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decoration of each of the official residences, but relatively little furniture and other items were provided by the government — each successive governor had to provide his household with furniture, linen, china etc. from his own pocket (today the pattern is quite different — with each new incumbent only being required to provide personal items). During its 34-year career as
Government House the Clayton building was redecorated and added to but it entered the 20th century largely unaltered.
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335:(and then Wynyard again). It is possible that neither of these men visited or resided in Wellington during their terms and thus the official status of the Wakefield Villa is uncertain. Grey became governor for a second time in 1861 and he certainly used Wakefield House as his Official Wellington Residence.
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In 1865 the capital was transferred from
Auckland to Wellington. The need to provide accommodation for the various branches of Government resulted in a flurry of construction and prompted the replacement of the rather plain Government House with a more appropriate building. In 1868 this was embarked
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As well as being an official residence and workplace, Government House is also the main venue where the governor-general entertains members of the public, and receives visiting heads of state and other dignitaries and the credentials of ambassadors to New
Zealand. Government House is likewise the
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Following the fire in the wooden
Parliament Buildings in 1907, the then Governor-General Lord Plunket offered the use of Government House to house both houses of Parliament until a replacement building could be built. In the interim the Plunkets decamped to Palmerston North between 1908 and 1910
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from 1904. The social climate of the late 19th century required the governor to spend part of the year in other areas of the country – predominately
Auckland, although for a while a third Government House was maintained in Christchurch. This pattern doubtless lent longevity to the fabric and
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giving the impression of even greater expansiveness. The scale of the ground has allowed a range of different landscapes to be developed: rockeries, flower gardens, lawn areas, and a splendid collection of mature trees. All this contributes to it now being considered a garden of national
324:. Wakefield's house was a very plain Regency styled building with verandahs, it stood on a hill overlooking the harbour. There is a record of the first Government House Ball being held in it, on 10 February 1849 during George Grey's first period as governor.
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363:(1823–1877) and completed around 1871 the second Government House commanded expansive views over the city and harbour and provided a picturesque contrast with the adjacent Gothic styled Parliament Building complex. Its first occupant was
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where they resided in a house now called Caccia-Birch. Plunket had been lobbying for a larger and more up-to-date residence to be provided by the
Government, hopefully more distant from Parliament and with more private grounds.
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As a result of renovations undertaken in the early 2000s, new carpets were provided for the public reception rooms. The carpets and rugs were designed by several New
Zealand artists; Gavin Chilcott, Andrew McLeod, Tim Main and
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Many of the rooms are set aside for official state occasions—for example, two dining rooms, a ballroom, a conservatory and drawing rooms. Government House is where the governor-general confers with the leader of the
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windows, bronze electric light fixtures and neo-Georgian plasterwork ceilings. Various portraits of successive governors and other significant people are displayed along with a collection of
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Despite being built of wood, the second
Government House was an imposing structure distinguished by a tower; it was one of several mid-century houses influenced by Queen Victoria's
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from 1841 until 1865, the provision of an official residence for the governor was initially not a priority. It was only during the period of the fourth governor,
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The house's grounds are much more private than the previous residence, totalling 12 hectares (30 acres). On one side the gardens border
Alexandra Park and the
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upon. As the new
Parliament Buildings were directly adjacent it was unsurprising that it was mooted that the new Government House should be in a similar
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515:. Throughout the house are examples of what was considered good taste at the time: marble fireplaces, parquet floors, oak panelling, Mahogany doors,
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pattern, composed into a huge single composition 4 metres (13 ft) x without a repeat, was designed by Andrew McLeod and inspired by
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conservation and rebuilding project, and was reopened in March 2011. During the refurbishment the governor-general lived at
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The extensive grounds also contain tennis and squash courts, a bomb shelter, four cottages and a visitor centre.
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598:. This pattern was produced in three different colour-ways and appears in several of the reception rooms.
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The Parliament Building fire nudged the government into commissioning a new Government House to be built.
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Entrance hall of the residence, with parquet floors and oak panellings used prominently throughout.
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was the first governor-general to occupy in Government House, residing there from 1910 to 1912.
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State and official events are typically held in either the conservatory, or the dining room
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location of many award presentations and investitures, and where prime ministers and other
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Gardens and manicured lawns front the north and south entrances of the residence.
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634:"Peek inside the mansion where the royals stay on their New Zealand visits"
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significance, although there are few ornaments or sculptures to be seen.
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Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in the Wellington Region
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All the succeeding governors resided in the new Clayton building, from
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are sworn in, among other ceremonial and constitutional functions.
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stay at Government House when on official visits to New Zealand.
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Official residence of the Governor-General of New Zealand
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Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth
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Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth
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was chosen, probably because it was the cheaper option.
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Government House closed in October 2008 for a major
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Exterior facade of the second Government House, 1882
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586:. Of particular interest is the spectacular
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845:Buildings and structures in Wellington City
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401:John Dickson-Poynder, 1st Baron Islington
46:South entrance of Government House, 2017
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207:Heritage New Zealand – Category 1
786:. The Governor-General of New Zealand
758:"Government House tours - Wellington"
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414:in Lower Hutt while in Wellington.
850:Official residences in New Zealand
671:"Government Houses $ 44m facelift"
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865:1910s architecture in New Zealand
716:. Governor-General of New Zealand
694:. Governor-General of New Zealand
632:Downes, Siobhan (8 August 2021).
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692:"Conservation Project Rationale"
608:Government Houses of New Zealand
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246:governor-general of New Zealand
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132:Governor-General of New Zealand
175:Claude Paton in the office of
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814:Government House, Wellington
312:'s villa, located where the
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736:"Rooms of Government House"
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659:Auckland Libraries, 4-1028
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348:style . As it happened an
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112:41.306114°S 174.7810835°E
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300:When Auckland was the
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181:Government Architect
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760:. Government House
738:. Government House
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250:New Zealand
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103:174°46′52″E
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839:Categories
784:gg.govt.nz
764:1 February
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645:3 February
619:References
588:kowhaiwhai
445:South side
433:North side
346:neo-Gothic
331:, then by
266:Wellington
258:Cindy Kiro
214:Designated
159:Floor area
100:41°18′22″S
75:Wellington
517:leadlight
472:Residence
462:Town Belt
367:in 1873.
146:Completed
65:Edwardian
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602:See also
509:Georgian
698:1 April
513:Regency
486:Newtown
418:Grounds
314:Beehive
291:History
270:Newtown
256:. Dame
187:Website
81:Country
720:15 May
639:Stuff
507:, to
505:Tudor
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792:2023
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