Greenway Lane

Commemorates Francis Greenway, Colonial Architect under Governor Macquarie whose office was in a George Street building nearby.

Greenway was Australia's first great architect-the "grand stylist" of early Sydney. Born in England, in his mid-30s Greenway was found guilty of forging a financial document and sentenced to death (later commuted to 14 years transportation).

He arrived in Sydney as a "gentleman convict" in 1814 and immediately impressed Governor Macquarie, who allowed him to set up Australia's first private architecture practice, which was in George Street.

He was granted a full pardon in 1818 after completion of the Macquarie Lighthouse and went on to design many of Sydney's buildings including the Female Factory in Parramatta, the District Courts, and St James Church, Queen's Square.

Greenway was dismissed after Macquarie's departure in 1822, but refused to vacate his government-built house until his death in 1837.

Greenway was commemorated on Australia's first ten dollar note, issued at the introduction of Decimal Currency on 14th February 1966. It is ironic that Greenway arrived in Australia as a convict, whose crime was forgery, and that, when 'his' notes were issued they were the ones that were subject to counterfeiting on a large scale! The notes remained in circulation until 1984.