The current building was designed by William Mason, and was completed in 1856 as one of the measures taken by Auckland to retain its status as New Zealand's capital.

The wooden Italianate mansion endured criticism from architects and lay people alike, many disliked the flat, pasteboard effect of the façade and the dishonest imitation of stone masonry in wood.

Having more than one Government House in a country as small as New Zealand doubtless seemed extravagant but the governor general continues to this day to alternate between Wellington and Auckland.

[1] The Palmerston North House, now called Caccia-Birch, was where Lord Plunket moved to after the disastrous fire in 1907 which gutted the Parliament Buildings.

Lord Plunket lent the vice-regal residence in Wellington for Parliament to meet in (he had been lobbying for a larger Government House to be provided in any case)[citation needed].

In 1865, a ballroom was added to the building, to accommodate the intended visit of Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who was unable to come to New Zealand due to the assassination attempt on his life in Sydney in 1868.

The interior has been rationalised and altered over the years and although much original detailing remains in the main rooms the atmosphere of a palatial residence is conspicuously absent.