Government House, Adelaide

Government House in Adelaide, located at the corner of North Terrace and King William Road, serves as the official residence of the governor of South Australia. The history of this building dates back to the early days of the colony, with its origins in a modest "Government Hut" made of thatch, constructed by the seamen of HMS Buffalo. The hut was far from luxurious, as described by Governor John Hindmarsh in May 1837, who noted that his family lived in cramped conditions with only one end of the mud hut completed.

When Lieutenant Colonel George Gawler succeeded Hindmarsh as governor in 1838, he abandoned the idea of a timber structure in favor of a more permanent masonry building. The original design was provided by English architect Edward O'Brien but was modified by George Strickland Kingston, an assistant to the Surveyor General with architectural experience. Due to budget constraints, the initial plans, which were estimated at around £7,000, were further revised, and construction was contracted to builders East and Breeze.

The east wing of the current Government House was the first section to be completed, in May 1840. This makes it one of the oldest continuously occupied houses in South Australia, second only to Walkley Cottage in North Adelaide. Upon completion, the house included a main drawing room, morning room, small dining room, and several bedrooms and servants' quarters upstairs. Over the years, various governors, their families, and guests have utilized these rooms.

Government House was officially recognized as a heritage site, being listed on the South Australian Heritage Register on July 24, 1980, and previously on the Register of the National Estate on March 21, 1978. In recent years, a portion of the eastern boundary of the grounds was adjusted to accommodate the construction of the Anzac Centenary Memorial Walk, which was completed in 2016.