Government House, Canberra
| Government House | |
|---|---|
 |
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| General information | |
| Type | House |
| Architectural style | Georgian Revival |
| Location | Yarralumla, ACT |
| Coordinates | 35°18′06″S 149°04′40″E / 35.301612°S 149.077670°ECoordinates: 35°18′06″S 149°04′40″E / 35.301612°S 149.077670°E |
| Construction started | 1859 |
| Governing body | Australian Government |
Government House, Canberra, commonly known as Yarralumla, is the official residence of the Governor-General of Australia. It is located in the suburb of Yarralumla, in the City of Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. The house is set amid 54 hectares (133 acres) of parkland. The suburb of Yarralumla, which has grown up around Government House, is one of Canberra's most expensive residential areas and also the site of many foreign embassies.
At Government House, the governor-general presides over meetings of the Federal Executive Council, and holds investitures to present honours within the Order of Australia and associated Australian military, bravery and civil decorations. The governor-general also receives visiting heads of state and other dignitaries and the credentials of ambassadors to Australia, and entertains people from all walks of life.
The Queen of Australia, Elizabeth II, and foreign heads of state stay at Government House when on official visits to Canberra.
Between 1901, when the Commonwealth of Australia came into being, and 1927, the Parliament of Australia met in Melbourne — the capital city of the state of Victoria. Most government offices were located in Melbourne as well and Government House, Melbourne served as the governor-general's official residence.
When the area that was named as Canberra in 1913 was chosen to be the site of the future capital city of Australia — and 910 square miles (2,358 square kilometres) of land excised from the state of New South Wales (NSW) to form the Australian Capital Territory — the Commonwealth Government compulsorily acquired Yarralumla Station, a large pastoral property dating from the 1830s. Yarralumla's existing brick house, which had begun life as a rural homestead/family home, was subsequently renovated, enlarged and transformed into a vice-regal residence.
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