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Despatches Respecting the New Government House at Melbourne

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Despatches Respecting the New Government House at Melbourne 1877-8. VICTORIA. DESPATCHES RESPECTING THE NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE AT MELBOURNE. ------------------ PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT BY HIS EXCELLENCY'S COMMAND. (1..) HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF VICTORIA TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES. No. 134. Government House, Melbourne, 4th October 1876. My LORD, I have the honor to report, for your Lordship's information, that the new Government House at Melbourne has now been completed, with the exception of some internal decorations, and that it has been occupied by my family. 2. This is by far the largest Government House in any colony; indeed it is (as I am informed) twice as large as the residence of t,he Lord Lieutenant at Dublin. It is of Italian architecture; is erected on a commanding site, about one mile from the centre of the city of Melbourne; is surrounded by extensive terraces, gardens; and lawns; and is adjacent to the beautiful Botanic Gardens, which are maintained with a liberal annual outlay by the Government of Victoria. I annex photographs showing the appearance of the house from several points of view; also the sketch of the ball-room, published in one of the illustrated newspapers of Victoria, on the occasion of the annual ball given by me in celebration of the Queen's birthday. The accommodation is so good that there was no crowding, although nearly fourteen hundred (1,400) persons were present. The toast of Her Majesty's health, proposed by me at the supper, was received with great enthusiasm. 3. The Colonial Architect (Mr. Wardell), who designed the Government House, has furnished me with the accompanying ground plan for transmission to Your Lordship's department. It will be seen that the dimensions, of the three principal or "state" rooms are in feet as follows :- LengU,. Breadtll. Height. ft. in, ft. in. fl.. (a.) Ball-room 137 6 55 0 45 (b.) Dining-room 68 9 35 0 25 (c.) Drawing-room 66 0 32 6 23 There is also a handsome suite of "private" reception rooms; and the stables and other offices are very commodious, and on the newest plans. 4. This house with its appurtenances (as appears from the official papers) has already cost this colony one hundred and fifty thousand pounds (£150,000), viz.:­ (a.) The main bnilding £91,000 (b.) Stables, guardroom, terraces, &c. 32,000 (c.) Furniture (exclusive of the value of the furniture belonging to the former residence of the Governor) 25,000 (d.) Laying out the grounds . 2,000 £150,000 5. The Governors of Victoria have hitherto rcsided in :t convenient villa Itt Toorak, five miles from Melbourne. The new Government House was begun in 11;72, during the administration of my predecessor Lord Canterbury, and has taken nearly five years in building. It was undertaken an(l finished by the spontaneons aet of successive Ministries and Parliaments of Victoria, and ent,irely withont any solicitation on my part, or on that (so far as I can learn) of any of my predecessors, several of whom felt that so large a palace would entail a very heavy expense on the Governor for the time being. 6. It will be remembered that the Governors of Victoria formerly received £10,000 a year in salary, and also an anllual allowance of £5,000 for payment of staff, maintenance of establishment, and the like. This latter snm was cut off in 1863, and the Governor has since been left to defray out of his nominal salary of £10,000 the expenses of his staff, establishment, &c., while he is expected to entertain a great and inereasing number of foreigners and of other visitors of distinction, and to entertain the society of Melbourne, which is more populous than Edinburgh, and is the most wealthy city ill the Southern Hemisphere. I huve, &c., (Signed) G. F. BOWEN. The Right Honorable the Earl of Cl1l'llnfYOH, &c., &c., &c. (AppI'O"ima~ C1J# of P"pel'.-l'rcp~rMl"", no! given! l'rlntlng (775 copies), £315s. 00.] No. 101. 2 THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE GO~RN"OR OF VIC~ORIA. Victoria, No. 94. Downing street, 2nd December 1876. ", SIR," , .."....". " .. ' ,. 'i ;', :.I .