Announcement

Strawberry Hill Trust Appoints Dr David Gaimster as New Director

The Strawberry Hill Trust is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr David Gaimster as the new Director at Strawberry Hill House.

David has considerable experience in the museum and heritage world. He was most recently Chief Executive Officer of the South Australia Museum, Adelaide. Prior to that he was CEO of the Auckland War Memorial Museum, New Zealand, and Director of the Hunterian, University of Glasgow.

As General Secretary and CEO of the Society of Antiquaries of London, he led the 2007 renovation of the Society’s London Piccadilly premises and co-curated its tercentenary special exhibition Making History: Antiquaries in Britain 1707–2007 at the Royal Society of Arts, followed by a national and international tour supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (2007–10).

Chair of Trustees, Anthony Nash, said: “We are extremely pleased to welcome Dr Gaimster to our team. David brings a wealth of experience, both nationally and internationally. He will help us shape our strategy in these challenging times for historic houses. Both long-term financial sustainability and strategic development are our key objectives. We shall continue working with our many supporters and stakeholders to ensure that Strawberry Hill House can be enjoyed by present and future generations.”

Dr Gaimster said: “I am delighted and excited to be appointed to the Director role at Strawberry Hill. Horace Walpole’s fantasy Gothic castle, together with its collections and gardens, is one of the most inspiring sites of interest in the UK—if not global—cultural heritage landscape. With my knowledge and experience in the heritage economy, built nationally and internationally, I believe I can enable the Strawberry Hill Trust to achieve step change in financial sustainability, civic engagement and social impact over the next few years.”

We look forward to welcoming Dr Gaimster to Strawberry Hill House as we enter this exciting new chapter in our story.