Government House, Wellington, is built on one of the most favoured sites in the City. The location is immediately between the Houses of Parliament, where the laws are made, and the Government Buildings, where they are administered. The grounds have an area of about six-and-a-half acres in an irregular pentagonal shape, enclosed by Molesworth, Sydney, Museum, and Bowen Streets, with Thorndon Quay on the front facing the sea. The House itself is a two-story edifice in the Italian style, 165 feet in length, and slightly less in depth, the top of the tower being eighty feet above the ground level. The magnificent view of the City and its surroundings to be obtained at this elevation is a surprise and delight to those who have had the privilege of contemplating the variety of aspects which the waters of Port Nicholson assume with the changes of light and breeze. Wellington Harbour is seldom alike for half - an - hour at a time, but it is always worth contemplating; sometimes placid as a mirror, with the shadow of an occasional cloud sweeping over it, and often angry and turbulent, it is the ideal of a training-ground for a nation whose destiny it is to rule the waves. From the tower of Government House the most unobservant spectator intuitively feels that the noble harbour before him is a great factor in the future destinies of the Colony. The illustrations give an idea of the contrast of Government House in the early days as compared with the building of to-day. Government House up till 1868 was a very unpretentious affair, and only remarkable from other humble buildings of those days by the flagstaff and the two guns in front. Originally erected for and occupied by Colonel Wakefield, of the New Zealand Company, it became the first Government House on the removal of the Administration of the Colony to Wellington. Previous to 1865 the seat of Government was at Auckland, and in those days, when the means of travelling were meagre in the extreme, many efforts were made to remove the headquarters of the Colony to some more central position by members of the Legislature, who lost much valuable time in travelling to and fro; and it must be remembered that there was no telegraph system in those days. In November, 1863, Mr. Alfred Domett succeeded in carrying resolutions to the effect that it had become necessary that the seat of Government should be transferred to some suitable locality in page 22 Cook Strait, and that the selection of the particular site should be left to the arbitrament of an impartial tribunal. This was rendered necessary from the fact that Wellington, Nelson, and Picton all claimed a superiority over any others, and each put in a claim; it must be remembered that at that time Wellington and Nelson had about equal populations, and owing to the goldmining operations in the province, the latter place had a most promising outlook before it. Its climate was also much in its favour. Picton, too, with its land-locked harbour, its central position, and proximity to the Wairau Valley, had great hopes of being selected; but the Commission were unanimous that Wellington possessed the greatest advantages for the administration of the Government of the Colony, and in February, 1865, the headquarters were formally removed here. At that time the Maori troubles were at their worst; the Hau-hau heresy was at its height, and outrages and bloodshed were every-day occurrences in the Poverty Bay and Wanganui districts. Sir George Grey was then Governor, and by the assistance of British troops and native allies, the war was brought to a close in July, 1866, and Sir George F. Bowen was appointed Governor in November, 1867. In the following year the Premier, Mr. E. W. (now Sir Edward) Stafford, brought forward proposals to acquire a site and erect a residence for the representative of Her Majesty. At that time the colonial treasury was not in a flourishing condition. The native troubles had strained the resources of the Government to such an extent that the question of providing funds for the erection of a building which would be a credit to the Colony, was a matter which gave Ministers some trouble; and Mr. Stafford's proposal to sell the Lowry Bay Estate to provide the funds was the method finally adopted. But grave objections were raised to the building of it in Wellington. At that time the City had a most unenviable notoriety for unhealthiness. The sea beach formed one side of Lambton Quay, and the malaria arising from the refuse washed ashore was at times very offensive, and the members of the House counselled the citizens of Wellington and the Town Board to endeavour to make the place sufficiently pleasant and comfortable before the sacred person of Her Majesty's representative could be expected to reside in their midst. The Wellington people have responded in a manner which is very thorough, and noble warehouses now occupy the once offensive littoral. The present site was fixed on, Mr. Clayton prepared the plans for a residence, and Mr. B. Smith secured the contract, the price being £10,583, the old buildings becoming the property of the contractor. page break page 23 These were removed to Murphy Street and re-erected