Old Government House, South Australia facts for kids
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Old Government House is a really old and important building. It's found inside Belair National Park in South Australia. For many years, from 1860 to 1880, it was the special summer home for the Governor of South Australia. Governors like Richard Graves MacDonnell, Dominick Daly, and William Jervois stayed here.
The house was built using local sandstone. Its red-brick corners came from a place called Blackwood. The roof was made from native timber shingles. It even had an indoor swimming pool, which was super rare back then!
Contents
History of the Summer House
The Government Farm Begins
Soon after South Australia was settled, the government needed a "Government Farm." This farm was a place to keep horses and cows. It also grew hay and food for animals. They chose an area near the Sturt River. The governor at the time, George Gawler, thought it would be a great spot for a summer house too.
In July 1840, the government bought a large area of land. There was a bit of a mix-up with the land sale, as some parts weren't properly recorded. When a new governor, George Grey, took over in May 1841, the colony was in a lot of debt.
To raise money, the government tried to sell the new farm. But because of the earlier mix-up, they couldn't prove they owned all the land properly. So, they cancelled the sale. This actually helped keep the land for public use! Some parts were sold off later for orchards and vineyards. These areas became the suburbs of Glenalta and Monalta. The rest of the farm is now Belair National Park.
Building the Governor's Retreat
South Australia's economy got much better in the 1850s. This was thanks to the Victorian gold rush. Governor MacDonnell decided to build a special summer house on the Government Farm in 1858. He had already made Government House in the city bigger.
The new summer house was designed by the Colonial Architect Edward Hamilton. Other people like R.A. Hyndman and G.K. Soward helped too. Charles Farr was the main builder. When it was finished in 1860, the house had two main rooms. These were a dining room and a bedroom. It also had a small office, a bathroom, a dressing room, and a cellar.
The dining room had a large, five-sided bay window. French doors from this window opened onto a wide, tiled porch. The stone for the walls came from a local quarry. You can still see this quarry today near the building. The roof was made from shingles cut from local trees. The house cost about £1600, which was a lot of money back then!
Important Building Listings
Old Government House is recognized as a very important historical building. It was listed on the old Register of the National Estate in 1978. It was also added to the South Australian Heritage Register in 1980. It's officially called the "Governor’s Former Summer Residence."
Current Use of Old Government House
Old Government House was replaced by a bigger summer home called Marble Hill in 1880. After that, it was used by the person in charge of the Department of Woods and Forests Nursery. This nursery was also located in Belair National Park.
In 1961, the house was given to the National Parks and Wildlife Reserves. Some small repairs were done, and the building opened as a museum. More big renovations happened in the 1970s and again in 2002-03. These repairs made the building look as grand as it did when it was first built.
Today, Old Government House is looked after by a group called the Friends of Old Government House. This group is part of Friends of Parks Inc.. It's now a popular place for tourists to visit. You can explore the house on the first Sunday of every month and on public holidays.
