Government House Victoria

Government House Victoria offers the first comprehensive history of one of Australia's largest and finest houses as a theatre of empire and democracy, and the setting of public ritual and domestic routine.

Tracing the story of Victoria's first government houses, it brings to light controversies over design, construction, grounds, furniture and interiors, and its heyday as the focal point of Marvellous Melbourne in the 1880s. Home to governors and their families and at one time Australia's first Commonwealth Government House, it has entertained royalty and heads of state and been the location of grand balls, garden parties and countless charity events. During two world wars, it served as a Red Cross depot and in the Great Depression it was a girls' school.

For the most part, though, Government House has been the elegant backdrop to the responsibilities of the Vice-Regal Office and occasional political intrigue, as well as the public and private lives of its occupants and the household that supports it. This eloquent study draws on contributions from eight eminent historians, interweaving biography with urban and landscape history. Combining archival discovery, architectural analysis and cultural critique with lavish new photography, it is a stunning tribute that will enrich public understanding of the changes in Vice-Regal Office and its times in this grand house and its beautiful garden.