REFLECT
Your Trust in Action BY JESSIE BODOR, PHILANTHROPY MANAGER
The philanthropic spirit of our supporters helps the National Trust create real change. Three special projects have been completed recently across New South Wales, made possible by the generous support of foundations, donors and gifts in wills.
Wrought elegance restored Sometimes a ‘hidden’ treasure is hiding in plain sight, such as the art deco wrought ironwork staircase, gates and handrails at Everglades House & Gardens in Leura. Completed in 1936, this distinctive feature beautifully connects house, garden and bushland, forming a stylish and seamless transition from building to nature. Elegant curls ascend the house’s central staircase while the balustrades at the lookout over Gordon Falls create a border for the area with a pattern of a mountain landscape, billowing clouds and rays of sunlight. A local blacksmith is believed to have crafted this work to the design of Paul Sorensen. But the balustrades needed attention to restore them to their former beauty. Old paint and rust were carefully removed across the intricate ironwork, which was treated with a protective coating and repainted in black, its original colour. Now, they are once again a striking feature of the lookout and continue to delight visitors as they wander through these spectacular gardens. This kind of conservation work is critical to ensure that Everglades remains faithful to the vision of both Paul Sorensen and Henry van de Velde.
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National Trust (NSW)
