Government House, Melbourne

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 / -37.827939; 144.976939
Construction started	1871
Completed	1876
Owner	Government of Victoria
Design and construction
Architect(s)	William Wardell
Website
Government House Garden and Grounds
Victorian Heritage Register
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.