The Eryldene Trust 

Formed as a private trust in 1979 to conserve the property for the enjoyment of the community according to Professor Waterhouse's wishes, the Eryldene Trust is responsible for the care and presentation of the house
and gardens.  

The Trust oversees a program of Open Days and other special events, as well as making the gardens available for event hire. It also manages the maintenance of the property and is responsible for its financial administration.  

You can support Eryldene by becoming a Member of the Trust.  

Our Board 

Dr Claire Baddeley

Claire Baddeley has worked in museums, galleries, cultural and heritage organizations in Victoria, the ACT and New South Wales for over 25 years. Her roles have included curatorial, public programs, visitor services, heritage property management and research positions, with qualifications in Art History, Curatorial Studies, Museum Studies, Heritage Conservation and a PhD in public sector management & museum studies. She is currently a Curator at a Sydney Museum and gallery and has interests in garden history, collections and Australian history and heritage. Claire looks forward to contributing to the public access and enjoyment of Eryldene.

Chris Bluett

Chris has a professional background of over 40 years specialising in strategic town planning and heritage conservation in the public sector. He has also contributed to several community heritage advisory committees and the National Trust. He is a long-term resident of Killara and the North Shore and has a strong interest in history and heritage places. An interest in gardens and gardening has been inspired from his childhood days and continues with his association with Eryldene.

Natalie Boyd

Natalie is an accomplished management consultant with a focus on strategic communication and engagement. Natalie has a special interest in arts, culture and community connection, working closely with leading institutions across the state. Her business and marketing experience will be focussed on the ongoing growth and increased profile of Eryldene. A Gordon resident, Natalie and her family enjoy Eryldene for its history and as a beautiful space to visit.

Sheridan Burke, Chair

Sheridan’s career in heritage conservation  covers local and international work, teaching and training in government, museums and consultancy. She sits on the Eminent Architects Panel of the Opera House and has recently concluded her role as deputy chair of the Heritage Council of NSW. She has had a long association with Eryldene from her teenage years when her mother, Betty Burke was one of the original Friends of Eryldene. Sheridan has returned to the Board to take up the challenge of strategically preparing Eryldene for the post covid world.  

Wendy Dellit

Wendy has worked in both Australia and the United Kingdom and has over 30 years of architectural experience, specializing in the conservation, restoration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings, along with modern alterations and additions to listed houses. She enjoys discovering the history of a building through analyzing its fabric, understanding the modifications it has undergone, how it is being used now and in the future. She also has experience in creating universal access within historically sensitive sites and community consultation. Wendy is looking forward to discovering the secrets of Eryldene and assisting with a program of work that will retain its beauty and make it more accessible to the local and wider community.

Jonathan Karanikas, Treasurer

Jonathan is a public-practice accountant specialising in strategic management accounting, taxation, and assurance for charities and not-for-profit organisations, so he is the perfect Treasurer for Eryldene. He also contributes to the arts & culture sector in New South Wales as an arts entrepreneur and has been our anchor in developing the Eryldene music program.

Simon Lennon

Simon Lennon is the new trustee representing Ku-ring-gai Council.

Juliet Muras

Juliet grew up in a garden which had 200 Camellia trees in Wahroonga and was introduced to both The Camellia Society and the Waterhouse family in the 1950’s. Juliet’s mother Helen Simon met Professor Waterhouse c1953 when she joined the Camellia Society. Juliet is now following in her mother’s footsteps by visiting the same gardens in Australia and overseas. Helen Simon initiated the labelling of the Camellia trees at Eryldene, was an early volunteer gardener and original member of the Friends of Eryldene. Juliet had a long career as a florist and busy mum of 4 children. After visiting the garden at Eryldene for many decades, Juliet always wanted to come and help as a dedicated enthusiast of Camellias and of Eryldene. Now that she has retired, Juliet has enjoyed returning to Eryldene as a volunteer in the garden and helping on Open Weekends and with the arrangements of flowers in the house.  

Helen Wallace

Helen is a fourth generation keen gardener and decided at her first visit to Eryldene in early 1977 that one day she would work in the garden.  33 years later after nursing, children, grand children and travel that wish came true. Helen co-ordinates the essential work of Eryldene’s garden volunteers, and is heading up the Camellia Rejuvenation project currently underway,

Honorary Advisers

Colleen Morris

Colleen is a garden historian and expert member of the NSW Heritage Council, who is Eryldene’s Hon Garden Adviser. Colleen is a long-term National Trust contributor and has written extensively on gardens and cultural landscapes. researching and preparing publications, exhibitions and lectures, including Lost gardens of Sydney, The Florilegium and The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney Celebrating 200 years.

Julian Bickersteth

Julian is Eryldene’s Hon Conservator and a trained furniture conservator who advises on our collection management and conservation projects. Julian founded International Conservation Services in Roseville in 1987 and was a Board Member of the National Trust for a decade, as well as undertaking conservation projects as varied as Shackleton’s Hut in Antarctica to tapestries at the Sydney Opera House.

Robert Moore

Robert has been Hon Architect to Eryldene for over 30 years, and responsible for advising the Trust on the care of the fabric of its buildings and other structures.  Heritage adviser and conservation architect, his architectural practice has worked on many of the states major historic buildings and has had an extensive engagement with the heritage of Kur-ing-gai since the 1980s.