Governor's House ( Urdu/ bal, ; ps, ګورنر هاؤس), formerly known as the Quetta Residency, is a historical government building located on Zarghun Road in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. It serves as the official residence of the governor of Balochistan. Originally built in 1888 to house the

chief commissioners of Baluchistan Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

during British rule, the building was damaged during the

1935 Quetta earthquake Events January * January 7 – Italian premier Benito Mussolini and French Foreign Minister Pierre Laval conclude an agreement, in which each power agrees not to oppose the other's colonial claims. * January 12 – Amelia Earhart ...

. It was rebuilt by the then viceroy of British India and completed in 1942. Following Pakistan's independence in 1947, it became the principal workplace and residence of the province's chief commissioners and governors. It is recognised as one of several cultural heritage sites in Quetta.

Location

The Governor's House is located on Zarghun Road, which is also the site of several other prominent landmarks and government buildings in Quetta. The Chief Minister's House and the office of the Chief Secretary are situated opposite to Governor's House, while the northern side of the complex faces Mir Jafar Khan Jamali Road. The complex occupies a total area of 22 acres.

History

Governor's House was established in 1888, originally as the Quetta Residency. It was constructed as the official residence for the

when the region was under the administration of the British Raj. It was a two-story structure built in

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

style, with a porte cochere at the front entrance supported by four neoclassical columns. The ground level of the façade featured a porch area with a series of

arch An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it. Arches may be synonymous with vaul ...

es supporting a covered

balustrade A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its con ...

on the first floor. The building's

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

, made from brick, was topped by a pediment and featured two large doors on the first floor, opening onto an exposed balcony. The roof held two chimney stacks on either side of the portico. Cannon stands were usually positioned on the garden outside the front of the building. During his royal tour of British India in 1905–06,

Prince George, Duke of York George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

(later King George V) is known to have visited the residency along with his spouse, Princess Victoria Mary, and planted a '' chinar'' sapling. Amongst those who were present to receive the royals at the residency was

Shahbaz Khan Bugti Nawab Sir Shahbaz Khan Bugti KCIE ( sd, سر شھباز خان بگٽي) (1897-1989) was a tribal chief of the Bugtis in Balochistan. He was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Indian Empire (KCIE) in November 1901 for fighting f ...

, chief of the Bugti tribe. During the

, the building underwent significant structural damage. Subsequently, it was recommissioned and refurnished by the viceroy of British India at the time and completed in 1942. The new building, finished in

colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 a ...

style with a new façade, functions as the present structure. Its exterior is constructed from

mudbrick A mudbrick or mud-brick is an air-dried brick, made of a mixture of loam, mud, sand and water mixed with a binding material such as rice husks or straw. Mudbricks are known from 9000 BCE, though since 4000 BCE, bricks have also bee ...

and partially from burnt bricks. After Pakistan's independence in 1947, the house became the residence of the provincial chief commissioners up until 1955. The founder and first governor-general of Pakistan,

Muhammad Ali Jinnah Muhammad Ali Jinnah (, ; born Mahomedali Jinnahbhai; 25 December 1876 – 11 September 1948) was a barrister, politician, and the founder of Pakistan. Jinnah served as the leader of the All-India Muslim League from 1913 until the ...

, notably spent some of his last days at the Quetta Residency. Jinnah had been advised by his physician to relocate from his Ziarat Residency to the lower altitudes of Quetta, on account of his worsening lung health. He spent a month at the Quetta Residency, until he was flown to Karachi where he died in September 1948. In February 1961,

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh arrived at the Quetta Residency while visiting the city during their first royal tour of Pakistan. Following the tradition of her grandfather George V, Elizabeth planted a pine sapling at the complex. With the abolishment of the One Unit Scheme, which lasted from 1955 to 1970, and the restoration of Balochistan's provincial status, the Quetta Residency became the official residence of the subsequent governors of Balochistan and was thereafter known as the Governor's House. During the prime ministership of Imran Khan, the doors of Governor's House were opened for public access for the first time in October 2018. There were plans to convert the house into a museum and transform the adjoining lawns into a

women's park A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

, which did not materialise.

Description

The sprawling grounds of Governor's House contain up to 1,500 different species of trees. The complex has its own zoo and aviary, which is home to several different types of fauna. There is also a statue installed outside of

Sir Hugh Shakespear Barnes Sir Hugh Shakespear Barnes (14 July 1853 – 15 February 1940) was an English administrator in British India. He served as Chief Commissioner of Baluchistan several times during the 19th century. Early life and education Barnes was born in Sh ...

, who served as the chief commissioner of Baluchistan for multiple terms in the late 19th century. The interior of the house features relics, artefacts and furniture from both the British era and the post-independence period. The Darbar Hall of Governor's House is known for its wooden sprung floor, which was purposefully installed during the British period for use as a dancing floor. The light fittings include a set of Persian chandeliers which were gifted by the last Shah of Iran. There is a portrait of every ruling governor of Balochistan up until the present time. Amongst the artwork hanging inside Governor's House is an original piece of calligraphy commissioned by

Sadequain Syed Sadequain Ahmed Naqvi ( ur, ) (30 June 1930 10 February 1987), often referred to as Sadequain Naqqash, was a Pakistani artist, best known for his skills as a calligrapher and a painter. He is considered one of the finest painters and cal ...

in 1980 and valued at one

crore A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...

rupees Rupee is the common name for the currencies of India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, Seychelles, and Sri Lanka, and of former currencies of Afghanistan, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, the United Arab Emirates (as the Gulf rupee), British East Africa, B ...

, gifted by the artist himself.

Personnel

The permanent staff of Governor's House usually comprises a senior

civil servant The civil service is a collective term for a sector of government composed mainly of career civil servants hired on professional merit rather than appointed or elected, whose institutional tenure typically survives transitions of political leaders ...

, known as the principal secretary, and a military secretary who is a serving officer of the Pakistan Armed Forces. Both secretaries report to the governor's office. The principal secretary heads a team of administrative officers which includes a director, additional secretaries, a public relations officer, junior secretaries and section officers. The military secretary oversees the comptroller and protocol officer's functions.

Gallery

File:Governor's House, Quetta.jpg, Façade of Governor's House at evening time. File:Governor's House, Quetta, in winter.jpg, Governor's House in winter.

References

External links

* {{Quetta, state=collapsed 1888 establishments in British India 1942 establishments in British India British colonial architecture in Pakistan Buildings and structures damaged by earthquakes Buildings and structures in Balochistan, Pakistan Cultural heritage sites in Balochistan, Pakistan Government Houses of the British Empire and Commonwealth Government of Balochistan, Pakistan Quetta Houses completed in 1888 Houses completed in 1942 Quetta