The synthesis of a series of 1-oxygenated gibberellins starting from GA3 (1) is described. Nucleophilic addition of hydrazoic acid to 3-dehydro GA3 (2) was followed by NaBH4 reduction of the resulting 1 -azido-3-ketones 4 and 5 to the corresponding azido alcohols 8–10, and photolysis of the latter compounds to instable 1-imines which were smoothly hydrolysed to the 1-oxo-3-hydroxy gibberellins 13 and