Old Government House, Brisbane

Old Government House, Brisbane

The Old Government House is located at Gardens Point near the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. It is one of the oldest buildings in Brisbane and the first to be built by the city government.

The house was built for Sir George Bowen, the first Governor of Queensland. The locations was chosen specifically for its view of the Botanic Gardens and the Brisbane River. It was completed in 1862 from a design by Charles Tiffin in the Classical Revival architectural style. All materials used in the building were locally sourced sandstone, tuff, cedar, pine and iron.

The Old Government House had both public and private rooms for official business and residential purposes. Governor Bowen and his family moved into the home shortly after it was built. His wife, Lady Diamantina Bowen, worked with the curator of the Botanic Gardens to design both flower and vegetable gardens at the house.

The house now serves as a museum run by the Queensland University of Technology. Visitors can enjoy tours of the house on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday at 10:30 AM. Guided tours must be scheduled in advance.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Brisbane. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Old Government House on Map

Sight Name: Old Government House
Sight Location: Brisbane, Australia (See walking tours in Brisbane)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

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