The Eryldene Collection

Eryldene was occupied by one generation of one family.  It was built for Mr and Mrs Waterhouse in 1914, furnished by them in a style that suited their needs, and was left by them to their children when the Professor died in 1977.  

The Waterhouses were sure of their taste, and purchased their furniture and furnishings once and forever: items were chosen with the discernment of a scholar and connoisseur.   There was no need or desire for replacement. Over the years articles of beauty were brought to the house or given to them by friends or visiting dignitaries, and these were simply added to their day-to-day furnishings.

There was also little redecorating over the years – the occasional new coat of paint, and a change of colour in the sitting room (from cream to pale grey in the 1950s). That’s about all.

Therefore what you see at Eryldene today is the twentieth century family home of two discerning people and their four sons, set up as they used it and as they left it: with intact original furnishings, art works and objects chosen by them, the purpose being to surround themselves with beauty in their everyday lives. 

In keeping with the ‘Georgian Colonial Revival’ architectural style of the house, the furnishings are mostly Georgian – of English, Australian and Swedish origin.  They were purchased gradually over the time of the Waterhouse family’s occupation from a variety of places, for example from the footpath outside an antique shop in Glebe; from the Swedish ambassador before he returned to Sweden; from William Hardy Wilson’s many Sales of Art and Artefacts (items collected by Wilson in London from Chinese and Japanese merchants); and paintings by Mrs Waterhouse’s father - a manufacturer and amateur artist from Kilmarnock, Scotland.

There is a Sheridan chest, Chippendale and Swedish chairs, Australian cedar cupboards and robes, and throughout the house, there is an overlay of Asian art and objects such as Mrs Waterhouse’s Ikebana vases – given to her by visitors from Korea and Japan.   There are the Professor’s teaching books on language and literature, in addition to books on broader interests including town planning, French stained glass and poetry by Christopher Brennan, Tennyson and Enoch Powell. There are also ‘Boys Own Adventure Books’ left behind by their four sons.  Underfoot there are rugs more than 100 years old, worn both by the feet of visitors and the young Waterhouse boys racing with their scooters and shuttlecocks up and down the hallway.  Items throughout the Eryldene Collection retain evidence of use and personal value – a chip here, a worn cover there – nothing is new or pristine, and each piece has a story to tell.

The Eryldene Collection also includes over 2000 personal photographs in addition to hundreds of postcards collected by the Waterhouses during their travels overseas. Mrs Waterhouse’s recipes, menus and seating plans for the many formal and informal dinner parties they held with friends and colleagues between 1914 and the 1960s are also an important part of the Eryldene Collection, providing insight into Eryldene as a family home. 

Some items left the house for other family collections when Eryldene was purchased by the Trust in 1981 and we are always delighted to welcome back provenanced pieces from time to time.

The Eryldene Collection is evidence of the life of two outstanding individuals, and of a family that lived life differently and more fully than most Australians, in time, scale and perspective. (Sourced from 17 McIntosh Street, Gordon, A Plan for Management and Conservation'.  April 1988. p6).