Kyeewa

A grand colonial home, Kyeewa was built c.1890 by employees of Ernest Greenway’s stonemasonry business, with sandstone believed to have originated from the Helidon area. A sculptor and monumental mason, Ernest was the great-nephew of the well-known convict architect, Francis Howard Greenway. Ernest was married to Elizabeth Femister and they raised their six children at this residence. He lived at Kyeewa until his death in 1934 and the property remained in the Greenway family until 1989.

Built on the highest site in York Street, Kyeewa originally occupied a larger portion of land that included stables and an orchard. At the time of its completion the main features of the house were two bedrooms, along with a kitchen, hallway and drawing room. Interestingly, records maintained by the Greenway family suggest that residence did not match the initial plans for the home. This is evident in the architecture of the home as the rear of the building was constructed from timber, instead of sandstone. Renovations in the 1990s consisted of two extensions to the home - one on the rear south-east corner of the house and another on the rear south-west corner.

Surrounded by well-established trees and gardens, Kyeewa is set less than a metre above the ground and is supported by brick piers. It features three sided bay windows, gracefully simple verandas and sandstone front steps.