Old Government House
Old Government House
4
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Old Government House, the home of Queensland's governors between 1862 and 1910, is Queensland's most important heritage building. After undergoing a major restoration, the house has re-opened as an historic house museum and gallery housing the works of renowned Australian artist William Robinson. An extensive education program, including guided tours, podcasts and interpretive displays, offers fascinating insights into the house and its role in the early history of Brisbane and Queensland.
Duration: < 1 hour
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  • Luke's N
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best Cafe Ever!!
    Words cannot describe how much I recommend The Kitchen at Old Government House. The food is absolutely delicious and very reasonably priced for the quality of the food and the service. David (the barista) and Michelle (the chef) are always happy to chat and are eager to serve with a smile. The coffee is lovely with lingering cereal and fruity notes and I can highly recommend the Arancini with salad. The arancini is light but certainly flavoursome and leaves you wanting more with the salad always being fresh with a variety of flavour and texture. The flavour dances on your tongue with each bite. I am looking forward to seeing them succeed as of all the cafes on the QUT campus and indeed in the area, this one is a level above the rest.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 10 October 2023
  • Sandy W
    Vancouver, Canada1,773 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great visit; no admission cost
    We really enjoyed visiting this location. The staff are very friendly. It is interesting to see the old furnishings, some of which have been attractively updated. There is a unique elevator that you should try. Several hundred pieces of the work by artist william Robinson are displayed and they are great. See the photos. Please give me a like if this is a helpful review. You can check out my reviews of other sites in Brisbane.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 January 2024
  • Live_Love_Life_L
    Australia36 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Kitchen Old Government House - Cafe. What a great find!
    Beautiful peaceful little cafe embedded within the kitchen area of Old Government House. Great oasis to catch up with family and friends for coffee, cake or bite of lunch. Stumbled on this place by chance, and loved the uniqueness of the setting and professional friendly staff. This is a great spot to chill and enjoy one of Brisbane's most historic places.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 22 May 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles92 reviews
Excellent
37
Very good
41
Average
12
Poor
0
Terrible
2

B T
London, UK1,214 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022
You can go inside for free and it is interesting to go inside, but most of the rooms are bare and almost empty. Upstairs is now an art gallery. It could be much better if it was stocked with more period furniture, historical things etc.
Written 13 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Local
185 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Solo
Once the temple of Brisbane high society, where grand balls were made and nobles and royalty stayed.
Beautiful architecture where classes were defined (servants at the rear) and where male and female occupied different parts of the house too (Governor’s wife with children upstairs while Governor and men in other rooms downstairs).
Did you know that a French Chef has invented the Lamington in this house?
Built in 1862, this magnificent mansion is now a museum and is free.
It is located next to the City Botanical gardens and it tells you a lot about the History of Brisbane.
Written 19 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sandy W
Vancouver, Canada1,773 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Couples
We really enjoyed visiting this location. The staff are very friendly. It is interesting to see the old furnishings, some of which have been attractively updated. There is a unique elevator that you should try. Several hundred pieces of the work by artist william Robinson are displayed and they are great. See the photos. Please give me a like if this is a helpful review. You can check out my reviews of other sites in Brisbane.
Written 26 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Curiosity251328
Brisbane, Australia2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
Old Government House is a grand historical residence with an interesting history made fascinating and amusing by the highly articulate tour guide. There was plenty of opportunity to ask questions and she knew all the answers. Book for the tour and allow a couple of relaxed hours. You can check in bags etc. at reception. There is a cafe there too, although we did not try it.
Written 6 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

margaretclincoln
Lincoln, UK929 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2019
We popped in to the Old Government House on our way to the Botanical Gardens. How lucky are the students at University there as both are within their campus grounds. The volunteers on the door were friendly and helped us understand a bit about the history. There are not too many things to actually see whilst you walk around but the rooms are quite magnificent, as you would expect. Well worth a quick look around, especially as it was free.
Written 6 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AJ Pato
Kempsey, Australia971 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Couples
Such a beautiful house in a magnificent location being near the Botanical gardens. Free entry. The walk through must be seen to be appreciated. The art gallery upstairs is worth a look but the main attraction is the house itself. The chandelier is absolutely one in a million.
Written 20 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Live_Love_Life_L
Australia36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2024 • Family
Beautiful peaceful little cafe embedded within the kitchen area of Old Government House. Great oasis to catch up with family and friends for coffee, cake or bite of lunch. Stumbled on this place by chance, and loved the uniqueness of the setting and professional friendly staff. This is a great spot to chill and enjoy one of Brisbane's most historic places.
Written 22 May 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katie NZ
Auckland, New Zealand380 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019 • Friends
Lovely restoration - great photo ops - rich history.
We enjoyed our time looking around, though only needed around 20mins or so.
Worth a trip if you are in the area, but I wouldn’t travel a long distance just for this.
Written 26 September 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ian B
Woodford, Australia232 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2019 • Couples
You never never know, if you never never go! Have been a Brisbane boy for much of my life but had never visited this treasure. We missed the guided tour (which from all accounts is fantastic) but even without it, we thoroughly enjoyed walking through Old Government House, marvelling at its architecture, gazing at old paintings and reading up on its rich history. A morning well spent. HINT: make a day of it: visit the Botanical Gardens Markets, go onto Old Government House, walk along the foreshore of the Brisbane River on the Bunya Walk then have a late lunch at one of the cafes in the area.
Written 26 May 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jack Nunn
Melbourne, Australia109 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2018 • Family
The house is beautifully restored and free to enter. There's a lovely collection of William Robinson painthing upstairs, with very friendly and informative staff ready to share knowledge (thank you Joseph!). Finally, the cafe is lovely and has THE BEST Lamington I've ever had (fitting as this is the home of the cake!) Thank you!
Written 18 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Old Government House is indeed the home of the Lamington - a perfect choice with a cup of tea! Thanks for sharing your visit to the House, we hope to see you again soon.
Written 8 April 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

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OLD GOVERNMENT HOUSE (2024) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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