Government Palace, Government palace in Dili, East Timor.

The Government Palace is an official seat of government in central Dili, the capital of East Timor, with a classical facade and a symmetrical layout. The main building faces the waterfront and sits within a walled compound that includes open grounds and secondary structures.

The present palace replaced an earlier governor's residence built between 1874 and 1881, and was constructed between the early 1950s and the end of the 1960s after World War II bombing devastated central Dili. On 28 November 1975 Fretilin declared East Timor's independence before a crowd of 2,000 at the palace; Indonesian troops seized it on 7 December 1975. It housed UNTAET until May 2002, when it became the prime minister's office.

The palace's Portuguese name, Palácio do Governo, and its Tetum form, Palásiu Governu, are used in official business; under Portuguese rule it was the Palácio das Repartições. Fretilin declared East Timor's independence before a crowd of 2,000 in front of the building on 28 November 1975. In 1999 it sheltered Timorese during the post-referendum violence and then housed UNAMET and UNTAET until 2002.

The facade and outer grounds are visible from the public road, but access inside the compound is generally not open to visitors. Visiting during daylight hours makes it easier to see the facade details and take in the location along the waterfront.

The palace is one of the few government buildings in the region that sits directly on the seafront, giving it an unusual position for an administrative seat. This placement makes it one of the most visible landmarks when arriving in Dili by the coastal road.