Premier House, Official residence in Thorndon, New Zealand

Premier House at 260 Tinakori Road is a two-storey timber building with pale grey weatherboards, a dark grey corrugated roof and a darker grey upper section. A boxy wing on the left has a multi-paned window above a tall arched window; the lower right wing has two sash windows and a three-pane bay. A flat-roofed glass and dark metal porte-cochère covers the entrance.

Built in 1843 for Wellington's first mayor, George Hunter, the house was bought from Richard Collins in March 1865 for £2,900 to serve as the premier's official residence. Julius Vogel and his wife Mary expanded it into an eight-bedroom mansion with a conservatory and ballroom after 1873. From 1935 it housed a school for dental nurses and a children's dental clinic, and it reopened as Premier House in 1990.

The house was nicknamed "The Casino" for the lavish entertaining of Julius and Mary Vogel after 1873, and in the 1920s it was called 'Ariki Toa', or 'brave chief'. From 1935 it housed a school for dental nurses and a children's dental clinic with 40, later 50, chairs, known to all as "the murder house".

The public can only view the building from the outside, as it is not currently open for visits. Those walking the neighborhood will find a clear view of the facade and surrounding grounds from the quiet street.

An elevator was installed in the late 19th century for a premier who had difficulty climbing stairs due to gout. This technical addition made the house the first residential building in the country to have such a feature.