The Residency, Alice Springs, Government residence in Alice Springs, Australia.

The Residency in Alice Springs is a 1927 government building with concrete floors laid directly on earth and hollow concrete bricks specifically designed for desert climate conditions. The structure shows design solutions adapted to extreme weather, incorporating features to provide natural cooling effects.

John Charles Cawood was appointed Government Resident of Central Australia in 1926 and took up the post in February 1927, the year the house was completed. He handed over to his deputy in December 1929 because his wife was in poor health. In 1942, after the bombing of Darwin, Administrator Aubrey Abbott moved the administrative centre to Alice Springs and stayed here until November 1945.

Since 1996 the house has been the home of Heritage Alice Springs Inc., which opens it to the public. Visitors see the cane furniture and tea table of the breezeway, the punkah still in use, and the green striped canvas blinds. The building was handed to the Museums and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory in 1973.

The building sits in the town center and retains its original architectural elements, including a central breezeway that allows natural air to flow through spaces. Visitors should note that the design features are specifically intended for the intense local temperatures.

During their visit to Central Australia in 1963, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh spent two nights in this building. The event underscores the importance of the location as a key administrative and official center of the region.