Print friendly page

This section relies heavily on the content of a booklet published by the National Trust of South Australia and now out of print. It was edited by Gavin Walkley, relying on researches by the then South Australian Department of Housing and Construction.

Brief History

The First Government House
The first Government House, the "Government Hut" was constructed of timber slabs, wattle and daub, a thatched roof, calico ceiling, and external stone chimneys. It is believed to have been on a site between the present railway station and the River Torrens, and was destroyed by fire in 1841.

A Permanent House
Government House, Adelaide is the oldest Government House in Australia.

Detail from "Garden Party at Government House" showing the original House facing east, and the loftier additions in 1855		Drawing rooms in the Victorian era Note gasoliers

Click on images for a larger view

When Lieutenant Colonel George Gawler replaced Hindmarsh in 1838, he abandoned plans for a permanent house of timber and gave directions for the erection of a new building of masonry to cost £4,000 - if possible, but not to exceed £5,000.

A plan had been obtained from an English architect, Edward O'Brien, but this was amended by George Strickland Kingston, who had come to South Australia as an assistant to the Surveyor General, William Light, and who had had some experience in architecture and building. When Kingston received tenders for the proposed work they were in the vicinity of £7,000. After further amendment of the plans to reduce the cost, a contract was let to the builders, Messrs East and Breeze.

The East Wing
The earliest part of the House to be built was the east wing of the present building. It was completed and occupied in May 1840. Government House is thus probably the second oldest continuously occupied house in the State, after a small cottage in Pennington Terrace, North Adelaide, which was first occupied in mid-1839. When completed, Government House consisted of the present main Drawing Room, Morning Room, Small Dining Room, and upstairs there were three bedrooms, a dressing room and two small servants' rooms.

The location of the kitchens and ancillary rooms was in a separate but adjacent building following the custom of the time. These were built on an east-west axis approximately 9 metres to the north of the house. In 1846 there were other additions to the north of this block.

After Governor Gawler was recalled to England in 1841, partly because of his "extravagant" building programs, his successors Mr. George Grey and Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Holt Robe found it necessary to spend the least possible amount on the house. The masonry walls around the boundary of the domain and the first guard room and flagstaff were erected in Robe's time, probably in 1847.

Major Additions
The increased prosperity of the State consequent upon the discovery and mining of copper, may have influenced the sanctioning of major additions in 1855. They were carried out despite the objections of Governor Sir Henry Fox Young, who suggested that a new Government House be built nearer to the River Torrens. The new work extended the earlier accommodation westwards, and included the Small Drawing Room, the main south facing Entrance Hall, the room to the west of it known as the Adelaide Room, the Ballroom and the Large Dining Room; and on the first floor, three bedrooms facing south and an additional bathroom. It seems likely that the Governor's Study and two bedrooms over the Large Dining Room were built at this time. The contractors were English and Brown, and the total amount spent appears to have been £8,200.

The Eighteen Sixties and Seventies
Improvements to the servants' quarters were made in 1863-69, when the earlier east-west building was demolished and replaced by a two-storey addition comprising a new kitchen, scullery etc, and servants' rooms. The old rooms to the north of this block were demolished and replaced in 1875.

In 1872 a Conservatory - now the Library - was built next to the Ballroom. The Billiard Room, the Private Secretary's Office, the Porter's Hall (now referred to as the Western Entrance) and Strong Room were added in 1878. In the same year £4,000 was voted for furniture and repairs. In 1874 the first guard room was demolished, the western boundary was moved 6.7 metres to the east to provide for the widening of King William Road, and a new west wall was built.

Twentieth Century Works
In 1941-57 the bathrooms in the main part of the house were renovated or formed, and in the nineteen seventies a new kitchen block was built between the dining rooms and staff area.

Cottages have been built in the northern part of the grounds, originally for the Butler (1928) and the Chauffeur (1945). The Private Secretary's Cottage (Peppertree Cottage) was built to the design of John W. Overall, MC, Chief Architect of the South Australian Housing Trust of that time, and under his direction.

In anticipation of a Royal visit, some rooms on the first floor of the original East Wing were rearranged and modernised in 1973 to form a separate suite for The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh. The suite comprised separate bedrooms, each with a bathroom, for the Queen and Duke, and a Sitting Room. Bedrooms for their immediate personal staff adjoined to the north. This work was designed and supervised by the Architect Dean W. Berry,CBE.

Governors, their families and house guests make use of all the upstairs rooms.

Top

The Federation Windows

Click on images for a larger view

The "Federation Windows" are a particular feature of the Ballroom. The alcove, dais, and the stained and painted glass windows at the north end of the room were installed by Governor Tennyson on the occasion of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York in 1901 following the opening of the first Australian Parliament in Melbourne. The windows were designed and made by the Adelaide firm of E.F. Troy. The following is a key to the window designs:

In contrast to these formal heraldic designs, each of the sixteen small arched windows along the top depicts an Australian bird, beautifully hand-painted. These reveal a sense of pride in Australiana, symptomatic of an emerging sense of national consciousness.

