A view of the interior of the Government House Ballroom, circa 1905. The Ballroom April 6, 2020 By Adele Hollywood For 121 years, the Ballroom has played a significant role in the community and is today an important facility in the Governor’s mission to advance the objectives of those building the State’s future. History The Ballroom was completed in 1899. The project for the Ballroom and the South Wing of the House were signed by the Principal Government Architect, John Grainger, but the designs are known to have been prepared by Hillson Beasley. The original design was to have a promenade roof with glass overlooking the dance floor below. The roof instead is standard pitched roof with slate – though slate was eventually replaced with Bristile clay tiles in the early 1950s. This material is still on the Ballroom roof today. There had been no major refurbishment of the Ballroom since the 1950s until the Gallop Government agreed to a renovation in 2003/2004. A scene from the Radio and Electricity Exhibition, held at Government House Ballroom in 1934. Source: State Library of Western Australia. A view of the south side of Government House after construction of the Ballroom and additions to the residence, circa 1899. Source: State Library of Western Australia. Design The Government House Ballroom boasts the dimensions of a grand building, featuring a large dance floor 30 metres in length by 12 metres wide, an impressive ceiling and colonnaded balconies. In size, it is second only to Government House Victoria’s Ballroom. A Supper Room of equal size is located on the lower floor, with outside terraced areas looking out onto the Government House Gardens. A full house in the Ballroom for a Music on the Terrace concert, presented by the Government House Foundation. Contemporary use The Ballroom has been the scene of many grand occasions such as receptions, balls for visiting royalty, investitures and award ceremonies. The Ballroom and Supper Room are available to book for eligible organisations within the community. Visit our venue enquiries page for more information. Examples of its use today include: Hospitality hosted by the Governor to advance his priority areas – including events such as Conversations at Government House and the 27th annual Australian American Leadership Dialogue (AALD). Functions for community and patronage organisations including award nights and conferences. Investiture ceremonies, where the Governor presents the Australian Honours awards twice per year – usually April and September. These ceremonies are usually attended by 300-400 guests. Music concerts, including those in Government House Foundation’s Music on the Terrace series View images of the Ballroom in use today Post navigation The oak banquet tableThe Governor’s Standard View all Articles
