Government House – Royal Botanic Gardens – Macquarie Street – Sydney

Government House – Royal Botanic Gardens – Macquarie Street – Sydney

By The 1830’s Arthur Phillips Government House Had Well And Truly Passed Its Usefulness As A Government House for the Colony Of New South Wales. The First Government House, Which Stood At The Corner Of Bridge And Phillip Streets (Now The Museum Of Sydney), Was A Two Storey, 6 Room Georgian Colonial Home By Any Standard. 
A New House Was Talked About From Governor Sir Ralph Darling's Time, But It Was 1835 Before London Agreed And Edward Blore Drew Up The Plans. The Design Of The Current Government House Located On Top Of Farm Cove, Was To Be The Centrepiece As Boats Sailed Into The Semi Circular Quay. 

It Was Also Sir Ralph Darling Who Put In Place The Land Resumption And Extension Of Circular Quay From Bridge Street. 

Built - 1837 - 1845
Architect - Edward Blore

One Of The Finest Examples Of Gothic Revival Architecture In Sydney, Complete With Towers And Castellation, Government House, Sydney Is The Official Residence And Office Of Her Excellency The Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC, 39th Governor Of New South Wales.

The Building Was Designed In England By Edward Blore (Architect To William IV And Queen Victoria), Modified By The Colonial Architect Mortimer Lewis To Suit It's Sydney Location, And Constructed Between 1837 And 1845

Over The Years The Building Has Been Extended, Refurbished And Modernised To Suit The Tastes And Needs Of Successive Governors. Visitors Will Be Able To View The Restored Grand Historic Interiors, Replete With Exquisite Hand Stencilled Original Ceilings. The House Also Showcases A Significant Collection Of Portraits, Furniture, Decorative Arts And Gubernatorial (Governor Related) Memorabilia, Many Produced in New South Wales And Of Heritage Significance


Government House Sydney Is A Busy Working House Which Is Host To Many Vice Regal And Charitable Events, Royal Visitors And State Functions During The Year. Set In Beautiful Landscaped Garden, With Views Over Farm Cove And The Harbour And An Unusual Perspective Of The Opera House,

Its Hard To Imagine the Original Shoreline Starting At Bridge Street. During The Low Tide It Was A Swampy Outcrop From The Tank Stream Which Wound its Way Through The Centre Of Sydney From The Top At Hyde Park. 

Unfortunately For Us, We Have No Concept Of What Sydney Was Like Originally. The Amount

Of Hard Labour; The Blood And The Sweat And The Tears And Death That It Took To Fill In The 150 Metre Stretch From Bridge Street To Where The Current Circular Quay Stands

today. 

The Main Quarry For The Circular Quay Land

resumption Came From That Stretch Of Sandstone That We See Today From The Start Of Macquarie Street. That Was Called The “Tarpeian Way” It Is Only One Of Two Remaining Relics Of The Very Beginnings Of Our Great Nation. 

The Only Original Thing From

Bennelong Point Is The “Man O’ War” Steps Which Is Located At The Southern Side Of The Opera House , Which From A Heritage And Historical Viewpoint

Should Never Have Been Built

On The Bennelong Point Site. 

Old Convict Sites