Kirribilli House, Official residence in Kirribilli, Australia
Kirribilli House is a government residence on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour in New South Wales. The view extends across the water to the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the historic Circular Quay ferry terminal.
German architect Adolphus Frederic Feez designed the property in 1855 as a private home in the Gothic cottage style. The Australian government acquired it in 1920 and established it as accommodation for government members.
The name comes from an indigenous word meaning fishing ground and points to this bay's importance before European settlement. The building serves as accommodation for the Prime Minister during Sydney visits and hosts receptions and state occasions.
The property is heritage listed and opens once each year through The Australiana Fund for public access. Tours allow visitors to see rooms not normally accessible.
Two pointed gable forms, fine carved details along the roofline, and bay windows show the style of mid-nineteenth-century ornamental cottages. This type of architecture was rare in Sydney at the time and is now seldom seen.
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