A newly built Government House can be seen in the background of this painting. The two-storey building was completed in 1845 and is in Gothic Revival style, featuring battlements and turrets. The presence of the British flag flying at the top of the building indicates that Governor Charles Augustus FitzRoy was in residence.

The presence of livestock grazing in the grounds of Government House was not unusual at the time, with the Governor’s stables (now the Conservatorium of Music) situated nearby. The grounds are adjacent to the Royal Botanic Garden and remain a rare example of an elaborate harbourside landscape estate.