government house melbourne tour

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Victoria’s Government House Tours

4 Jul 2022 ‐

27 May 2024

10:00 am ‐ 12:00 pm

Adult: $18 Concession: $13 Child: $10

National Trust Member: $12

Upcoming Dates: 6 May 2024 27 May 2024 1 July 2024 5 Aug 2024 2 Sep 2024 4 Nov 2024 2 Dec 2024

9.45am to 12pm

King's Domain Government House Drive Melbourne VIC 3004

Located on Bunurong Country

Discover Melbourne’s rich heritage in the grand State Rooms of Government House

Join us on a guided tour of the grand State Rooms of Government House and get a unique insight into the constitutional, ceremonial, international and community engagement duties of the Governor.

Visitors will be guided through the State Apartments which includes the State Hall, State Drawing Room, State Dining Room and the Ballroom to learn about the history of the house and its relevance in today’s society.

The tour will incorporate a visit to La Trobe’s Cottage , the original home of Victoria’s first Lieutenant-Governor, Charles Joseph La Trobe.

From July, two tours will run simultaneously. To manage capacity, one tour will commence at Government House and conclude at La Trobe’s Cottage. The other will commence at La Trobe’s Cottage and conclude at Government House.

Important Informatoin

Note: Tours will be confirmed 7 days in advance and is subject to a minimum of 6 people, maximum 10 people.

Tickets are on sale from 1 month prior to the tour date.

Tickets are not transferable.

If a ticketholder’s name needs to be changed this must be communicated in writing to the email [email protected] at least 4 days prior to the tour date. Attendees whose names are not provided in advance will not be permitted entry into Government House, in line with security protocols.

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Old Government House

Take a step back in time and discover Australia’s convict beginnings at this UNESCO World Heritage-listed site.

La Trobe’s Cottage

The original home of Victoria's first Lt. Governor, Charles Joseph La Trobe from 1839 to 1854.

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Government House Community Tour

A guided tour of the State Apartments to learn about the history of the House and its contemporary role.

Select date and time

• Friday April 26 10:00 AM
• Friday June 14 10:00 AM
• Friday July 5 10:00 AM
• More options

Government House

About this event

Government House tours offer a unique insight into the constitutional, ceremonial, international and community engagement duties of the Governor.

Free tours for members of the public are offered on Friday mornings at 10.00am - 11.30am. Advance bookings are essential.

Tours are led by a Senior Government House staff member and include a visit to the Kitchen Garden.

Visitors need to pass through a security checkpoint and bag inspection before entering Government House. For security purposes, bags are not permitted inside the House. Bags and backpacks will be stored in a safe location within the grounds.

• Australia Events
• Victoria Events
• Things to do in Melbourne, Australia
• Melbourne Tours
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Government House

On the outer edge of the Botanic Gardens, this Italianate Government House dates from 1872. A replica of Queen Victoria’s Osborne House on England’s Isle of Wight, it's served as the residence of all Victorian governors, as well as being the royal pied-à-terre. It remains the largest residential building in Australia. The two-hour tour only runs with 10 or more people and permission from Government House, so enquiries should be made at least two weeks ahead, by phone or email.

There is the option of a combined tour, which also takes in nearby Governor La Trobe's Cottage , the original Victorian government house, sent from the mother country in prefabricated form in 1840.

Kings Domain. South Yarra

Get In Touch

03-9656 9889

https://www.governor.vic.gov.au

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An Unforgettable Tour Of Victoria's Government House

Last week we had a chance to spend an incredible morning at the Government House of Victoria , touring through the vast rooms, peering at captivating portraits, and craning our necks to take in intricate ceiling details. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to peek inside one of Victoria’s most important buildings.

Following yesterday’s introduction to the Peace and Prosperity Kitchen Garden Program , today we take you inside this spectacular House. Since 1934, it has served as the residence of the Governor, the primary venue for the Governor’s constitutional and community engagement activities, and the workplace of the Office of the Governor. This is one especially insightful ‘home tour’!