~ave th,e honor ~o a,cK,no,,;ledge" the receipt' of 'yonI" despatch No. '134 of the. 4tlcof 'October .last, describing the new Government House lately completed at Melbourne; and I beg that you ,,,ill expl1ess to your Government my gratification at learnil}g ~hat Her M'~jesty's Representative has in this very hl1ndsome building been provided with It residence worthy of the great colony of Victoria. I trust that the expenses attendant upon the occupation of so large a dwelling in a manller COll­ sistent with the requirements of society in Victoria will not press too heavily on the resources of the Governor; but this is a point which I fcel confident will be fully and fairly considcred by the Parliament, who,,I,a¥.l,!'9-re,.w~ul4 n.otde~~r~ tha(the eiec);ion?f ~his fine official residence should operate as a further reduction'M'l'salary which;' corisider~ble as it! is'! in actual amo'unt, 'places, lisT am informed; the' Governor in a position relatively less favorable in regard to ,his necessary expenditure than that of some other Governors of great colonies. I have, &c., (Signed) CARNARVON. Governor/Sir G. F. Bowen, G.C,M.G., " '.'" &i::,' i , ." '&c'.;' "," &c. ' ".' ". , .' >. " .: .,.t'<.1 :' : ;. (3.) HIS EXCEIiLENCY 'fH.E GOVERNOR:~[,O !rHE,SEORE'rARY 0]1' STATE. No. 47. • ., G:overnm!)nt Hou~e, Melbourne, 1\'larch iO, 1878. My LORD, >",:( " . , " I have not hitherto replied to Your Lordship's despatch No. 94 .of th~ 2nd. De()ember 18,76; ~ut circumstances. which have recep,tly OCCUlTed here_appeal' to render it desirable that I should solicit your attention to certain points respecting the Government House at :Melbourne, and the salary of the Governor of Victoria. , 2. In~y despatch No. 134 of the 4th October 1876, I reported·the completion. and occupation by my family of the new Government Honse at Melbourne.. I forwarded also a copy of the g'round-plan, and of the dimensions of the principal apartments, as furnished to me by. the Colonial Architect. 3. I further explained that the Governors of Victoria had previOl~sly resided in a villa at Toorak, five' miles from lIielbourne; andthat the new Government House was beg'uni~ 187,2, during the administl'atioll of my predecessor, Lord Oanterbury, and had taken nearly five yeal's in building', I added that it was undertaken and finished by the spontaneous act of ,successive Ministries. and. Parliaments of Victoria; and certainly without any solicitation on my part, 01' on that (sorm' I could learn) of any of niy predecessors; several of whom felt that 80 lal'ge a palace would entail. a very hea\'}' expense on the Governor for tllC time being. .'.f . ;' . * S~eret&ry ot 4. 'lnfacknowledging the above despatch Your Lordship wrote*. as ~ollows :-" I beg that you will ~:"~:~o:~emot "express to your Government my gratificatio~ on learning that Her Majesty's Re:r:re~entll:tive has in this very No. 94 ot Dec, 2, "handsomebuilding been provided with a resJdence worthy of the great Oolony of VlCtorlS. I trust that the 1876. " expenses attendant upon the occupation ofso large a dwelling in a manner consistent with the requirements of "society in ViCtoria will not press too heavily on the.resources of th!J Governor; but this is a point which, I " feel confident, will be fully and fairly considered by the Parliament; who, I am sure, would not desire that .'1 the 'erection of this fine official residence should operate. as a further reduction of a salary, which, " consiGerable as it is in actual amount, places, as I am informed, the Governor in a position relatively less " favourable in regard to his necessary expenditure, than that of some other Governors of great colonies." . 6. It has been tmly remarked"that "since the new Government "Honse has been completed, it has I~,been' the general feeling of the Parliament and of the public, that a special allo,vance should be made, as a ~'·matter·of justice,to the Governor, towards the great cost of living in it, iIi a manner.hecoming the position "of the Representative of the Queen in this colony." For it is known that the. Governor of Victoria is now called.uponto maintain a Government House much Inrgerthan the official residences ofthe Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and of the Viceroy of India, on less than one-half of the salary and allowances of the first, and on less than one-third of the salnry and allowances of the_second. So again; whereas the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland invites onhr abont sixteen hundred (1,600) persons, aue! the Viceroy of India invites a still smallel' liliffioet to bis balls, the Governol' of Victoria is expected to illvite above two thousand one hundred (2,100) persons. 1\{o1'eov81', in addition to snbscl'iptions to public ami charitable objects in all parts of the colony, the Go~ernor is calIed upon !O entertain not only the society 'of MeJ~o~l1'ne, the wealt?i~8t ci,ty in ~u.stralia,­ jllrleed m the Southern Hemlsp~el'e,-but also a constant flow of offiCial and other dlstmgUlshed VISitors from the neighbouring' colonies and from Europe. Again, during' many years, while the Governors of this Colonr lived in a small villa in the country they received, in addition to the salary of :£10,000, an allowance of £0,000, out of which was defrayed the cost of their personal staff, travelling expenses, &c.
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