WE DRIVE PAST

Adjacent to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens is Government House, which is the official residence of the governor of Tasmania. Designed by William Porden Kay, it is an impressive example of Gothic Revival architecture and is one of the largest Victorian country houses in Australia. 

Construction of Government House was completed in 1857 using sandstone quarried on site and wood recycled from an old ship. The slate for the roof was imported from Wales. It features 73 rooms, several of which are decorated in Elizabethan and Jacobean Revival styles and remain largely as they were when the residence was first occupied. In addition to its exceptional stonework and carved chimney pots, Government House is renowned for its English-style gardens.