Old Government House offers a rare glimpse into life at the top of mid-Victorian era Adelaide — and the lives of those who worked behind the scenes to support it.

The Main House reflects the comfort and refinement of a prosperous Victorian household, with elegant rooms and furnishings that speak to status and ceremony. Just steps away, the Servants’ Quarters tell a different story — simpler rooms, practical spaces, and the everyday reality of a working family.

Built in 1860 as South Australia’s first official vice-regal summer residence, the house was used by Governors Richard Graves MacDonnell (1855–62), Dominick Daly (1862–68), James Fergusson (1869–72), Anthony Musgrave (1873–77) and William Jervois (1877–80). During these years, it served as a seasonal retreat from the heat of Adelaide and a setting for both private family life and official duties.

Constructed from local sandstone, with distinctive red-brick quoins from the Blackwood brickworks and originally roofed in native timber shingles, the house reflects the materials and craftsmanship of the colony. It even featured what is believed to be the first indoor plunge pool in South Australia — a remarkable luxury for its time.

Together, the buildings offer a vivid snapshot of Victorian life in South Australia — from vice-regal grandeur to the rhythms of daily domestic work.

In 1880, Old Government House was replaced by a grander summer residence at Marble Hill. From that time, the house entered a quieter chapter in its history.

It became the home of the curator of the Department of Woods and Forests Nursery, which also operated within Belair National Park. In 1961, the property was transferred to the National Parks and Wildlife Service. After initial conservation work, the house opened to the public as a museum.

Further restoration in the 1970s — and again in 2002–03 — carefully returned the building to its former elegance, allowing visitors to experience its Victorian character much as it once was.

The house is set within approximately one acre of gardens. When the house was built, this land was largely natural bush, enclosed by a simple post-and-rail fence. Today, the grounds have been thoughtfully redesigned as a mid-Victorian Anglo-Italian garden, creating a setting that complements the restored house and reflects the style of the period.