Government House Lookout

Government House Lookout offers a clear view into the history and landscape of Canberra’s Limestone Plains. Set on Lady Denman Drive in Yarralumla, the lookout looks across to the Molonglo River and the Brindabella Mountains. Another viewpoint takes in Yarralumla Woolshed and Yarralumla Creek, where signs of the area’s pastoral past remain visible. The lookout is open daily, while Government House itself is accessible only on special open days.

The site’s main appeal is the connection between Canberra’s national story and the rural properties that came before it. Yarralumla began as a pastoral holding after Francis Mowatt bought the land in 1833 and built a hunting lodge. Later owners Terence Aubrey Murray, Thomas Walker and the Campbell family expanded the property. Under Frederick Campbell, Yarralumla grew to 39,000 acres and supported up to 40,000 sheep, with extensive fencing, drainage works and a large homestead.

That homestead was gradually enlarged into a 40-room property, including a three-storey wing, library and billiard room. The Commonwealth later resumed Yarralumla as accommodation for visiting Members of Parliament, and Canberra’s first Cabinet meeting was held there in 1924. The former pastoral homestead now forms part of the Governor-General’s official residence, giving the lookout a direct link to Australia’s political and civic history.

There is also a strong connection to the people who worked on the property. Yarralumla Woolshed, visible from the lookout, was built in 1904 with 20 stands, shearers’ quarters, sheds and yards. The website also records the achievements of Deucem Smith, the only Aboriginal person in the Shearer’s Hall of Fame, who once worked there. With broad views, historic buildings and traces of former rural land use, the lookout suits visitors exploring Canberra’s heritage, landscape and early pastoral development. It works well as a short stop on a drive around the lake or as part of the Canberra Tracks Limestone Plains trail.