In 2001, Sir Eric Neal, AC, CVO and Lady Neal initiated the commissioning of a Centenary of Federation stained glass window to grace the landing of the main stairwell. This was executed by South Australian glass artist Ms. Jan Aspinall.

The Centenary of Federation window provides an opportunity to reflect the shifts in sentiment and aspirations which have ensued over the last hundred years since Federation.

The new window contains images referring to the countryside and the main cultural and economic drivers behind the success of our state: mining, agriculture, manufacturing, aquaculture, viticulture and the wine industry. The arts are depicted through images of the Festival Centre, musical notes and a Hans Heysen painting of sheep grazing. A map of Metropolitan Adelaide is depicted, along with a scene of Glenelg (the site of the first settlers' landing) and a map of the Barossa Valley; the War Memorials relating to the Boer War (at the time of Federation) and First and Second World Wars are depicted. The vertical "posts" show an intertwining of native eucalyptus leaves with exotic foliage, including grape vines and the Adelaide rose. In the left lower corner an Aboriginal elder is depicted exchanging desert sand with a white person to symbolise the changes reflected in Aboriginal Lands Rights legislation.

Top

Main Rooms

The following descriptions are restricted to the rooms that are sometimes open to the public.

State Entrance and Porte Cochere
The Entrance and Porte Cochere were built in 1855 as part of the second stage of construction. The area is used for receiving official visitors and for arrivals and departures of the Governor on official business.

Portraits in this area are of King George V and Queen Mary. The following items of nineteenth century furniture are of interest:

Small Drawing Room
The Small Drawing Room was built in 1855 during the second stage of construction. The name "Drawing Room" is derived from the "Withdrawing Room", which dates from the late Middle Ages, a room to which women withdrew, leaving the men in the Dining Hall. Items of furniture to note include:

The large and small Drawing Rooms are used for morning and afternoon teas, small receptions and pre- and post-dinner drinks.

Click on image for a larger view

Large Drawing Room
The Large Drawing Room was included in the original house. Of particular interest is a pair of gilt console tables, also known as pier tables, with rectangular mirrors above them, which appear in the inventory of 1868.

Morning Room
The Morning Room was also part of the original house. It was at first a ladies' boudoir, but is now known as the Morning Room because it faces east and catches the morning sun.

Click on image for a larger view

East Entrance Hall
This is the entry to the original Government House. Of particular interest is the painting dated 1889 by C.F.J. Crampton which shows the eastern aspect of Government House. The rosewood double ended sofa is in the Empire-Egyptian style, and is believed to have arrived on the HMS Buffalo with Governor Hindmarsh in 1836.

Large Dining Room
The Large Dining Room was added during the second stage of construction. Up to twenty eight people may be seated for dinner. Formal dinners of about this number are held regularly. Note portrait of Queen Adelaide on right.

Click on image for a larger view

The portraits in this room are of King William IV and Queen Adelaide. The portrait of William IV was listed in the 1868 inventory. Three cedar serving tables of four shelves grace the room.

The dining table is of mahogany and is dated 1850-1900. The chairs are in a semi balloon-back style.

Ballroom
The Ballroom, part of the 1855 extensions, is regularly used for Investitures, musical evenings, presentations of awards and receptions.

The principal portrait in the room is of the young Queen Victoria.

Click on image for a larger view

Library
What is now the Library was built in 1872 and altered several times. It was originally used as a Conservatory for ornamental plants. In 1878 the front (north) wall was remodelled. In 1901 the Conservatory was converted to a Smoking Room. In 1933 the galvanised iron ceiling was removed and a new ceiling installed.

In more recent years the room was used as an office for the Governor's Aides-de-Camp, and then as a general office, but in 1985 the present Library was formed. The shelving and cupboards were constructed by the South Australian Department of Housing and Construction to match those in the Governor's Study. The timber is Queensland cedar.

The Governor's Study
The rectangular pedestal desk appears in the 1868 inventory. The built-in cedar bookcase with Gothic detailing is also of interest. It is believed to have been re-fitted to this room from elsewhere, probably overseas, and was copied in the Library in 1986.

The Adelaide Room
What is now the Adelaide Room was included in the second stage of development in 1855. The room is used for the reception of visitors. The mirror above the fireplace bears the Royal Coat of Arms and is believed to have been made to order. It appears in the 1868 inventory.

Art Works
Apart from works owned by the House, many works of Australian artists have been loaned by the Art Gallery of South Australia.

The Governor's Standard
The Governor's own flag flies over the main entrance only when he or she is in residence.

Top

The Grounds

This section relies heavily on material provided by Friends of the Botanic Gardens of Adelaide (1992).

