early Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
country house in Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style and is one of the largest of its type in 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...
.
Work eventually started in 1855 on a hill of the 37 acres (149,733.8 m²) grounds that overlooks the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and the Derwent estuary. Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
was quarried on site (the excavated holes were made into ornamental pools), cedar and teak were recycled from an old ship, and slate for the roof was imported from Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Furniture was imported from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Construction was completed in 1857
The House consists of 73 rooms, some of which are Elizabethan
Elizabethan architecture
Elizabethan architecture is the term given to early Renaissance architecture in England, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Historically, the period corresponds to the Cinquecento in Italy, the Early Renaissance in France, and the Plateresque style in Spain...
and Jacobean
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
Revival styles. The finest rooms are the Main Hall, The Dining Room, The Ante-Drawing Room, The Drawing Room, The French Room, The Ballroom, and the Conservatory. Apart from the Conservatory, which was rebuilt to original designs in 1991, Government House remains as it was when it was first occupied.
The scale, detail and finish of the entrance hall, grand corridor and state rooms together with their furniture are unequalled in Australia. Much of the furniture ordered especially for the house and shipped out from England is still in daily use.
Outstanding exterior features of the house include bas-relief architectural sculpture
Architectural sculpture
Architectural sculpture is the term for the use of sculpture by an architect and/or sculptor in the design of a building, bridge, mausoleum or other such project...
s, exceptional stonework, and individually carved sandstone chimney pots. The House also features ornately designed English garden
English garden
The English garden, also called English landscape park , is a style of Landscape garden which emerged in England in the early 18th century, and spread across Europe, replacing the more formal, symmetrical Garden à la française of the 17th century as the principal gardening style of Europe. The...
s.
Functions
On the 2 January 1858 Sir Henry Fox YoungHenry Young
Sir Henry Edward Fox Young, KCMG was the fifth Governor of South Australia, serving in that role from 2 August 1848 until 20 December 1854. He was then the first Governor of Tasmania, from 1855 until 1861.-Early life:...
became the first Governor to take up residence, moving to the capital from Government Cottage, Port Arthur, Tasmania
Port Arthur, Tasmania
Port Arthur is a small town and former convict settlement on the Tasman Peninsula, in Tasmania, Australia. Port Arthur is one of Australia's most significant heritage areas and the open air museum is officially Tasmania's top tourist attraction. It is located approximately 60 km south east of...
.
Apart from being the venue of a busy round of annual receptions, dinners and other events, Government House has since 1990 had an annual open day, an initiative of the then Governor, General Sir Phillip Bennett
Phillip Bennett
General Sir Phillip Harvey Bennett AC, KBE, DSO is a retired senior officer of the Australian Army who served as Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 1984 to 1987, and later as Governor of Tasmania from 1987 to 1995....
.
See also
- Government Houses of AustraliaGovernment Houses of Australia-Current:Federal* Government House, Canberra, aka Yarralumla; Governor-General's Canberra residence* Admiralty House, Governor-General's Sydney residence* The Lodge, Canberra, Prime Minister's Canberra residence...
- 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...
- Governors of TasmaniaGovernors of TasmaniaThe Governor of Tasmania is the representative in the Australian state of Tasmania of Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia. The Governor performs the same constitutional and ceremonial functions at the state level as the Governor-General of Australia does at the national level.In accordance with the...