The Galway Suite, located at the top of the Landing, is one of eight guest suites in Government House.
The suite is named after Governor-General Viscount Galway (1935-41), who gifted the painting of Captain Charles Clerke by Nathaniel Dance that hangs in the Blundell Room.
Each bedroom suite is characterised by a different native New Zealand bird. Illustrations, often taken from W. L. Buller’s A History of the Birds of New Zealand (1888) were used to inform the colour schemes and fabric selections. Galway’s nominated bird is the Hoiho or yellow-eyed penguin, and its plumage and environment are reflected in the colours of the room’s decor.
The guest suites mixes old and new furniture. Where possible, the new furniture was designed and made in New Zealand. Local artist Elisabeth Vullings was commissioned to produce a series of artworks depicting the various native birds, which were then translated to embroidery to decorate cushions.