Previous Occupants
There have been a number of Governors of New South Wales, that have resided at Old Government House (previously Government House) with their families. These Governors (and their families) are listed in order of their time as Governor, from the time the House was first built, until it ceased being a vice-regal residency.
John Hunter
Philip Gidley King
Anna Josepha King (nee Coombe)
William Bligh
Lachlan Macquarie
Elizabeth Macquarie (nee Campbell)Mary Jelly
Mrs Ovens
Mary Rouse
Charles Whalan
Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane
Sir Ralph DarlingSir Richard Bourke
Sir George Gipps
Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy
Arthur Phillip
Arthur Phillip (1738 - 1814) was a British naval officer and colonial administrator. He was appointed as the first Governor of New South Wales, which was the first European colony in Australia. He was also the founder of the site where the capital city of New South Wales, Sydney, now stands. It is unsure why Phillip was chosen to take this position but it is a possibility that it was because of his knowledge of farming. Arthur Phillip married Margaret Charlotte in 1763 but she stayed in England while Phillip was in Australia. She died in 1792 two years before Phillip was succeeded as Governor. Phillip arrived and settled in the area in 1788. In 1790 he built the first Government House and stayed their until he was succeeded in 1794. Phillip returned to England and remarried a few years later. He retired in 1805 but his rank in the naval hierarchy continued to grow, unfortunately Phillip died three months after his last promotion to Admiral of the Blue in 1814.
B. H. Fletcher, 'Phillip, Arthur (1738 - 1814)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2, Melbourne University Press, 1967, pp 326-333.
John Hunter
John Hunter (1737 - 1821) was born at Lieth, the port of Edinburgh. Hunter lived with his uncle for some time and received a sufficient education. Between 1754 after becoming a captain’s servant on the HMAS Grampas until his arrangements with Captain Arthur Phillip in sending the First Fleet to Australia, John Hunter had many years' experience on the sea. Hunter was appointed second captain under Phillip and became his successor as Governor in 1794. John Hunter never married, but was a devoted uncle to sister's children who also resided in New South Wales. Hunter lived by himself in the house during his time as Governor from 1794 to 1800. After arriving back in England, Hunter furthered his positions in the navy, but spent the last few years of his life quietly in London before passing away in 1821.
J. J. Auchmuty, 'Hunter, John (1737 - 1821)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 566-572.
Philip Gidley King
Philip Gidley King (1758 - 1808) was born in Launceston, England. He grew up in the area and joined the navy in 1770 with the notion that it was easier to advance in the navy than in the army, this however proved a handicap later in life. King was nominated to establish the small penal settlement at Norfolk Island after arriving at Botany Bay with Arthur Phillip. King sailed for his new destination at Norfolk Island in 1788 and was appointed Lieutenant – Governor of Norfolk Island. King had two sons to Ann Inett, a convict from Worcestershire, who were born while King was first on Norfolk Island, they were Norfolk (1789 - 1839) and Sydney (1790 - 1840). On Governor Phillip's orders, King returned to London in 1790 to report on the difficulties of New South Wales. King was promoted Commander in 1791, and on 11 March that year he married Anna Josepha Coombe, sailing with his new wife four days later back to Norfolk Island. Six weeks after arriving in Norfolk Island, King’s wife Anna Josepha, gave birth to a boy, Phillip Parker. King became seriously ill in 1795 and a leave of absence was granted by Governor Hunter to return to England. After recovering it was decided that he was to become Governor of New South Wales. He returned in 1798 and succeeded John Hunter as Governor in 1800. King however asked for a leave of absence in 1803, received a reply in 1804 when his activities were slowed down, but was not relieved until 1806 when William Bligh arrived from England to take over as Governor. He could not sail back to England until 1807. He requested a pension but died in 1808 before it was granted.
A. G. L. Shaw, 'King, Philip Gidley (1758 - 1808)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2, Melbourne University Press, 1967, pp 55-61.
