State House, Presidential residence in Victoria, Seychelles

The State House is the official residence of the President of Seychelles, in Victoria on Mahé. Built in 1910 to a design by Seychellois-born architect William Marshall Vaudin, it has a two-storey portico with white columns in an Edwardian colonial style. It was renovated in 1976 and again in 2007.

Designed by Seychellois-born architect William Marshall Vaudin, the building was completed in 1910 as Government House, the residence of the British colonial governors, the first being Sir Walter Davidson in 1912. About sixteen governors lived here before it was renovated in 1976, just before independence. It was renovated again in 2007 and is now a national monument.

The building sits within tropical gardens where state functions and national celebrations bring government into view for the local population. These occasions reflect how the residence serves as a symbolic center for the nation's public life.

The interior is closed to visitors, but you can photograph the exterior and gardens from designated viewing areas around the grounds. Plan enough time to walk around the perimeter and visit in early morning or late afternoon for better natural light.

On the State House grounds is a cemetery where Jean-Baptiste Quéau de Quinssy, French administrator of the Seychelles from 1793 to 1811, was buried after his death in 1827; President James Mancham, who died in 2017, also lies there. A monument to Quéau de Quinssy by Antonio Fillipin was unveiled in 1993, the bicentenary of his taking office.