COPY.
Enclosure No. 4.
Hon. Director of Public Works,
3
Report on the General Condition of
Government House.
The buildings which comprise Government House may be
(1) The Main Block including the
generally divided as follows
Ball Room wing (2) The Servants Quarters and (3) The Garage and Stable Blocks. Of these subdivisions (1) is much the largest and it is the Main Block which is the oldest and in
greatest need of re-building.
During the year 1921 the old Servants Quarters which adjoined the Main Building were demolished and rebuilt and at the same time a new Garage Block was erected, in the course of building the latter a part of the old Stable block was removed but a portion of it still remains and is in the same generally bad condition which applies to the main block.
About two years ago a new roof was constructed to the Ball Room and general renovation was carried out to this wing but the main portion of its structure is still old and bad and likely to be expensive in maintenance.
It is built of blue brickwork
The Main Block which is much the largest and contains, with the exception of the Ball Room, all the important rooms, is about 80 years old, of bad construction and a constant source of heavy expense in maintenance. in lime mortar with a roof of timber construction supporting Chinese double tiling, its floors are generally of wood joists with boarding above and plaster ceilings below whilst the floors of the Verandahs are supported on a flat brick vaulting which is of weak construction and is little short of dangerous. The construction generally may be described as that of its period in the Colony and of a type which has proved to be unsuitable and perishable in the climatic and other conditions to which it is subjected. The blue brickwork is quite below the standard of modern construction and the timber roof and
floors