The sunken garden was added by Stephen Mather in 1909. He hired Walter Burleigh Griffin, an award winning architect who worked closely with Frank Lloyd Wright, to for its design. In 1911, Griffin entered a competition to design Australia's new capital city, Canberra. With impressive The sunken garden was added by Stephen Mather in 1909. He hired Walter Burleigh Griffin, an award winning architect who worked closely with Frank Lloyd Wright in Chicago, for its design. In 1911, Griffin entered a competition to design Australia's new capital city, Canberra. With impressive renderings by his new wife, Marion Mahoney Griffin, also an architect. The design won and he went on to design Canberra and have a successful career in Australia. Upon Stephen Mather’s death in 1930, his daughter Bertha inherited the house. She hired Lillian Egleston from Elizabeth, New Jersey to modify the sunken garden to be a bit less formal in 1938. In 1962, she added a terrace around the well and additional plantings with designs by Charles Middeleer. In recent years, thanks to the efforts of Mather Homestead volunteers, in particular Andy Huntington, the gardens have been restored and beautified. In addition to leading extensive clean up of the gardens, Andy has incorporated roses, peonies and other herbaceous perennials to give the garden more visual appeal throughout the spring and summer season. Please proceed to Site #4: The Cottage - the structure across the driveway.