Government House Tasmania | Estate Gardens

BOOKINGS OPEN AT 10 AM ON THURSDAY, 19 OCTOBER 2023

Architect: William Porden Kay (1853 – 1857)

Join Steve Percival  on a tour of the Government House grounds. The Estate Garden Tour focuses on the surrounding gardens, ponds, paddocks, cottages and stables that comprise the estate. See the manicured formal gardens and wander through the pleasure gardens including the quarry pond. You’ll also explore the food production gardens, brimming with seasonal produce.

Set on a grand estate on 15 hectares overlooking Hobart and timtumili minanya/the River Derwent, this significant site has been home to Tasmania’s Governors since 1858, a fine example of an early Victorian country house in neo-Gothic style and one of the largest of its type in Australia.

The gardens are regarded as some of the finest private gardens from the Victorian era in Australia and are thought to have been laid out by landscape gardener, William Thomas, in accordance with plans drawn up by the architect of Government House, William Porden Kay.

The gardens have been maintained much as they were developed in the 1850s and 1860s and produce from the garden is still used in the Government House kitchen.

Tour: Saturday 11 November 2023, 2 pm

Duration: 1 hour

Accessibility:  Some of the paths and areas visited on garden tours are uneven, narrow and include stairs. These are walking tours, guests will cover a large area of the estate, walking for at least an hour. Please contact us directly prior to Monday 23 October should you require disability access.