Victoria’s Government House, built in 1876, in the Italianate style. The tower, with the arcaded lookout and decorated cornice, is 44-metre high, excluding the flagpole which is 13.7-metres. The grounds today span 11 hectares, with 18 hectares having been transferred to Domain Park (now Kings Domain). Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

‘We are fortunate that the House was built in the 1870s, following the Gold Rush,’ says the Governor. ‘Victoria is the beneficiary of a purpose-built Government House, the largest in the Commonwealth still to this day, of which the State Apartments form the most significant wing, including the Ballroom.’ Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC and her husband Anthony Howard QC in The Conservatory. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The Conservatory is an extension of the State Drawing Room and features views of the west lawn and the city skyline. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Small award ceremonies, musical recitals, international welcomes and community receptions are held in the State Drawing Room. The portrait is of novelist Mrs Campbell McInnes (later Angela Thirkell ) (1912) by John Collier . Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Most of the furniture was custom-made for this room in 1876 and the large casement windows to the left open out to the Fountain Court. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The State Chair is the focal point of the Ballroom. The arched back rail features a crown and has  ‘Advance Victoria’ carved underneath. It includes lions’ heads carved on the arms, the cross of St George (England and Wales), the cross of St Andrew (Scotland) on the legs, and the floral emblem of Ireland, the shamrock, on the skirt of the seat. it is only ever used by the Monarch or the Monarch’s representative. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Three original crystal chandeliers, by Oslers of Birmingham who supplied Buckingham Palace, are striking features of the Ballroom. Converted from gas to electricity, the chandeliers each have more than 1,000 pieces of crystal. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Under the current Governor, the ballroom has been utilised for a trailblazing IDAHOBIT reception, Red Cross blood drive, Circus Oz workshop, yoga class for International Yoga Day, rock concert for teenagers who need support, and reception for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex during their visit last year, to name but a few events. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The ballroom and adjoining Minstrels’ Gallery access room were originally white, redecorated in their current striking ‘Hopetoun blue’ colour scheme in 1889 for the arrival of Lord and Lady Hopetoun, the former was the first Governor-General of Australia. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

‘I think everyone remembers how it feels to walk into Government House and to experience first-hand, the scale and the beauty of this heritage building,’ tells the Governor of Victoria, Linda Dessau AC.

For Victoria’s first Lieutenant-Governor, Charles La Trobe , things looked considerably different, but still made an impact. In 1841, the site was parkland and had been an important meeting place and camping ground for local Aboriginal people. La Trobe saw great potential, as its highest point could provide one of the few vistas visible to Melburnians looking south of the Yarra River. And so, he set it aside for a future Government House.

It wasn’t until over a decade later that the Colonial Government called for design submissions, but the winning entry (an Elizabethan-style building J. G Knight and Kemp) was considered too costly. Another decade later, competition 2.0 saw a French Baronial-style building by Reed and Barnes chosen, however, estimated at £45,000, it was also deemed too expensive.

Cue the economic boom of the Gold Rush… In 1871, Inspector General of the Public Works Department William Wardell (of Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral and Gothic Bank fame) was commissioned to create a purpose-built Government House for Victoria. John James ‘JJ’ Clark , who designed the Old Treasury Building , and Peter Kerr , who designed the Victorian Parliament House , worked under Wardell to draw the designs, which were ‘of Italian architecture’. Constructed by Martin and Peacock between 1872 and 1876, the building cost the colony £200,000, including furnishings.

At 42-metres long and 16.7-metres wide, the Ballroom is bigger than the ballroom at Buckingham Palace. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The majority of the artwork is loaned from and rotated by the National Gallery of Victoria, with the Governor seeking to showcase a diversity of artists including women, indigenous and younger artists. To the left is an artwork, ‘Painting at Kalkutjara’ by Pantjiti Mary McLean , woven into a tapestry (1998) by Irene Creedon. To the right, is Sally Smart ‘s ‘Diary (Joey and I)’ (1991). Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

The Ballroom was restored in the 1960s – 700 books of gold leaf were used to decorate the ceiling alone! Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

ALL THE DESIGN DETAILS

Not everyone was initially impressed, with the papers commenting on the ‘plain’ exterior, ‘labyrinth’ plan, and ‘vastness’, but then, on the other hand, praising ‘the ornate and tasteful decoration of the interiors’, particularly the ironwork and glass. Subjectivity aside, the Victorian Heritage Register honours it as ‘one of the largest and most beautiful mansion houses in Australia’ and one of ‘the finest examples of 19th-century residential architecture’. It remains the largest Government House in all of The Commonwealth.

