Movin’ on Down… Under, That Is.

Francis Howard Greenway was born in Gloucestershire, England in 1777. You probably never heard of him. He grew up and became a successful and talented architect until 1809, when unfortunate circumstances led to his bankruptcy. Undeterred, he tried to recover his fortune by counterfeiting financial documents. Accomplished architect he may have been, but he was not so proficient at forgery, and got caught.

In those days, Britain gave many criminals a choice: be hanged or imprisoned at home, or be transported to a penal colony in Australia. Greenway chose transport. After settling in the new colony of Sydney, he sent for his wife and children.

Prisoners were all assigned jobs as they arrived in Australia, based on their experience and abilities. Sydney was rapidly growing, and Greenway’s impressive portfolio led to his assignment as civil architect and assistant engineer for an allowance of 3 shillings a day, a rather paltry sum. He designed countless dozens of buildings, from private homes and churches, to every kind of public building. A number of his buildings still stand today, and have become important landmarks and historical sites.

Governor Macquarie was so happy with Greenway’s work, that a full pardon of his crime was granted. Greenway drew praise for his beautiful works from many quarters, which went to his head. He grew increasingly pompous and arrogant. Upon deciding he was worth more than a poor man’s salary, he presented a bill for £11,000 to cover the buildings he had designed, as a government employee. This was an enormous sum in those days, and resulted in an immediate uproar amongst his superiors. Macquarie and other officials suddenly became his enemies, and many of his unfinished projects were cancelled.

Although Greenway continued to design buildings, he was given fewer and fewer projects, as new architects began to take his place. He continued to push for a higher salary, until finally, in November 1822, he was severed from all government service.

A continual stream of new settlers were arriving in Australia all the time, and he tried to continue in private practice, but got very little work. The situation became so desperate that his wife Mary opened a school for young ladies to bring in some extra funds. This couldn’t have been good for their social standing, as married women who worked tended to be shunned by society.

In 1837, Greenway died of typhoid, in a state of poverty. He was buried in an unmarked grave.

In 1966, when Australia changed their currency from the pound to the dollar, paper banknotes were designed with the portraits of various historical figures who had contributed to the development of Australia as a new country. The $10 note depicted the architect Francis Greenway, along with images of some of the buildings he designed. He is the only forger who has ever been honored on money. Greenway’s image remained on the banknote until 1993.