NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3095, 7 January 1871, Page 3

NEW GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

This building occupies the portion of the domain once celebrated as fche site of the " Shedifioe" and some portions of tho Old Government Cottage. The buildings form a triangle, each Bide nearly facing a cardinal point. The principle front is towards the east, the official apartments and main entrance being towards tho south, while conservatory, dining rooms, offices, &c, are to tho north. The entrance is marked by a campanile tower, surmounted by a belfry, and terminating with a flag pole, and from the ground line to the foofc of tbe flag pole meaaures 82 feet. Jutting OUt southerly from the tower is a lofty carriage porch, under which, on all occasions, carriages stop, when their occupants can enter the buildngs during all weathers, without exposure to tho elements. After a flight of five steps the entrance folding doors aro reached, through which fche hall is entered. This apartment measures 26 feefc by 18 feet, having three arches stretching from side to side, supported on pauelled and moulded pilasters and handsomely carved trusses. The walls and ceiling of this apartment are designed and executed in colored woods, fche growth of New Zealand, the margin of panels being of figured red pine, the panels themselves of kauri, and relieved by raised panels in their centres of tofcara, the .walls terminating with a moulded modillion cornioe. The ceiling is similarly finished to the walls, bufc finished in fche centre wifch carved radiating leaves, from the centre of wliich will hang a handsome gas lantern. The effect of these woods is rich, and, like all the joiners' work, will be highly polished, thereby bringing out the peculiar beauties of the fancy woods of New Zealand. Separating the main corridor from this hall are handsome awing doors, wifch pilasters and moulded capitals, and bases on both sides, and bold moulded architraves, both doors and pilasters having plate glass panels, with rich ambor handles on fche sides, as they open both ways. Now, in the corridor, which is 98 feet long by 8 feefc 6 inches wide, immediately to fche left is a corridor, off which are the offioial or business rooms, which will be referred to hereafter. Aboub the centre of the principal corridor fco fche left is the grand staircase, having an independent flight of seventeen stops to the main landing, 1 } and, branching right and left, the return flights, of twelve steps, reach tho first floor. To fche rigbfc, or east side of the main corridor, the ball-rooms and drawingroom are situated, all en suite, bufc divided at pleasure with lofty sliding and folding doors, running back into fche walls, so arranged that either or both fche ball-rooms may be used singly or together, an arrangement very convenient for the favorifce entertainment of private theatricals, large balls, or small dances on publio occasions. Tho doors between tho ball-room and corridor can be easily unhinged, and the windows, which lead on to a verandah 10 feet wide, are thrown up, and low dwarf doorß underneath slide back into the walls, thereby throwing tho verandah (which would be enclosed with canvas blinds) and the corridor into the promenading portion of the ballroom. Tho ball-rooms are 24 feet wide, one 43 feet long and the otber 27 feet, which gives better accommodation than a ball-room 70 feefc by 42 feefc, because the promenaders will be divided from fche dancers, and fche wall sofas will allow non-dancers a good view of fche dancing. Proceeding through the second or northerly sliding doors, the drawing-room is entered with its length at right angles to tho ball room, and in size 35 feeL by 22 feefc, with an oriel window 10 feet by 4 feefc, afc fche easfc end one window opening on to the verandah, and three windows similar to those m fche ball-room communicating wifch fche conservatory, 43 feefc by 21 feefc, and parallel wifch the drawing-room. Opposito to the door, between fche corridor and drawing-room, is the entrance to the dining-room, whioh can also be entered by a door from the conservatory. This room has a northerly look-out; through an oriel window, similar fco that in the drawing-room, and westerly through windows as described in tho ball-room, the size being 38 feefc by 22 feefc, exclusive of the oriel window. Off fche dining-room westerly, and adjoining, is fche serving-room, beyond which the butler's pantry, with wine and beer cellars under butler's room, and fire-proof plate-room. Still further on is the servants' ball, and then the

