 The grotto and retaining walls were designed by Verge and the carriage drive on Onslow Avenue was designed by Edward Deas Thomson and built from 1832 to 1835 by convict and free artisans under the direction of Verge.The property is owned by Sydney Living Museums, an agency of the Government of New South Wales.Known as "the finest house in the colony", Elizabeth Bay House was originally surrounded by a garden, and now situated within a densely populated inner city suburb.