Winifred Falconer, his companion later in life, wrote in an unpublished manuscript in the mid-1930s that he lived with an uncle who was an important influence on him during his childhood.

[6] In 1877, at the age of 22, Grainger travelled to Australia and took a position in the office of A. C. Mais, Engineer-in-Chief of the South Australian Public Works Department.

Grainger became involved in the musical life of Adelaide, organised the first local string quartet, and provided space in his house for them to rehearse.

[8] In 1882, the couple moved to Victoria and settled in the Melbourne suburb of North Brighton, where their only son, christened George Percy Grainger, was born on 8 July 1882.

The partnership ended in 1885, and it would appear that the friendship later faltered, as D'Ebro failed to provide effective support for Grainger's nomination in September 1906 as a Fellow of the Royal Victorian Institute of Architects (RVIA).

[2]: p.8  Grainger then practiced alone, designing the Maryborough School of Arts, and in 1887-8 was the engineer for the striking six-storey red brick Robur Tea House in South Melbourne, where he devised a unique solution of 450 ironbark piles and concrete rafts to cope with the swampy soil.

His promiscuous lifestyle placed heavy strains upon the relationship, particularly when Rose discovered shortly after Percy's birth that she had contracted a form of syphilis from her husband.

[1] By 1895, he had sworn off drinking whisky and resumed a productive career which was undoubtedly enhanced by a happy relationship with a new life partner, Winifred Falconer.

Though Western Australia was booming in the 1890s, the eastern states were then in recession and he was fortunate to be appointed Principal Architect in the Architectural Division of the Public Works Department at a salary of £600, commencing 1 March 1897, a position which he held until 31 July 1905 when he retired owing to ill health.

By 1910 the firm was reduced to Grainger and Little but continued to secure significant projects, including the first stage of the State Savings Bank in Elizabeth Street, and Collins House (both now demolished).

[17] He overcame chronic illness to design at least 14 bridges as well as five water supply and irrigation schemes, and a large number of buildings, many of which are on heritage registers in Australia and New Zealand.