kitchen and scullery. The kitchen is fitted with a six-foot English range and patent smoke jack for roasting joints, with high pressure boiler at back for supplying the several baths with hot water. Returning again to the entrance hall, on fche easfc side is a hut and cloak room and lobby, leading to a card or billiard room — 22x18 —with oriel windows— lox4, corresponding and uniform with that in the drawing-room, fche latter forming the relief to the elevation of tho northern wing, and the former to fche southern wing. On fcho northern side of tho billiard or card room are entrances to fche ball room and verandah, by a door to fche former, and by a window wifch dwarf doors under or to the verandah. The reader will gather from tbis desoription that, beginning with the card room, and terminating with the dining room, which on ball ocoasions will be the supper room, there will be en route the card room, first ball room, second ball room, and drawing room (all communicating with the verandah and corridor) the conservatory and dining room. It should have been stated that from the corridor the conservatory may be entered, and through it tho flower garden and croquet ground, by a flight of steps and terrace. It will be again necessary to return to the entrance hall, and take a westerly direction through a corresponding and uniform door to thafc entering fche hat aud cloak room, the A.D.C.'s office — 22x14 — is entered, fchence the Private. Secretary's — 22x12— through which the office of his Excellency the Governor and Executive Council — 22x18 — presents itself, plain and business like in its architectural adornments. Still westerly a private office or retiring room — 18x13— for hiß Excellency is provided, with lavatory and other conveniences suitably arranged. These rooms lie south of and enter the corridor referred to as first on the left when entering the main corridor. Ifc was originally intended to finish these offices with fancy colored woods similar to the entrance hall, it being his Excellency's opinion that it would be an advertisement of the beautiful woods of the country, but; fche expense led to its being reduced before tho contract was taken. Having passed through the business offices, a cross corridor is entered, westerly of which is a back staircase leading to the first floor, and by it a second entrance, having on either sido a room for the Private Seoretary and A.D.C. The fourth side of tho quadrangle is enclosed by a low building in character, and provides the necessary domestic conveniences, such as laundry, wood house, coals, ko., and tradesmen's entrance. This completes the plan of the ground floor, the height of which is sixteen feefc in fche clear, and plastered throughout excepting tho kitchen and servanfcs'lofßces, which are match-lined. The state rooms have enriched panelled ceilings, surrounded with enriched modillion cornices and centre flowers, while all the other rooms (fchis also applies to the upper floor) are finished with neatly moulded cornices, the stairoase and main corridor being particularly rich. -ill fcbe corridors and passages on both floors will be tinted in distemper a pearl grey, and all the rooms papered with papers, averaging 5s per piece, those in the state rooms averaging 12s per piece. Landing at the top oi the grand staircase, immediately opposite is Lady Bowen's bedroom — 24x20— with oriel window to tho east, opening on to a balcony over fche verandah. North and south are dressing-rooms— 24xl5 — for tho Governor and hi 9 lady, with bath-room and other conveniences fco each. The north wing is arranged for spare bed and dressing-rooms, day and night nursery, school-' room, governes.}' room, ladies' maids room, with bath room, kc j and over the kitchen and scullery are the men servants' bedrooms, while over the butler's department the maid servants' bedrooms are provided. The south wing is also arranged for four bedrooms, two dressing-rooms, general bath room, kc, and lumber room, with a smoking room or galiery over the hall, through which the balcony over tho carriage porch is reached, forming a delightful airy lounge, with fino view of the harbor and shipping. West of this Inst room is another staircase, leading to a look-out room, having windows on all sides, and over it a belfry intended for a public firo bell and watchman, from which position nearly all parts of tbe town can be seen. The architectural features of the building externally are Italian, strongly marked by the Campanile tower, and the bold projecting eaves with their inseparable oantilevers. The instructions of fche Commission to the architect when preparing the design were to discard all sham, and make it in appearance as woll as reality a wooden building, and the publio will judge whether fche effeot has been successful. The pilasters, cantilevers, angle and margin studs, ko., are all of solid timber, while tbe whole exterior is weather-boarded. The framing is of red pine, and all exposed wood work outside of totara, the floors of kauri, aud the joiner's finishings inside, whioh are all EVeneH poliabecl, are of figured red pine, kauri, and tofcara ; the only foreign timber in the building being the springing beams under the ball room floors, whioh are Oregon. >«Hofc and cold water are laid on to every bath room, and gas piping throughout. The furniture for the principal rooms has been imported from England ; but we will return to this on a future occasion, when we will lay before our readers a description of the furniture, gas fittings, ko., in each room.