GSA Guide – Old Government House (1860-1862) Claimed

 Old Government House

The construction of Queensland's first Government House was the first important architectural work undertaken by the newly formed Government of Queensland. 

HISTORY

The first Queensland parliament met on the 22nd of May 1860. One month after this meeting a vote to fund a new Government House was successful.

The site chosen for the building was high on Gardens Point overlooking the Brisbane Botanic Gardens and with expansive vistas of the Brisbane River.

The choice of building a Government House in Brisbane was contentious since the capital of Queensland to that point had not been decided. Old Government House, a substantial two-storey sandstone building, was designed by Colonial Architect Charles Tiffin in 1860. 

The building was constructed between 1860 and 1862 in the Classical Revival style. It was home to the first eleven Governors of Queensland until 1910.

Modifications in the 1870s resulted in a more pronounced Queensland-style, including the addition of roofing over the first-floor terraces. In 1873, a roof was built over the balcony. A portico was added in the 1880s using a lighter coloured stone.

In 1909 the house was donated to the newly established University of Queensland, as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the founding of the State of Queensland.

The University of Queensland used the building until 1945 when the university commenced relocating to its new campus at St Lucia.  This move was not finalised until the 1960s. 
In 2002, an agreement between the National Trust of Queensland, the Queensland Government and Queensland University of Technology gave custodianship of Old Government House to the Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

QUT performed a major restoration of the building in 2009, marking the 150th anniversary of the State of Queensland. It is now within the Queensland University of Technology campus, and is used by QUT for events and functions.  

 Building Material

Old Government House is built from locally-sourced materials, predominantly sandstone, porphyry, red cedar, hoop pine and cast iron.

The sandstone was originally sourced from Goodna (Formation: Woogaroo Subgroup) from Jeay's Quarry, owned by the builder Joshua Jeay.

Restoration work throughout Old Government House was carried out by J.H. Wagner and Sons at various times using Helidon Sandstone (Formation: Woogaroo Subgroup) from their quarries.

Porphyry (Formation: Brisbane Tuff) was sourced from the Windsor quarry on Lutwyche Road. White sandstone from Murphy's Creek (Formation: Gatton Sandstone) was used for the portico.

Construction:: Colonial Architect Charles Tiffin (architect), Joshua Jeay (builder), J.H. Wagner and Sons (restoration)