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.
Government House, Sydney
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 NSW. 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. From 1996 to 2013 the NSW Governor did not used it as a residence and the Governor’s Office was located in the Chief Secretary's Office in Macquarie Street. In 2013 the Governor resumed occupancy of Government House.