Anna Josepha King (nee Coombe)
Anna Josepha King (1765 – 1844) was born at Hatherleigh, Devon, England. Anna married Philip Gidley King, a cousin, on 11 March 1791. They left for Norfolk Island shortly after. Anna's son Phillip Parker was born six weeks after arriving to Norfolk Island, and she had four daughters with Philip in the coming years, one of which died young. His two illegitimate boys were sent to London for a good education, and in 1896 the King family also returned to London, due to Philip's ill health. They returned in 1898 so Philip could take up as Governor of New South Wales. Only the youngest daughter, Elizabeth returned to Australia with her parents. Anna helped numerous young girls while living in New South Wales. The family returned to England after William Bligh took over as Governor and Anna and her children were left in need when Philip passed away in 1808. Anna returned to Sydney after twenty four years back in England, two of her three daughters Maria and Mary had settled there and her son Captain P. P. King sailed with her to settle in Sydney as well. Anna lived with her daughter Maria at the Vineyard, Parramatta, where she died in 1844.
Marnie Bassett, 'King, Anna Josepha (1765 - 1844)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2, Melbourne University Press, 1967, pp 52-54.
William Bligh
Willliam Bligh (1754 – 1817) was born in Plymouth, England. Bligh joined the navy in 1770 and set out in 1776 on James Cook’s third voyage. Between 1780 and 1783 Bligh was promoted lieutenant and fought in two general actions. In February 1781 Bligh married Elizabeth Betham of Glasgow. From 1780 until his position as Governor of New South Wales in 1806, the navy took him to many places such as Tahiti, West Indies and Fiji. On taking up the position as Governor of New South Wales, he left his wife Elizabeth and five daughters behind, taking only his eldest, Mary and her naval husband, Lieutenant Putland. The country started to rebel against Bligh not long after his arrival. He apparently antagonised a number of leading men in the colony and seemed very unfit to handle the situations arising in the colony. In eighteen months, Bligh issued only three land grants, pardoned only two convicts and had allegedly missused Government property. In 1808, the New South Wales Military arrested the Governor and seized his papers so they could build a case that would justify their actions. Bligh remained in confinement for more than a year. In 1809 he agreed to go, but broke his word, he interfered with boats on the river and became an intolerable nuisence. Bligh stayed in Australia until Governor Lachlan Macquarie arrived in Sydney then sailed back to England in May 1810. William Bligh’s wife, Elizabeth died in 1812. Bligh received a pension and moved to Farningham, Kent where he died several years later in 1817. His six surviving daughters inherited his estate.
A. G. L. Shaw, 'Bligh, William (1754 - 1817)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 118-122. 
Lachlan Macquarie
Lachlan Macquarie (1762 – 1824) was born on the island of Ulva in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland. Macquarie volunteered for the Royal Highland Emigrants and served in a number of Regiments in different countries including America, Jamaica, East Indies and India. Macquarie was based in India from 1788 and was appointed as a captain – lieutenant only to be involved in a war in 1790 lasting approximately three years. By the time the war was over in 1793 Macquarie was appointed as Major of the brigade,paid off the debts he left behind and sent money to his poor family back in Scotland. Macquarie also proposed to a West Indian Heiress, Jane Jarvis, youngest daughter of Thomas Jarvis, former Chief Justice of Antigua. Jane accepted and they were married in 1793, however Jane became seriously ill and died in July 1796 at the age of 24. It was not until 1804 when is uncle was on his deathbed that he could get back to his family. He named his estate after his late wife, and also met a woman named Elizabeth who he would one day marry. Macquarie was sent back to India in 1805 but headed back to London in 1807 to marry Elizabeth. Macquarie took his new wife to Perth where he was next garrisoned and they had a baby girl soon after. The baby christened Jane Jarvis unfortunately died several months later and left a dark cloud over the Macquarie's lives for a long time after.
