Eryldene Historic House and Garden, Gordon

Eryldene is a historic house and garden in Gordon, NSW run by a community trust that conserves and opens the property to the public. Eryldene has been particularly hard-hit by Covid-19, as it receives no ongoing government funding. A dedicated team of members and volunteers, as well as donors, keep Eryldene running – with people donating their time, money, or skills where they can.

My family has been involved with Eryldene in one way or another for over 30 years, so when it was brought to my attention that they needed to update and consolidate their branding, I was happy to offer my assistance.

The Brand Style Guide

Initially, this involved an in-depth audit of existing brand identity elements and associated collateral (in both physical and digital formats) and many discussions with trustees and volunteers. I was able to develop a Brand Style Guide for internal use at Eryldene, including the best use of the existing elegant logo, a typography guide, the creation of a seasonal colour palette, and wayfinding and signage design. I also completed a series of custom illustrations for use on printed and digital collateral. These were swiftly applied to events calendars, entry tickets, and new signage.

The Website

The development of a new website was identified early on as an important part of Eryldene’s survival strategy post-Covid. For this task, we engaged web developer Roslyn McKay of Bold Type Creative, Perth. I acted as the liaison between the Eryldene trustees and Bold Type Creative, translating the technical needs and practical use requirements. I organised and managed the evocative site photography and developed much of the website copy. Roslyn and I worked closely together to develop a site that would appeal to and engage with a wider audience. An online event calendar and blog were also created, which increased opportunities for community engagement (both in-person and offline). We developed an online shop for Eryldene, through which they can sell books, plants, etc despite the pandemic lockdown.

Together, Ros and I were able to develop a website that reflects how precious Eryldene is, whilst encouraging people to explore this place for themselves when the wider world opens up once more.

Project Outcomes: Revised Brand Identity, Brand Style Guide, Website, Custom Illustrations, Social Media Tiles, Tea Towels, Signage, Calendars, Zines, and Stickers.

Click here to visit the new Eryldene website.