Government House, Nassau

Around the corner and just up from the Straw market is Government House .We had a look just from across the street at beautiful pink and white Government House with elegant and steep steps leading up to it.

Government House is located on the side of Prospect Ridge and overlooks northwards down over Nassau. The original house was built in 1737 by Governor Fitzwilliam and the site has been in government hands since 1799. The current house was built in 1932 after the previous structure was destroyed by a hurricane in 1929. You are able to walk around the grounds but not inside the building itself.

In front of the house is the statue of Christopher Colombus that was presented to Governor Smythe in 1830.

Since independence, the government has housed a larger company of people, and needed more room for its own parliament to be able to work. I entered from the eastern side, and the guard allowed me to enter for free to take pictures, but you're only allowed to take pictures of the façade, the gardens and the statue. Good enough for me, so long as it's free...

This is where the colonial government met and took control of Bahamian government until it reached its independence. Great historical archives are available here, and it offers a great preview for the Capitol.

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Pink colonnial dominates as already mentioned - from the main government house to many of the public buildings dotted round town.

The Government House, built in 1801, is the official residence of the governor-general. The front is decorated with a statue of Christopher Columbus, who discovered the island in 1492.