Macquarie was asked to take over as Governor of New South Wales and in May 1809, set sail with his wife for New South Wales. He was sworn in as Governor of New South Wales on New Year's day 1810. During his time as Governor Macquarie opened a new market place in 1810, arranged the first public fair in 1813 and produced a coinage system in place of bartering. The first bank in the colony was created in 1816 under Macquarie's rule and he named several towns including Wilberforce, Liverpool, Pitt-town, and Castlereagh. He founded Port Macquarie in 1821 and Illawarra in 1822, and Bathurst was chosen in 1815.
What could possibly have been the high time in Macquarie’s life in the colony was the birth of his baby boy in March 1814 whom Elizabeth named Lachlan after him. After Elizabeth endured six miscarriages, Macquarie found refuge in the role as a loving father.
In early 1817, Macquarie learnt that after eight years as Governor he was entitled to a pension, and so submitted his resignation. It wasn’t until 1820 that his third attempt at resignation was finally accepted. Sir Thomas Brisbane took over as Governor in 1821 and the Macquaries went back to their estate in Mull, Scotland. In mid 1824, Macquarie went to London to finalise his colonial accounts and fell ill, Elizabeth and his son Lachlan hurried to London to be by his side, but he died on 1 July 1824. Governor Macquarie had a leading role in the social, economic and architectural development of the New South Wales colony.
Macquarie's influence on the transition from penal colony to free settlement was crucial in shaping Australian society. It is said that Macquarie would have been pleased at the crowd of relations, friends and collegues that surrounded him at his funeral. His body was taken to Mull and buried on his estate. The Macquarie family tomb is now administered by the National Trust, and Old Government House, where he lived as Governor of New South Wales has been restored to that era with furnishings, decor, linen and furniture according to the tastes of Mrs Macquarie. She liked both English and Indian furnishing styles and this can be seen in the way many of the rooms have been preserved.
N. D. McLachlan, 'Macquarie, Lachlan (1762 - 1824)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2, Melbourne University Press, 1967, pp 187-195.
Elizabeth Henrietta Macquarie (nee Campbell)
Elizabeth Henrietta Macquarie (1778 – 1835) was the youngest daughter of John Campbell of Airds, Scotland. Elizabeth’s sister married a relative of the Macquaries, and she met her distant cousin Lachlan Macquarie at the deathbed of his uncle. After proposing at her aunt’s house in 1805, Lachlan made it clear to Elizabeth they could not marry until he returned from service in India. The couple were married in November 1807 after Lachlan returned home early and the couple had their first child,Jane Jarvis, who died the same year. Lachlan and Elizabeth moved to Australia so that Lachlan could take up the Governor position in 1810. Elizabeth had a fond interest in the welfare of the women convicts and Aborigines, and went on journeys with her husband over the Blue Mountains and the areas he named. The couple's second child, named after his father, Lachlan was born in March 1814. After resigning as Governor in 1820, and waiting for his successor to arrive, the family sailed back to Scotland and made their home back at Macquarie's estate on Mull. Elizabeth and young Lachlan continued to live at the family estate in Mull after Macquarie's death in 1824 and she received a pension until her death in March 1835. Lachlan joined the army like his father and married Isabella Hamilton Dundas but had no children. Lachlan died in May 1845.
Marjorie Barnard, 'Macquarie, Elizabeth Henrietta (1778 - 1835)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 2, Melbourne University Press, 1967, pp 186-187.