The main building is approximately 3,035-square-metres, with its ornamental tower 44-metres high. Including outbuildings, the entire complex spans 240 rooms. The wow-factor State Apartments include the State Hall with cathedral-esque cross-vaulted ceilings, State Drawing Room with stunning adjoining Conservatory, and the Billiard Room featuring a portrait of every past Governor and spouse. There is also the State Dining Room and the unforgettable State Ballroom, which is larger than that of Buckingham Palace and can accommodate up to 800 people! Complementing its warm New Zealand Kauri pine floor, this Ballroom was redecorated in a current striking ‘ Hopetoun blue’ colour scheme in 1889 and then restored again (using 700 books of gold leaf for the ceiling alone) in the 1960s.

Much of the State Apartments furniture was custom made for Government House in 1876, though the most iconic inclusion, The State Chair, was crafted c.1859. The Drawing Room includes a 19th century Steinway grand piano once played by Dame Nellie Melba and still in use today, while the Dining Room features a telescopic table in Spanish mahogany and Australian red cedar by James McEwan and Co . Seating 54 people, this design is almost the length of a cricket pitch! Several other furniture pieces and décor items are on loan from the Johnston Collection .

Walls are adorned with captivating portraits, including of the Royal Family and other dignitaries. Several works have been gifted into the Houses’ collection, although the majority of the artwork is loaned from and rotated by the National Gallery of Victoria . ‘When it comes to the art, much of the selection is guided by what is available at the time, but always with an eye to showcasing Victoria’s rich artistic talent across the decades, and the diversity of artists including women, indigenous, and younger artists,’ tells the Governor. ‘The building makes me feel very proud to be a Victorian as well as the Governor of Victoria. But it is the work that takes place within its walls that matters most.’

The State Dining Room features a telescopic table, seating 54 people, it’s almost the length of a cricket pitch. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

Brian Dunlop ‘s ‘Sesquicentenary portrait of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II’ (1984) in the State Hall. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

State Dining Room details, including the portrait ‘A Lady in Grey (Portrait of Mrs. McCubbin)’ (1900), by Frederick McCubbin . ‘I am always proud when I see local and international guests studying and appreciating the broad range of Victorian art on display,’ tells the Governor. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

When the House was completed The Argus newspaper reported: ‘The shell may be a trifle rough, but the kernel is a sweet one. To the stranger the interior of Government House is one series of surprises’, praising the ‘superb’ entrance hall, staircases ‘rich in the wealth of the ironworker’s art’, and windows of ‘exquisitely frosted glass’. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files.

A VENUE FOR VICTORIA

From Federation 1901 to 1931 the House went national, as it became the official residence of Australia’s first Governor-General… and the State Governor was sent off to Stonington Mansion in Malvern. From 1934 until today, the complex continues to be: the residence of the Governor; the primary venue for the Governor’s constitutional, ceremonial, community and international engagement activities; and the workplace of the Office of the Governor .

‘For nearly 150 years, Government House Victoria has been the backdrop of important constitutional ceremonies and occasions, where significant charities have been founded or fostered, where the War effort has been advanced (via Red Cross packing stations in the Ballroom), where schoolgirls (from Mac Rob High) were educated during the Depression, and where many, many thousands of good Victorians have been thanked, congratulated and awarded,’ details the Governor.

‘The State Apartments have long been opened up to the community and it is important that we are providing opportunities to broaden the reach and diversify our engagement – whether by welcoming people who have never visited before, through tours and receptions, or by working with different community organisations to showcase Victoria’s vast array of artistic talent and intellect with free performances and lectures,’ she continues.

Since 2015, The Governor and Mr Howard have hosted a number of ‘firsts’, from overnight school camp-outs to mark VicHealth’s 30th anniversary, a trailblazing International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia reception in 2017, to a youth iftar dinner during Ramadan, and more. ‘Tony and I do find it particularly gratifying when we see the magnificent Ballroom being used for events that many years ago, never would have been contemplated, such as a blood bank with the Red Cross , or a circus workshop for newly arrived children with Circus Oz , a yoga class for International Yoga Day, or a rock concert for teenagers who need support,’ highlights the Governor.

This was my very first visit to Government House. From the high-tech bollards at the entrance to the perfectly-racked gravel that I reluctantly drove on and the countless palatial velvet furnishings I was dying to stroke, it was hands-down (*and behind my back) an unforgettable visit. The morning was a visual-feast/crash-course on our State’s rich history. Most excitingly, though, the more recent initiatives I discovered taking place at the House are continuing to keep us ‘on the map’, embarking on a progressive path into the future.

