The Council Room

  • <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.
  • <span class="title">J.C. Hill caricature</span><br/>A picture featuring caricatures of all New Zealand Governors and Governors-General from Captain William Hobson to Lord Freyberg. The caricatures were drawn by J.C. Hill.
  • <span class="title">Caricature collage</span><br/>A collage of caricatures of former Governors-General from Lord Norrie to Dame Catherine Tizard, drawn by Murray Webb.
  • <span class="title">Caricature of Sir Michael Hardie Boys</span><br/>A caricature of Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor-General from 1996-2001, drawn by Murray Webb.
  • <span class="title">Caricature of Dame Silvia Cartwright</span><br/>A copy of a caricature of Dame Silvia Cartwright, drawn by Murray Webb. The original hangs in the Otago District Law Society offices in Dunedin.
  • <span class="title">The Council Room</span><br/>A view of the Council Room, where administrative meetings are held. The Council Room is a repository for books gifted to Government House and for several giant newspaper clippings books tracing Governors-General through the decades.

The Council Room is the place where, until the early 1970s, Ministers presented the Governor-General with regulations requiring his signature. It is now the Government House library and is where Rhodes Scholarship selection committee meetings are held.