Mary Jelly - A chambermaid employed by Lachlan Macquarie
Mary Jelly was an ex-convict employed by the Macquaries as a chambermaid. Her workmates included the servants brought over from Scotland by the Macquaries – Mrs Ovens the cook, Joseph Bigg the coachman and George Jarvis, Macquarie’s personal assistant. As a chambermaid, Mary would get the fires going to warm the rooms, heat the bath water, fill and empty the hip baths, empty chamberpots and attend to the fresh linen and the making of the beds. She would place bedwarmers between the sheets before the Macquaries went to bed on a cold winter's evening. It was her responsibility to maintain a comfortable level of light and heat in the house and she would adjust the shutters and windows to control this. On 22 March 1820, Mary married George Jarvis, Macquarie’s Indian servant who had been with him for 25 years and was an important and respected member of the household. They were married by Reverend William Cowper in St Philip’s Church in Sydney. They had a daughter on 19 December 1820 however their baby girl died within a week on Christmas day. When the Macquaries left for Scotland in 1822, Mary and George accompanied them and she gave birth to a daughter on the ship on May 5.
Mrs Ovens - A cook employed by Lachlan Macquarie
Mrs Ovens accompanied the Macquaries when they left England on the Dromedary in 1809 and travelled with them to the colony where she resumed her employment as the cook.
Mary Rouse -A nursemaid employed by Lachlan Macquarie
Mary Rouse was born 13 January 1799, in England. Her family sailed for the NSW colony in 1801 on a ship called the Nile. Mary was the oldest child with six brothers and sisters. One brother drowned in the Hawkesbury River the year another sister was born in 1809. With this large family Mary had plenty of experience in dealing with small children, preparing her for the position of nursemaid to Lachlan Macquarie Jr. Her father was a wealthy man. Richard Rouse was the Superintendent and master builder at Parramatta. His duties included supervising the repairs and additions to Government House. The Rouse family lived in a large house in Church Street called Rouse Hill House and had properties at Rouse Hill and Richmond Hill for cattle and horse breeding. Mary taught Sunday School and started living with the Macquarie family when she was 19 in 1818. Her job was solely to care for their young son Lachlan Jnr who was four at the time. Mary would have slept in the nursery with him. By 28 March 1818 the four year old was tall for his age. For his birthday he was taken with sixteen other children to see the lighthouse at South Head, he also launched the cutter presented to him by Lieutenant John Watts and called the ‘Elizabeth’. The party finished with the children being rowed around Garden Island towing the cutter. She travelled with the family on all outings that the boy had and in 1818 she was on board the Governor’s Brig, the `Elizabeth Henrietta’ when it sailed to Newcastle for the night.
Seargent Charles Whalan - Governor Macquaries’ Sergeant of the body guard of light horse.
Charles Whalan Born in Middlesex in 1772. He was sentenced to seven years transportation for catching a fish on private property when he was 14 years old and still at school. After spending four years in the overcrowded Newgate prison, he arrived in New South Wales on 13 October 1791, on the ship 'Albermarle' of the Third Fleet. Because he could read and write he was employed as a clerk in the Government stores. After 16 months in the Colony, he was granted a certificate of freedom, receiving a full pardon on the condition he join the 102nd regiment of the New South Wales Corps. In March 1803 - Charles Whalan married Elizabeth Berry in the drawing room at Old Government House. Berry was a convict who was assigned to the house as a maid. She was given away by Governor King. Berry and Whalan had seven children, son Charles was born, 17th May, 1811. Charles Jnr, became a close companion to young Lachlan Macquarie who was born in March, 1814. Whalan served Bligh as his Orderly Sergeant. When John Macarthur, a free settler, threatened Bligh during one of their clashes, Whalan seized and broke Macarthur’s sword. Bligh meanwhile locked himself in his bedroom. When the 102nd Regiment was recalled to England, he was transferred to the 73rd Regiment. Governor Macquarie appointed him Sergeant of his bodyguard of light horse and increased the bodyguard to ten. Whalan retired from the NSW Corps on the departure of Governor Macquarie, February 1822. On his departure from the colony, Governor Macquarie granted Charles Whalan 750 acres of land at Prospect, which became his permanent home on his retirement. He named the property “Macquarie Park”. Charles Whalan died in 1839, aged 67, He was laid to rest in a vault at St John’s Cemetery, Parramatta. A hearse was used for the first time in New South Wales to transport his body. Whalan was protective of Governor and Mrs Macquarie and was very dutiful in his role as Sergeant. Governor Macquarie wrote a reference dated the 12th of February 1822, describing Whalan as “…peculiarly correct, honest, honorable and faithful, never having had one occasion to find fault with him, or in the least degree to censure his conduct… I do further certify that sergeant Whalan is worthy of anything that can possibly be done for him. I accordingly most strongly recommend him to the favour, kindness and patronage of His Excellency the Governor in Chief for some position under Government.”
Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane
Thomas Brisbane (1773 - 1860) was born a son of ancient Scottish linage at Brisbane House in Ayrshire. He was educated by tutors and attended the University of Edinburgh and the English Academy. Brisbane joined the army and served in Jamaica and England but was kept in Scotland on half-pay due to his health. He enjoyed astronomy and built the second observatory in Scotland. Brisbane was promoted to colonel and elected a fellow of the Royal Society of London. He was heavily engaged in several battles between 1812 and 1818 when he returned to England and married Anna Maria, the next year. Anna Maria was the daughter and heiress of Sir Henry Hay Makdougall of Makerstoun, Scotland. Brisbane applied for the appointment of Governor of New South Wales and arrived in Sydney in November 1821 and took over as Governor. Brisbane continued with his insterests in astronomy in Australia and built Australia’s first observatory in Parramatta. When he resigned as Governor in 1826 he left his astronomical instruments and a large amount of his scientific volumes to the colony. Sir Thomas Brisbane and his wife had two children while in the colony, one on the way back to England, and one while back in England. Brisbane continued his passion for astronomy as well as gaining rank in the army before passing away in 1860, with much respect from society.
J. D. Heydon, 'Brisbane, Sir Thomas Makdougall (1773 - 1860)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 151-155.
Ralph Darling (1772 – 1858) was the eldest of three sons to Christopher Darling. Ralph joined the army and served for many years in the West Indies, Britain and Mauritius between 1793 and 1824 when he took on the Governor of New South Wales position succeeding Sir Thomas Brisbane. Prior to stopping in Syndey, Darling arrived at Hobart Town and proclaimed Van Diemen's Land as a separate government.
Darling initially had two commissions, one to govern Van Diemen’s Land and one to govern New South Wales, but he administered New South Wales and the other was administered by a lietenant-general. Darling brought with him a wife he married in Mauritius as well as her two brothers who he made his private secretary and civil engineer. Darling was responsible for many explorations around eastern Australia, such as the Murray and Murrumbidgee rivers, and the Darling Downs. Darling was relieved after six years as Governor, sailing back to England in 1831 with his wife and children and died in 1858.
'Darling, Sir Ralph (1772 - 1858)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 282-286.
Sir Richard Bourke
Richard Bourke (1777-1855) was born in Dublin and was well educated. He enlisted in the Grenadier Guards in 1798 and served in the Netherlands where he was badly injured in both jaws, but continued serving until he retired from the military in 1814. Bourke married in 1800 to Elizabeth, and went on to have two sons and three daughters over the years. He managed his estates and acted as a magistrate for his local Irish Distress Committee. In 1825 Bourke took up a Major-General position in Malta until he took on the acting Governor position at Cape Town in 1826, and leaving in 1828 to live in the countryside. When money got short two years on he sought the appointment of Governor of New South Wales. Bourke and his family sailed to Sydney in December of 1831 to take up the position and he was quite optimistic about the future, but unfortunately only one year later, Bourke's wife died. During the time Bourke was in office, he had achieved many more council sittings and reports than Darling had, and both men were in office for about the same amount of time. Bourke developed new laws and changed old ones, but he was also an adventurer. Bourke had seen more of the country than the majority of his predecessors. While in office Bourke had built main roads and organised many explorations. He built the population up from 51,000 in 1831 to 97,000 in 1837, only a year before his six year term in office was complete. With the rise of the population the proportion of convicts to migrants also decreased. Bourke resigned as Governor after his successor George Gipps was appointed. Bourke's popularity with the colony was shown at his departure from the country. A fund was created and quickly filled to open a statue in his honour, this is still seen in front of the Public Library of New South Wales. After leaving Australia, Bourke took on a few more government positions in various places, his last position was that of General which he took up in 1851, Bourke became partially blind in the last few years of his life and died suddenly in 1855.
