The State Government's decision in 1996 to provide the Conservatorium of Music with a new home on its Macquarie Street site was not without contention, especially when the initial works revealed evidence of early roads and drains. The design proposed by the Government Architect and developed by Daryl Jackson Robin Dyke Architects placed almost all of the new accommodation below a landscaped platform. This enabled the Greenway stables and the Verbrugghen Hall to regain their pictorial dominance and much of their original appearance.

The team that worked on the conservation program for the Greenway stables included conservation architects Megan Jones and Scott MacArthur and heritage specialist Rachael Jackson of Tanner & Associates, and archaeologists Mary Casey and Tony Lowe.

Explaining the importance of the project, Megan Jones said:

"Through our detailed research we were able to understand Greenway's design despite the accretions of the 1960s and 1970s which had all but obscured the stables' original appearance. With careful research and some detective work we determined the surviving original wall and window fabric and reconstructed the missing elements."

Greenway's building operated as the stables, offices and coach house for Government House for almost a century. It is the only building to have survived within the Domain that provides evidence of the grand, romantic scheme that Governor Macquarie, his wife Elizabeth and Colonial Architect, Francis Greenway, envisaged for this part of Sydney. Today it is one of the few convict-built buildings in inner Sydney and it provides rich evidence of the range of materials and skills of the Macquarie era.

The stables building is one of the few remaining examples of the work of Francis Greenway. Transported to Sydney in 1814 for forgery, Greenway was soon given his ticket of leave because of his qualifications.

On the day that Governor Macquarie granted Francis Greenway his conditional pardon - 16 December 1817 - he also laid the foundation stone of the new Stables for Government House on 'the scite [sic] of the old bake-house within the Government Domain'. In July he had instructed Greenway to 'draw a ground plan and elevation of a court of offices and stables... for the use of the Governor's horses, carriages, & servants attached thereto'.

Historian, James Broadbent, states that it was Elizabeth Macquarie who gave Greenway an elevation for the building and the number of offices required. The Macquaries saw themselves as tastemakers in the colony. An extensive programme of building works was undertaken during their time in Sydney (later to be investigated by the British government for its extravagance).

By September 1820 the Governor noted, either enthusiastically or with relief: 'All the Carpenters' Work finished: the Plaistering & Stuccoing will be Completed in 14 days and in 3 weeks all will be ready for being occupied by the Horses'. Unfortunately his enthusiasm was premature and the stables were not completed until the following February.

Francis Greenway stables photographed in 1872 by Charles Pickering.
Courtesy of the Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW

The finished building had a courtyard surrounded by a magnificent Gothic facade. There were sixteen octagonal towers which contained lodges, saddle and harness rooms and servant rooms. Square-headed windows were set in the main walls; between the towers were large, traceried Gothic windows.

At the time the building was described as "a palace for horses". Nineteenth century illustrations and photographs show it as a picturesque accent in the landscape. They evoke the softly textured brickwork of the wall, lime-washed in a rose-brown colour and accented by the stone tracery, label moulds and crenellations.

From 1886 to 1913 the stables building was upgraded and altered internally and externally to allow for increased accommodation of staff and horses. A second storey with a hipped roof was added to the southern range.

By the early 20th century the increasing use of the motor car and changed governor's role had made the building redundant. A Conservatorium of Music was eventually proposed for the site. In 1913-14 the office of the Government Architect, Seymour Wells, prepared the drawings for the conversion of the stables building and for the construction of Verbrugghen Hall in the courtyard.

The stables building that we remember from the 1990s was the result of decades of ad hoc changes. Windows, doors and other openings had been added to the building, turrets had been converted for toilets. The west wing had been altered extensively by a main entrance through its centre. The east and north elevations could no longer be distinguished as the Greenway-designed stables building, because of the large number of additions made in 1969 for the High School. Additional windows had been designed to reflect the Greenway square-headed windows of the original building, yet their appearance was unsympathetic to the proportions of the building.

When the redevelopment was planned in 1996, the stables building was to be repainted only. Initially, there was no intention to recover or understand the Greenway architecture. However, it was soon seen that this was a unique opportunity to conserve the Greenway-designed building.

With over 150 years of changes and layers, the conservation of the stables building was a complex task. The approach taken was to view the original Greenway fabric as the most significant layer. Of the 1913-15 conversions, the Verbrugghen Hall was considered the most important legacy. However, it was decided that many of the other changes had obscured Greenway's design and the significant building fabric.

The research team examined all the documents and historical plans from Greenway's 1820s drawing through to the plans for the 1913-15 conversion to the Conservatorium of Music. Historical photos also gave clues as to what the original building looked like. Through this careful process the team was able to build up a picture of the building as it was constructed in 1817-21 and to establish what remained of this original fabric.

The next step was to investigate the building itself to see if the interpretation the team had built up was reflected in the actual fabric. Small strips of render were removed and walls inspected non-invasively. On the basis of this physical evidence, decisions were made about what to keep and what to reconstruct.

As work progressed it was discovered that much more of the Greenway fabric remained than anyone had thought. There were some surprises as 20th century plaster was removed to reveal remains of a Greenway window or detail. The careful detective work and preparations of the team were confirmed with each new discovery. With the original fabric to guide the process there was no need for conjectural reconstruction.

Windows were restored and reconstructed to their original appearance. The arched doorways designed by Greenway were also reinstated. The exterior walls were painted in a stony colour.

One of the major discoveries was the southern arcade which led to the stalls for horses and the cow shed. It was known from historic photographs that the arcade had existed, but no one expected to find so much of the original brickwork beneath the plaster. Amazingly, when the floor was lifted to uncover the original flaggings, the earthy smell of horses flooded the room. It was decided to leave the arcade visible to provide 21st century visitors with the opportunity to see and understand the original structure.

Today we can again admire the fine proportions and rich contrasts of Greenway's stables, particularly the north elevation which had been hidden by later additions. Once again the colonial building is a visually rewarding backdrop to the Government House grounds.

With careful research, the windows have been returned to their orginal appearance.
Photograph by Ray Joyce