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decoration of each of the official residences, but relatively little furniture and other items were provided by the government — each successive governor had to provide his household with furniture, linen, china etc. from his own pocket (today the pattern is quite different — with each new incumbent only being required to provide personal items). During its 34-year career as
Government House the Clayton building was redecorated and added to but it entered the 20th century largely unaltered.
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324:(and then Wynyard again). It is possible that neither of these men visited or resided in Wellington during their terms and thus the official status of the Wakefield Villa is uncertain. Grey became governor for a second time in 1861 and he certainly used Wakefield House as his Official Wellington Residence.
332:
In 1865 the capital was transferred from
Auckland to Wellington. The need to provide accommodation for the various branches of Government resulted in a flurry of construction and prompted the replacement of the rather plain Government House with a more appropriate building. In 1868 this was embarked
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As well as being an official residence and workplace, Government House is also the main venue where the governor-general entertains members of the public, and receives visiting heads of state and other dignitaries and the credentials of ambassadors to New
Zealand. Government House is likewise the
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Following the fire in the wooden
Parliament Buildings in 1907, the then Governor-General Lord Plunket offered the use of Government House to house both houses of Parliament until a replacement building could be built. In the interim the Plunkets decamped to Palmerston North between 1908 and 1910
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from 1904. The social climate of the late 19th century required the governor to spend part of the year in other areas of the country – predominately
Auckland, although for a while a third Government House was maintained in Christchurch. This pattern doubtless lent longevity to the fabric and
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giving the impression of even greater expansiveness. The scale of the ground has allowed a range of different landscapes to be developed: rockeries, flower gardens, lawn areas, and a splendid collection of mature trees. All this contributes to it now being considered a garden of national
313:. Wakefield's house was a very plain Regency styled building with verandahs, it stood on a hill overlooking the harbour. There is a record of the first Government House Ball being held in it, on 10 February 1849 during George Grey's first period as governor.
352:(1823–1877) and completed around 1871 the second Government House commanded expansive views over the city and harbour and provided a picturesque contrast with the adjacent Gothic styled Parliament Building complex. Its first occupant was
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where they resided in a house now called Caccia-Birch. Plunket had been lobbying for a larger and more up-to-date residence to be provided by the
Government, hopefully more distant from Parliament and with more private grounds.
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As a result of renovations undertaken in the early 2000s, new carpets were provided for the public reception rooms. The carpets and rugs were designed by several New
Zealand artists; Gavin Chilcott, Andrew McLeod, Tim Main and
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Many of the rooms are set aside for official state occasions—for example, two dining rooms, a ballroom, a conservatory and drawing rooms. Government House is where the governor-general confers with the leader of the
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windows, bronze electric light fixtures and neo-Georgian plasterwork ceilings. Various portraits of successive governors and other significant people are displayed along with a collection of
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Despite being built of wood, the second
Government House was an imposing structure distinguished by a tower; it was one of several mid-century houses influenced by Queen Victoria's
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from 1841 until 1865, the provision of an official residence for the governor was initially not a priority. It was only during the period of the fourth governor,
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The house's grounds are much more private than the previous residence, totalling 12 hectares (30 acres). On one side the gardens border
Alexandra Park and the
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upon. As the new
Parliament Buildings were directly adjacent it was unsurprising that it was mooted that the new Government House should be in a similar
504:. Throughout the house are examples of what was considered good taste at the time: marble fireplaces, parquet floors, oak panelling, Mahogany doors,
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pattern, composed into a huge single composition 4 metres (13 ft) x without a repeat, was designed by Andrew McLeod and inspired by
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309:; he had built the house in 1840, but died in 1848. The residence was then used as a hospital for a short period in 1848 after the
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conservation and rebuilding project, and was reopened in March 2011. During the refurbishment the governor-general lived at
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The extensive grounds also contain tennis and squash courts, a bomb shelter, four cottages and a visitor centre.
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587:. This pattern was produced in three different colour-ways and appears in several of the reception rooms.
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The Parliament Building fire nudged the government into commissioning a new Government House to be built.
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Entrance hall of the residence, with parquet floors and oak panellings used prominently throughout.
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was the first governor-general to occupy in Government House, residing there from 1910 to 1912.
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State and official events are typically held in either the conservatory, or the dining room
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location of many award presentations and investitures, and where prime ministers and other
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Gardens and manicured lawns front the north and south entrances of the residence.
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571:. The design of the drawing room carpet by Gavin Chilcott is derived from the
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623:"Peek inside the mansion where the royals stay on their New Zealand visits"
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significance, although there are few ornaments or sculptures to be seen.
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All the succeeding governors resided in the new Clayton building, from
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are sworn in, among other ceremonial and constitutional functions.
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stay at Government House when on official visits to New Zealand.
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488:, the house's rooms were designed in a range of styles—from
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Official residence of the Governor-General of New Zealand
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Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth
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Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth
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was chosen, probably because it was the cheaper option.
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253:. The present building, the third Government House in
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Government House closed in October 2008 for a major
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Exterior facade of the second Government House, 1882
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819:The Governor-General of New Zealand - Biography
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484:mansion. As it was intended to evoke a large
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305:now stands. Wakefield was the agent for the
151:4,200 square metres (45,000 sq ft)
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775:. The Governor-General of New Zealand
747:"Government House tours - Wellington"
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403:in Lower Hutt while in Wellington.
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839:Official residences in New Zealand
660:"Government Houses $ 44m facelift"
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854:1910s architecture in New Zealand
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705:. Governor-General of New Zealand
683:. Governor-General of New Zealand
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291:capital of New Zealand
289:When Auckland was the
267:ministers of the Crown
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73:New Zealand
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773:gg.govt.nz
753:1 February
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634:3 February
608:References
577:kowhaiwhai
434:South side
422:North side
335:neo-Gothic
320:, then by
255:Wellington
247:Cindy Kiro
203:Designated
148:Floor area
89:41°18′22″S
64:Wellington
506:leadlight
461:Residence
451:Town Belt
356:in 1873.
135:Completed
54:Edwardian
665:18 April
591:See also
498:Georgian
687:1 April
502:Regency
475:Newtown
407:Grounds
303:Beehive
280:History
259:Newtown
245:. Dame
176:Website
70:Country
709:15 May
628:Stuff
496:, to
494:Tudor
482:Tudor
781:2023
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