Old Government House, Hobart

Old Government House
Watercolour by Samuel Prout Hill, c. 1850
Map
General information
TypePublic
Architectural styleMixed
Town or cityHobart
CountryAustralia
Construction started1805-1810
CompletedNever completed
Demolished1858
OwnerColony of Van Diemenn's Land
Technical details
MaterialMixed

Old Government House was the former official residence and home of the Governor of Tasmania from 1807 to 1858, when it was demolished following completion of the modern Government House, Hobart on the Queens Domain.[1] It was located approximately where Hobart Town Hall and Franklin Square stand now. It was built sometime between 1805 and 1810 with dates varying according to sources[2] and at least during 1831 housed the Tasmanian Parliament as well as being the residence of the Governor and meeting place of the Tasmanian Society, a precursor to the Royal Society of Tasmania.[3] The Tasmanian Parliament moved to the modern Parliament House, Hobart in 1841, and following the construction of the modern Government House the old house was demolished. It had earlier been reserved for the location of the new Town hall and a Franklin monument, which were both later built there and continue to stand to this day.[4]

  1. ^ "Model of Old Government House: 1837". www.abc.net.au. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Some Notable Events in Tasmanian History". Launceston Examiner. 21 June 1897. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  3. ^ "Royal Society". Examiner. 20 November 1900. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  4. ^ "Government Houses in Hobart Town" (PDF). Retrieved 14 August 2021.