Francis Greenway

Francis Howard Greenway (20 November 1777 – September 1837) was an iconic Australian colonial architect.

Greenway was born at Mangotsfield [http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A010434b.htm Greenway entry] in Australian Dictionary of Biography] , near the English city of Bristol, where he became an architect "of some eminence" in Bristol and Bath. In 1809 he became bankrupt, and in 1812 he pleaded guilty "under the advice of his friends", to forging a financial document and was sentenced to death; this sentence was later commuted to 14 years transportation. Why he pleaded guilty is not now ascertainable; he may have been told it was the only way to save his life. He had been friendly with Admiral Arthur Phillip who was living in retirement at Bath, and Phillip wrote to Lachlan Macquarie recommending Greenway to him.

He arrived in Sydney, New South Wales on the transport "General Hewitt" in February 1814 to serve his sentence.

Between 1816 and 1818, whilst still a convict, Greenway was responsible for the design and construction of the Macquarie Lighthouse on the South Head at the entrance to Sydney Harbour. After the success of this project he was emancipated by the Governor of New South Wales, Lachlan Macquarie, and in the role of Acting Civil Architect and Assistant Engineer responsible to Captain J. M. Gill, Inspector of Public Works, went on to build many significant buildings in the new colony.

His works include Hyde Park Barracks, St. James Church and the new Government House. There are still 49 buildings in central Sydney attributed to his designs.

Greenway fell into disrepute when Macquarie accused him of charging high fees whilst on a government retainer, and he was dismissed by the next governor, Thomas Brisbane, in 1822. He continued to follow his profession with little success. Although he got his grant of land, he does not appear to have received the promised cattle.

In 1835 he advertised that "Francis Howard Greenway, arising from circumstances of a singular nature is induced again to solicit the patronage of his friends and the public". In other words, he was destitute.

He died of typhoid near Newcastle in 1837, aged 59. The exact date of his death is not known. He was buried in the East Maitland Cemetery on 25 September 1837, but his grave is unmarked.

Posthumous tributes

Greenway's face was shown on the first Australian decimal-currency $10 note (1966-93), making him probably the only convicted forger in the world to be honoured on a banknote.

He is the eponym of a NSW Federal electorate, a suburb of Canberra, a suburb of Newcastle, and a high school in Beresfield.

The Vaucluse home of the renowned Australian architect Leslie Wilkinson (1982-1973) was named "Greenway" in honour of Francis Greenway.

List of Works

*Macquarie Lighthouse, Watsons Bay

*Windsor Court House

*Government House, Sydney (partly designed by Greenway)

*St Matthew's, Windsor

*Supreme Court, Sydney

*Judge's House, Sydney

*St James's, Sydney

*Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney

*Obelisk, Macquarie Place (1818)

*St Luke's, Liverpool

*Conservatorium of Music, Sydney (Originally constructed in 1821 as the Government Stables)

*Liverpool College (formerly Liverpool Hospital)

*Government House, Parramatta (timber portico only)

*Hobartville, Richmond (uncertain)

*Cleveland House, Surry Hills (uncertain)

All buildings are listed on the Register of the National Estate [The Heritage of Australia, Macmillan Company, 1981]

ee also

*History of Sydney

References

*Dictionary of Australian Biography|First=Francis|Last=Greenway|Link=http://gutenberg.net.au/dictbiog/0-dict-biogG.html#greenway1