The Front Garden
While there is a good deal of documentation on the house, there is virtually no mention of the garden in official records. One of the earliest references is in 1838 when a tender for a well was accepted with the stipulation that it must be deep enough to have "ten feet" of water in it. The earliest direct reference to expenditure on the present grounds is in 1855 when £200 was set aside for plants. This involved the first Director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden, George Francis (1855-1856), who supervised the first plantings and was given general oversight of the garden. Despite this sum a photograph dated 1867, taken from the south east corner, shows the house in what appears to be untouched bush, mainly eucalyptus. It also shows a dovecote at the north east corner of the house. Other photographs show Virginia creeper on the east wing and the gas lamps which were installed during the eighteen sixties.

Click on image for a larger view

Another source says: "The grounds at the front of the house in 1871 were in much the same state as in 1845, but by 1878 the gum trees had been taken out and the grounds laid out on the present lines." A photo of the eighteen seventies shows the drives with a row of conifers, including Araucarias, about 4.5 metres high to the south east of the east wing. The rest of garden was of trees surrounded by rough grass.

The two Palms (Washingtonia filifera) on either side of the Porch, shown in many photographs, were planted in the eighteen nineties and had reached a height of about 5.5 metres by 1905. In 1927, the date of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of York (later George VI and Queen Elizabeth), they were big mature trees.

The old stone wall on the western boundary was demolished in 1926 and replaced by a timber fence, which in turn was replaced by a tubular steel fence in 1988.

The Northern Area
The boundary wall facing Kintore Avenue was replaced by the present brick wall in 1938. A photograph of the completed wall shows that the northern part of the grounds was covered with small gums, and another taken the year before, from the same side, shows rough bare ground with native vegetation to the east and a rather humpy-like galvanised iron tool shed and two wooden wheelbarrows.

There are no other known photographs of the gardens to the north of the house, but some of the changing uses are known. As late as 1975 when the Botanic Gardens assumed control of the grounds, the northern part was totally unkempt, and included the horse paddock, the horse sand bath, watering trough and piles of manure, presumably because of their proximity to the site of the previously demolished stables.

Lawn now covers most of this area and the old horse trough is used for growing water lilies. The well is covered over. The Governor's brewery, believed to have been the first in the Colony, has gone. Generally speaking, the lawns have steadily been extended with surrounds of shrubs and trees underplanted with hardy perennials familiar to all Adelaide dwellers. There is a small swimming pool in the grounds.

Prominent Trees

Many of the trees are ceremonial plantings and these have labels.

Government House Sundial
Located on the eastern lawns of Government House is a fine Armillary Sphere sundial which was installed in 1991.

A gift to the State by Her Excellency The Honourable Dame Roma Mitchell, AC, DBE, CVO, the sundial was made in South Australia by Sundials Australia, and stands on a pedestal sculpted by local artist, Silvio Apponyi. The pedestal is made from Murray Bridge Rubble Limestone, a material similar to that used for the rebuilding of the North Terrace boundary wall of Government House.

The Latin quotation on the commemorative plaque attached to the pedestal, "Tempus est quaedam pars aeternitatis" is attributed to the Roman lawyer, Marcus Tullius Cicero, who lived from 106-43BC. It means "Time is a certain part of eternity".

Management of the Garden
Government House grounds were at first in the care of the Colonial Architect. When George Francis became the first Director of the Botanic Garden in 1855 he was given general oversight of the garden and supervised the first plantings. Richard Schomburgk, second Director of the Botanic Garden (1865 to 1891) is reported in the Botanic Gardens Annual Report as having been responsible for providing pines, cypresses and shrubs for the garden. It is uncertain whether he had any further involvement in planning or planting the garden.

The gardens then became the undivided responsibility of the Colonial Architect and his successors until 1975, when they became the sole responsibility of the Botanic Gardens. This change resulted from the high regard of the then Governor Sir Mark Oliphant for the work of Mr. Noel Lothian, OBE, who was Director of the Botanic Gardens at that time.

In 1989 extensive remodelling of the garden was carried out and involved the removal of more than 70 old and diseased trees and shrubs, an increase in garden beds, the installation of an integrated irrigation system and an increased range of sympathetic plantings in the garden. These are now well established.

The total area of the grounds is 5.6 hectares. The emphasis is on the provision of a permanently attractive environment, always ready for inspection by visitors, with large areas for social and formal functions such as garden parties. The provision of cut flowers and potted plants suitable for indoor decoration is also a part of the garden's function. A small kitchen garden is maintained.

Since 1997, maintenance of the gardens has been subcontracted by competitive tender. Funds for the maintenance of the grounds are specially provided by the Government and administered through the Government House "House and Grounds Committee", chaired by a senior member of the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

Top

Royal Visitors to Government House

Top