New South Wales Government Architect

The New South Wales Government Architect is an officer of the New South Wales government. Historically, the government architect was in charge of the state government's public building projects.

Today, the Government Architect continues to serve this role as the General Manager of the Government Architect's Office (GAO), which is a multi-disciplinary consultancy operating on commercial principles providing architecture, design, and engineering services. Since the 1990s, when the consultancy service began operating on commercial principles, the Government Architect has reported separately in a second capacity, as an advisor to the government, and serves on various committees and boards in relation to heritage protection, architecture, and design.

The first Government Architect was Francis Greenway, appointed in 1816. The current, 22nd Government Architect, is Peter Mould.

Francis Greenway 1816-1822

The first official architect for the colony of New South Wales in a role that would become the New South Wales Government Architect was Francis Greenway. He was appointed in 1816 by Governor Macquarie to be Acting Civil Architect and Assistant Engineer responsible to Captain J M Gill, Inspector of Public Works. Greenway was a convict who had been sentenced to transportation for forgery. Greenway's works included the Macquarie Lighthouse on South Head, the Fort on Bennelong Point and the Stables for Government House. Greenway's other major buildings include the Obelisk in Macquarie...
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