Set in 105 hectares (260 acres) of parkland, Old Government House was constructed between 1799 and 1818 on the foundations of Governor Phillip’s original 1790 thatched cottage. Built by convicts, it became the decision-making centre of the colony and served as the country getaway for the first ten governors of Australia. Over the decades, its has at times also served as everything from a vice-regal residence to a boarding house for local schoolboys.
Today it's a world heritage listed site, recognised as Australia’s oldest public building, having been restored to its original glory by a multi-million-dollar revamp in 1990s. It also boasts the nation’s most important collection of Australian colonial furniture, as well as early textiles and significant homewares from the time of the colonial governors.
