| Government House | |
|---|---|
 Main façade of Government House | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Status | Completed |
| Type | Vice-regal residence |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| Location | Kings Domain,1 Government House Drive, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Country | Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°49′41″S 144°58′37″E / 37.827939°S 144.976939°E |
| Construction started | 1871 |
| Completed | 1876 |
| Owner | Government of Victoria |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect(s) | William Wardell |
| Website | |
| Government House Garden and Grounds | |
| Official name | Government House Complex |
| Type | State Registered Place |
| Designated | 20 August 1982 |
| Reference no. | H1620[1] |
| Heritage Overlay number | HO397[1] |
Government House is the official residence of the Governor of Victoria, currently Margaret Gardner. It is located in Kings Domain, Melbourne, next to the Royal Botanic Gardens.
Government House was opened in 1876, on land that had originally been set aside in 1841. Previous governors' residences included La Trobe's Cottage (1839–1854), Toorak House (1854–1874), and Bishopscourt (1874–1876). It was designed by William Wardell in the Italianate style, and modelled to some extent on Queen Victoria's Osborne House residence, to which it bears a strong resemblance. Between 1901 and 1930, Government House was used as the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia. This occurred during the period when Canberra was still under construction and Melbourne was designated as the temporary seat of government. Despite Parliament House opening in 1927, the Governor-General did not permanently move to Yarralumla for another three years, at which point Government House was given back to the Victorian government.
- ^ a b "Government House Complex". Victorian Heritage Database. Government of Victoria. Retrieved 14 August 2023.