Hazel King, 'Bourke, Sir Richard (1777 - 1855)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 128-133.
Sir George Gipps
George Gipps (1791 – 1847) was born in Kent, England. The eldest son of Rev. George Gipps, he was well educated at the Royal Military Academy. After joining the Royal Engineers in 1809 and serving in many positions in countries including West Indies, England and Ireland, Gipps married Elizabeth Ramsay in 1830. She was the daughter of Major–General George Ramsay. In 1837, Gipps was appointed Governor of New South Wales, knighted and promoted to Major. Sir George Gipps arrived in Australia with his wife and young son in 1838, to take up the positio of Governor. There were a number of issues that confronted Gipps as Governor. One was the abolition of the penal transportation, an Order in Council had stopped the flow of convicts to New South Wales, but continued them to be sent to Norfolk Island and Van Diemen’s Land. Gipps had appointed Captain Alexander Maconochie to overlook this experiment, but continued to be disappointed with the way he handled things. Another issue Gipps found was the squatters in New South Wales. Graziers were squatting in and outside of location boundaries and by proposing a remodel of the squatting system, Gipps wanted to improve social condition for squatters It was also designed to increase Crown revenue and promote immigration. The drought from 1837 to 1842 also caused great distress to the colony and the government alike. Along with the drought the need for education was becoming a serious problem, something that Governor Bourke had failed to fix. Gipps extended the usual six years in office for another two years and finished his time as Governor in 1846. Before leaving, Gipps tried a ‘half and half principle’ where the Government would match the funds raised by private sources, this system seemed to work. Gipps left the country a sick man, the years as Governor had put a strain on his health and he was placed under urgent medical care upon arriving in England. He and Lady Gipps were reunited with their son who was sent back to england several years prior, for a good education. Sir George Gipps never recovered from sickness and suffered a fatal heart attack in 1847, leaving his wife and only son behind. His son joined the army and was also knighted like his father.
Samuel Clyde McCulloch, 'Gipps, Sir George (1791 - 1847)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 446-453.
Sir Charles Augustus FitzRoy
Charles Augustus FitzRoy (1796 – 1858) was born in England, he joined the army and travelled to the Cape of Good Hope, Leeward Island and Price Edward Island during his time in the army. FitzRoy married Lady Mary Lennox in 1820. Charles FitRoy took on the apointment of Governor of New South Wales in 1846, and arrived with his wife and second son, who he employed as his personal secretary. Tragedy struck the family the very next year when Lady FitzRoy was killed and Charles suffered leg injuries in a horrific carraige accident at the gates of the then Government House, Parramatta. After this accident, FitzRoy considered leaving, deaply saddened by his loss, but could not afford to do so. Continuing as Governor, FitzRoy proposed the separation of the colonies of Port Phillip and New South Wales, and called the other Victoria. Van Diemen’s Land and South Australia were also separated and Governed in the same way. FitzRoy wanted to extend his term as Governor for another six years. This was welcomed by the colony, and it was something his family had hoped for since most of them had moved to Australia, and he also needed the money. Unfortunately the request was denied. FitzRoy returned to England in 1855, and a few months after his son died as a result of wounds received in battle. Charles FitzRoy remarried later that year, but died in 1858, only three years later. Government House ceased as a vice-regal residency after Sir Charles FitzRoy's term in office. Although remaining in Government hands, it was rented out instead of being the residency for future Governors.
John M. Ward, 'FitzRoy, Sir Charles Augustus (1796 - 1858)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 1, Melbourne University Press, 1966, pp 384-389.