Art and artefacts

  • <span class="title">Māori taonga</span><br/>One of the many treasures in the Hall is <i>Te Raupatu</i>, a pounamu mere or greenstone club (below), that was presented to the Crown at the signing of the Deed of Settlement with Waikato in 1995. It symbolises the resolution of 131 years of negotiation over the confiscation of 1.2 million acres of Waikato land in the land wars of 1863-64. The Māori taonga (treasure) above is on loan from Sir Paul Reeves (Governor-General 1985-1990).
  • <span class="title">Caricature</span><br/>The Council Room features caricatures of Governors and Governors-General. Pictured here is a copy of a caricature of Dame Silvia Cartwright. She is shown here as a judge which was her occupation before she became Governor-General. The caricature, by Murray Webb, was commissioned by the Otago District Law Society and the original hangs in the Society’s offices in Dunedin
  • <span class="title">Leather chair</span><br/>In 1952, New Zealand was readying itself for the visit of King George VI. In anticipation of his arrival, Government House commissioned these leather-covered chairs for the Council Room. Unfortunately, The King had to cancel the visit due to ill health and died shortly after, aged 56.<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
  • <span class="title">Candelabrum</span><br/>The candlelight of an ornate Dutch brass candelabrum in the State Dining Room illuminates two more treasures from the Norrie collection: King Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, and his wife, Queen Henrietta Maria. The picture of King Charles I is from the School of Sir Anthony van Dyck while the portrait of Queen Henrietta Maria is by Albert Kraaft.<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
  • <span class="title">Norrie collection</span><br/>The State Dining Room is home to the remarkable and very valuable portrait collection given to the House by Lord Norrie, at the end of his term as Governor-General, in 1957. In presenting the paintings to Prime Minister Holland, Sir Willoughby (later Lord) Norrie said he was presenting the collection to thank New Zealand for the five happiest years of his life. Shown here is <em>The Children of Charles I</em>, from the School of Sir Anthony van Dyck.<!-- InstanceEndEditable -->
  • <span class="title">Galleon</span><br/>Government House features many presents from visiting Heads of State. Pictured here is a silver model of a 16th century Spanish man o’war galleon which is a present from King Juan Carlos I of Spain. The galleon takes pride of place above the fireplace in the State Dining Room.
  • <span class="title">Siddell painting </span><br/>This view of Wellington is by one of New Zealand's best known contemporary painters, Peter Siddell. The painting was commissioned and presented to Government House by Dame Catherine Tizard (1990–1996) and occupies a prominent place in the Hall.
  • <span class="title">Captain Clerke painting</span><br/>This picture is one of Government House’s most important paintings, a portrait of Captain Charles Clerke, RN. It was painted by Sir Nathaniel Dance, and presented by Lord Galway in 1941 at the end of his term as Governor-General. It is the only known portrait of this close friend of Captain James Cook. The portrait hangs above the fireplace in the Drawing Room.
  • <span class="title">Screen </span><br/><p> This screen, by New Zealand artist Peter McIntyre, depicts Wellington harbour by day on one side and by night on the other.  It was commissioned by Lady Freyberg, wife of Governor-General Lord Freyberg (1946-52) in 1951. </p> <p> &nbsp; </p>
  • <span class="title">Gary Nash vase</span><br/>The sunlight sneaks through the top of this glass vase by Gary Nash to throw a lightspot onto the front of the vase.
  • <span class="title">Royal Doulton</span><br/><p> These Royal Doulton china cup and saucer with a stylised Māori motif are part of Government House's extensive collection of china. </p>
  • <span class="title">Michael Smither painting</span><br/>This Michael Smither painting, <em>Still Life</em>, is part of the Government House collection.
  • <span class="title">Queen Elizabeth I</span><br/>A painting of Queen Elizabeth I (Mather Brown), the last of the Tudor monarchs. This painting is from the Norrie Collection in the State Dining Room.

Government House has an extensive collection of art and artefacts. Government House also displays works by distinguished New Zealand artists on loan from the permanent collections of the Rutherford Art Trust and the Parliamentary Collection.