Old Government House, Queensland facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Government House |
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Front facade view
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| Former names | Government House |
| General information | |
| Architectural style | Classical revival |
| Location | Brisbane, Queensland |
| Address | 2 George Street, Brisbane City |
| Coordinates | 27°28′38″S 153°01′45″E / 27.477331°S 153.029053°E |
| Current tenants | Queensland University of Technology |
| Construction started | 1860 |
| Completed | 1862 |
| Owner | Queensland Government |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 2 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Charles Tiffin |
| Main contractor | Joshua Jeays |
Queensland's first Government House is a very important building located at Gardens Point in the grounds of the Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. It was the first major building project for the new Government of Queensland when the state was formed.
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A Home for Queensland's First Governor
This grand building was built to be the home for Queensland's very first Governor, Sir George Bowen, and his family. In May 1860, the first Queensland parliament met. Just a month later, they decided to fund a new Government House.
The chosen spot was a high point at Gardens Point. It offered amazing views of the Brisbane Botanic Gardens and the Brisbane River. There was a small debate about building it in Brisbane, as the capital city of Queensland had not been officially chosen yet.
Design and Construction
The two-storey building was designed in 1860 by a colonial architect named Charles Tiffin. He used a style called Classical revival. This style often looks like ancient Greek or Roman buildings.
The front part of the house held the Governor's public and private rooms. The back part was for the service areas, like kitchens. The front of the house was designed to look simple, not too grand. This was so politicians and people from the country wouldn't feel like it was too fancy.
The first part of the building was finished in March 1862 by the builder Joshua Jeays. It was built using materials found nearby. These included sandstone for the outside walls and a local stone called Brisbane tuff for the service areas. Inside, they used beautiful woods like red cedar and hoop pine, along with cast iron.
Life at Government House
Before the new house was ready, Governor Bowen and his family lived in a temporary home called Adelaide House. They moved into the new Government House in April 1862.
The very first big event held in the building was a ball on June 16, 1862. This party celebrated the birthday of Queen Victoria. It was supposed to be earlier, but it was delayed because people were sad about the death of Prince Albert, the Queen's husband.
Sir George and Lady Diamantina Bowen welcomed between 300 and 400 guests. It was a huge celebration! People praised the new Government House because it was big enough for the Governor to host many people. Guests could dance, enjoy drinks, and play card games like whist. Other ladies were entertained in the drawing room. At 1 AM, supper was served in the courtyard, which had a canvas roof and was decorated with candles and Chinese lanterns. The dancing went on until 4 AM!
Lady Diamantina was pregnant at the time of the ball. About a month later, on July 26, 1862, she gave birth to a daughter named Agnes. Agnes is believed to be the first child born in the building. Their son, George William Howard, was also born at Government House on April 9, 1864.
Lady Diamantina Bowen was very interested in the gardens around the house. She worked with Walter Hill, who looked after the nearby Brisbane Botanic Gardens. Together, they organized large public events that spread from the Government House grounds into the Botanic Gardens.
At first, the house was lit by candles and kerosene lamps. By the late 1860s, gas lighting was installed. However, the first gas pipes were too small, so they couldn't turn on all the lights at once!
In 1866, there was a time of public unrest called the Bread or Blood riot. During this time, many government officials became Special Constables to help the police protect Government House.
Changes Over Time
The building was home to the first 11 Governors of Queensland and their families. Over the years, some changes were made. For example, the open upper terraces were covered to become more like Queenslander-style verandahs. In 1873, a roof was built over the balcony. By the late 1870s, some people felt the building was becoming too small, especially for very large parties.
Some additions were also made at the back of the house, mostly to the service areas. Eventually, larger gas pipes were installed so all the lights could be used at once. Even though Brisbane had electricity in the late 1880s, it was considered too expensive to add it to Government House at that time.
Around 1900, a billiard room was added for Lord Lamington, who was Governor then.
From Governor's Home to University
By 1909, Government House was nearly 50 years old. It was seen as too small for the Governor's residence, especially because it didn't have a large ballroom for entertaining. So, it was decided that Government House would become the main building for Queensland's first university, the University of Queensland. A special plaque on the building remembers this change in December 1909.
In early 1910, the Governor, Sir William MacGregor, moved to a rented house called Fernberg in Paddington. This was meant to be a temporary home while a new Government House was built in Victoria Park. However, for some reason, the new building project was stopped. In 1911, the government bought Fernberg, and it has been the permanent Government House of Queensland ever since.
The University of Queensland officially took over Old Government House on December 10, 1909. This was part of the celebrations for Queensland's 50th anniversary. The university had electricity connected to the building around 1911.
The university used the building until the late 1930s. By then, the university had grown too big for the Gardens Point campus and moved to its current main campus at St Lucia.
Protecting a Special Building
Old Government House has been used as the Queensland headquarters for the National Trust of Australia. This organization helps protect important historical places.
In 1969, Old Government House was put on the first list of important heritage buildings by the National Trust of Queensland. This helped protect the building from being knocked down. In March 1978, Old Government House became the very first building to be protected by Queensland's heritage laws.
Restoration and Current Use
In 2002, an agreement was made between the National Trust of Queensland, the Queensland Government, and Queensland University of Technology (QUT). This agreement gave QUT the responsibility of looking after Old Government House.
QUT then spent three years restoring the building. It reopened in 2009 with a special ceremony on June 7, 2009. This date marked the 150th anniversary of Queensland becoming a state. Important people like Peter Coaldrake, Queensland Governor Penny Wensley, and Queensland Premier Anna Bligh spoke at the event. Anna Bligh also announced that QUT could continue to use the building for another 30 years.
Now that the building is beautifully restored, QUT uses it for special events and functions. They also offer tours and information for visitors, including interactive displays, so everyone can learn about its amazing history.
The Story of the Lamington
Did you know that one of Australia's famous treats, the lamington, was invented right here at Government House? The cook, Armand Gallan, created it during the time of Queensland Governor Lord Lamington.
