Rob Andrewartha

Rob was our Inaugral Treasurer and became Chairperson in 2018. Rob is the driving force behind the financial success of Open Gardens SA and brings years of financial management in the wine industry to the organisation. Rob is also the co-owner of The Garden in Wilpena Street, a beautiful garden in Eden Hills which makes a regular appearance in the spring program. Rob also plays in integral in role in presenting the Theatre in the Garden series.

Victoria Winnall

Co-Chairperson

Victoria Winnall was a much-loved and respected chairperson of the original Open Gardens Scheme for many years – probably more than she can count! She has been a committee member, selector and garden owner and brings years of gardening knowledge to the new organisation. Vick is a Foundation Member and was our Inaugral Chairperson and is now Co-Chair for 2023-24.

Lyn Edwards

Secretary

Lyn has opened her garden “The Chestnuts” regularly since 1996 under the National Scheme and then with OGSA. She has been a Botanic Garden Guide in the Mount Lofty and Adelaide Botanic Gardens for two years and a volunteer gardener in “Hands on Hort” at the Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens. Lyn was a Selector for OGSA in 2017 and joined the Committee in 2018.

Virginia Sheridan

Virginia was heavily involved with the former Open Gardens Australia organisation from 2006 as a selector, committee member and was the Chair of Selectors for many years. Virginia has opened her garden "Silverwood" on 3 occasions with OGA. Virginia joined Open Gardens SA as a Foundation Member in 2015. She is interested in anything and everything associated with gardens and gardening. Virginia is also a member of the events committee.

Marg Wilkinson

Marg is a keen gardener and her garden "Gable Ends" was opened in Open Gardens Australia scheme in 2012 and Open Garden SA scheme in 2015. She is also a Foundation Member of Open Gardens Australia and heads up the organisation's amazing events committee which regularly caters for OGSA events.

Tom Wilkinson

Tom was formative in setting up our Incorporation and Rules. He developed our website which he continues to manage. Tom assisted his wife Marg in opening their garden Gable Ends on two occasions but his heart really belongs to his vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Tom is frequently seen running the bar at OGSA events. Tom is sharing the Chair with Vick Winnall for 2023-24.

Alison Edwards

Committee Member

Alison is a retired primary teacher who is a self-taught gardener. She has regularly opened her garden “The Knoll” in Coromandel Valley from 1998 until 2008 under the National Scheme and then more recently with OGSA. Her passion for gardening and enthusiasm for visiting open gardens prompted her to join our committee. 

Dianne Michalk

Di is a very keen gardener and has been a member of Open Gardens South Australia since it formed in 2015.  Di has a wealth of experience in preparing and opening gardens and has been opening her garden, Ashgrove Iris Garden, to the public annually since 2000.  Di’s passion for gardening was acknowledged by being named as the ABC Gardening Australia’s “Gardener of the Year 2013”.

Fiona Watson

Fiona Watson was previously on the Open Gardens Australia committee for many years before becoming a Foundation and Committee Member for OGSA in 2015. She enjoys being involved with so many wonderfully inspirational people, members and gardens and also loves getting stuck into her own garden whenever she can. Fiona has previously opened her garden in Wayville.

Jamie McIlwain

Jamie is a Landscape Designer who leads teams of Horticulturalists in the Adelaide Hills. His company has won numerous (MLSA) Awards of Excellence for Design, Construction and Maintenance. Jamie is a founding Committee Member for the SA Landscape Festival and the OGSA Harvest Garden Festival. He brings to our Committee over 30 years of Garden Design and Landscaping knowledge.

John Zwar

Committee Member

John trained in Horticulture at Adelaide Botanic Garden and worked in arid northern SA. He undertook an overseas Churchill Fellowship study tour of arid zone horticulture and in 1981 proposed the establishment of The Australian Arid Lands Botanic Garden at Port Augusta where he still has close involvement. He was Curator of the National Botanic Garden in Lae PNG, and a TAFE SA lecturer at Urrbrae. John was a member of the former Open Gardens Australia Committee and was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1989.

Alison Jones

Committee Member

Alison is very much a garden observer and enjoys the fact that her husband is a gardener and she gets to enjoy it. They opened their Henley Beach garden in 2021 as part of a group of five gardens - neighbourhood friends who enjoy sharing their gardens and developing their community together. She enjoys visiting gardens and values the contribution of gardens and gardeners to a healthy environment..

Sonia Green

Sonia Green has loved visiting beautiful gardens all her life and has been lucky enough to enjoy many, awe-inspiring gardens in Australia and Europe (especially Italy and France). She has relished dozens of outings to lovely gardens in Adelaide - probably since the original OGA was first established. Sonia has a background in journalism, communications and marketing,