Victoria’s Government House and Grounds will also be open to the public as part of Open House Melbourne on July 27th, 2019 , as well as on January 26th each year.

Tours of the Government House Gardens are held on the third Thursday of each month, find more information here .

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• A Brief History Of Government...

A Brief History of Government House, Melbourne

Since 1876, Government House , Melbourne has been the official office and residence of the Governor of Victoria – a position currently held by the Honourable Linda Dessau AM. The Italianate building was once the grandest government house in the British Empire, and annually on Australia Day, the public is invited to tour the residence and its surrounding gardens.

In 1851, Victoria officially became a separate colony with Charles La Trobe taking up the role of Lieutenant-Governor. Since that time, there have been five chief residences of the Victorian Governor. The first was La Trobe’s Cottage, which has since been relocated and operates as a museum. From 1854 to 1874, Governors lived at Toorak House, and after 1874, they resided at Bishopscourt until 1876, when the current Government House was ready for occupancy.

Construction and design

Neighbouring the Royal Botanic Gardens, the land for Government House was set aside in 1841 by Lieutenant-Governor Charles La Trobe, although construction did not begin until 1872. Designed by William Wardell (St Patrick’s Catholic Cathedral) and JJ Clarke (the Old Treasury Building), the building reflects the Italianate style of the Victorian Period and shares similarities with Queen Victoria ‘s Osborne House , which she adopted as her summer residence on the Isle of Wight . At the time of construction, the building was rumoured to be the largest government house in the British Empire. The building is decorated in the neo-classical style and is divided into the State Apartments , which host state and community receptions; the Private Apartments, which house the Governor’s living quarters; and the sprawling gardens and grounds. Government House also includes a 44-m (145-ft) belvedere tower with views of the surrounding lawn. You can tour the house by visiting this virtual tour .

Government House is open to the public on Australia Day each year. Visitors can wander through the gardens and tour the residence for a look inside Victoria’s most historically significant building. Entry is free and includes musical entertainment, children’s activities and light refreshments.

Governor of Victoria

Appointed by the Queen, under the recommendation of the Premier of Victoria, the Governor of Victoria works “at the queen’s pleasure” and “in accordance with the conventions of the Westminster system”. The Governor performs a number of roles, including opening parliament, appointing the Premier and Ministers of the Crown, and has the power to dissolve Parliament and dismiss the Premier, among others duties . The current Governor is former judge, Honourable Linda Dessau AM, who became Victoria’s first female governor in July 2015.

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Visiting Government House

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Government House

Government House is another important historic landmark in Melbourne. This grand manor was built in 1876 and at that time, was regarded as the most elegant house in Australia.

This beautiful and exquisite manor showcases old-style Italian architecture, magnificent artworks, grandly decorated reception rooms and antique furniture still in original condition.

Government House Melbourne Address & Location Map

History depicts that Government House was originally built for the first Governor of Melbourne, Charles Joseph La Trobe.

You will also notice the manor’s extensive parklands that surround the beautiful building. Visitors can tour the entire property; including the three main sections of the building: the ballroom, the south wing and the three-storey stateroom.

Government House is certainly a must-visit spot for every history buff visiting Melbourne. Visitors should also check out the adjoining Royal Botanic Gardens while in the area.

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Government house information & details, opening hours, phone number, email address, ticket prices / admission, government house area, street & hotel map, vic, other places we recommend.

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I have a person with breathing problems & need to know Available car parks at Government House, & how far away is the car park from the Government House please. Many Thanks Sally

Government House is located alongside the Royal Botanic Gardens and Kings Domain, therefore there is no parking up close to the mansion as cars are not permitted. You will need to walk approximately 150 metres uphill to get to Government House. Closest parking will be along Alexandra Avenue or Birdwood Avenue. If you have a disability sticker, you will be able to get a park a little closer.

Best regards, Jess

Frequently Asked Questions About Government House

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April Tours of Government House

By Adam Brouwer

Year 11 Politics and Law students from John XXIII College came to visit Government House for a tour of the historic House and Gardens.

Having already studied the executive branch of the Federal Government (and State Government studies in the future), the tour gave the students a valuable insight into the Governor’s role, priorities and how the House is currently being used.

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Events and tours

Prepare to attend an event at Government House or visit for a tour or Open Day.

Virtual Tour of Government House Victoria

Tours and open days.