there, where they still remain, and are the property of Mr. Newton, soap manufacturer. Mr. B. Smith failed to complete his contract, and the late Mr. John Martin, who was his surety to the extent of £1000, elected to finish the work in preference to forfeiting his bond. But by the time the work was finished it cost him considerably in excess of this, and the value of the buildings was estimated by the architect at £16,245. However, the loss of the extra cost fell on Mr. Martin, who regretted not having paid the £1000. The cost of the stables was £1184, and there were extras to the extent of £1247. The first cost of furniture was £3200, and there have been constant annual payments for up-keep and maintenance. There was a delay in starting the erection of the building, through the arrival of the Duke of Edinburgh in H.M.S. “Galatea” on the 27th of August, 1870, and a temporary structure was erected to do duty as a ballroom for the occasion. Judge Johnston contemptuously described this as a “shedifice,” and that term frequently occurs in the Hansard reports of debates in Parliament of those days. The present building was completed in 1871, and contains two spacious drawing rooms, which open out into each other, a dining-room, a ballroom forty-three feet by twenty-eight feet, a billiard-room and conservatory, together with a full suite of offices for the Governor and his staff, and the Executive Council. There are upwards of twenty bedrooms, and the servants' quarters are commodious, and arranged with all the conveniences modern ideas of comfort suggest. Ventilation has had due attention paid to it through-out, and gas and electricity are both laid on. The stables are situated at the south-west corner of the grounds, and are built with loose-boxes ten feet square, brick floored, and with every convenience for feed, water, etc., for ten horses. There are two coachhouses, in which are kept five carriages, and adjoining are the cottages for the accommodation of the grooms and gardeners. The out-of-door staff consists of two coachmen, and three gardeners. There is also a lodge at the main entrance, where a bombardier and three privates of the Permanent Artillery are constantly on duty, one being always on guard, and the squad being relieved at 9 a.m. every morning; there are also three of the same force always in attendance at Government House itself, one attending at the door, and the other two acting as messengers. The domestic servants consist of four employed in the kitchen, three housemaids, one schoolroom maid, two ladies' maids, one butler, and a man and boy for odd jobs. The laundry is occupied by one of the permanent force who is employed on duty at the House. The cost of the establishment to the Colony varies considerably. During one year, when the illness of one of Lord Onslow's children was attributed to diptheria, caused by insufficient drainage, the drains were all re-laid, and the cost of maintenance was £4025 for that year. In other years it has been as low as £486. For the year 1888—9 the official records give the total cost of the Vice-regal establishment as: Governor's salary, £5000; cost of establishment, £2440; maintenance of House and grounds, £1520; total, £8837. In 1891–2 the figures are as follows: Salary, £5000; House and grounds, £1614; total, £6614. The following have been the occupants of Government House since its erection:—Sir George Ferguson Bowen, to the 19th of page 24 March, 1873; Sir James Fergusson, 14th of June 1878, to 3rd of December, 1874; The Marquis of Normanby, 3rd of December, 1874, to 21st of February, 1879; Sir Hercules Robinson, 17th of April, 1879, to 8th of September, 1880; Sir Arthur Gordon, 29th of November, 1880, to 23rd of June, 1882; Sir W. F. Drummond Jervois, 20th of January, 1883, to 22nd of March, 1889; The Earl of Onslow, 2nd of May, 1889, to 24th of February, 1892; the Earl of Glasgow, 7th of June, 1892. It is interesting to notice the change of policy on the part of the English Government in the class of public servants selected to act as representatives of the Crown in the colonies. In the early days colonial Governors were drafted entirely from officers of the Army or Navy. The first two Governors were both post-captains—Hobson and Fitzroy — with an interval of fifteen months during which Lieutenant Shortland was Administrator, from 1840 to 1845. Then came three military men—Captain (Sir George) Grey, Lieutenant-Colonel Wynyard, Colonel Gore Browne, and Sir George Grey again, who gave place in 1868 to Sir George Bowen, a diplomatist. His four successors, Sir James Fergusson, the Marquis of Normanby, Sir Hercules Robinson, and Sir Arthur Gordon, all belonged to the diplomatic staff, and then a military man, in the person of Sir William Francis Drummond Jervois, was sent out, chiefly because of his high abilities on defence questions at the time when it was considered desirable that all the colonies should have expert advice on defence. Then came the aristocratic era, with Lord Onslow, followed by the present popular Governor, the Earl of Glasgow. This principle of appointing titled personages to Vice-regal honours has applied during this period to the colonies generally.