AGHS Sydney - Eryldene - The Garden as a work of Art

The Garden as a Work of Art:  EGW’s garden jottings 1914 – ’77 and the making of his garden. From the archives at Eryldene.

Professor E G and Mrs Janet Waterhouse were both teachers when they married in 1912.  Like good teachers they were in the habit of making copious notes and their diaries too are littered with ideas and observations.   Many of these papers came to the Eryldene Trust when it purchased the house and garden from the Waterhouse family in 1979/1981. 

Some of these documents were lost or discarded when the family moved out of the house or after they had been used for publications.   Those that remain were archived for Eryldene by Warwick Hirst, retiring archivist at State Records, over three winters, with Penny Holden.  Other papers have been returned to Eryldene since 2013 by members of the family and from Hardy Wilson’s granddaughter, Diana Hardy Wilson.

There were also over 2000 family photographs, most identified on the back in the Prof’s handwriting.  These were catalogued by Julie Blyth through a grant from the National Library, with volunteer assistance from Sarah Lucas, Nanette Anderson & Penny Holden.

Together these records make for interesting browsing.  Scrawly writing marries photographs and memories of children and grandchildren, daughters in law and friends. Old neighbours, granddaughters of loyal staff have dropped snippets in, which have been transcribed, to help fill in the picture.     

Our dear late Richard Clough who frequented Eryldene as an architecture student and friend of the youngest son, Ian Waterhouse, once said that walking through its front gate was like walking into a 3-Dpainting.  Snatches of the artist’s intent come through these documents and are well worth an evening of reflection.

This illustrated talk has been put together by Penny Holden who has been browsing, asking questions, making notes, and enjoying every bit of discovering Eryldene through its archives, family conversations, and photographs since 2000.