Maria Walsh
Director & Owner
Maria is the director and owner of Garfield Street Children’s Centre, having established the centre in 1995. She has worked in Child Care and in related areas of tertiary education all of her working life.
As well as being the Director of Garfield Street Children’s Centre, Maria works as an Educator across the Centre. She works with children and her coworkers to design and implement an educational Preschool program and to develop curriculum for each room at the Centre. Download Resume B.Ed. Hons (Early Childhood Education), M. Arts (Applied Linguistics), Graduate Cert. Educational Studies, Cert. IV Training and Assessment (University of Sydney)
Dr. Bill Walsh
Support
Bill’s first career was in Academia. He has an M.B.A. and a Doctorate in Fluid Mechanics, completed a Post Doctoral Fellowship at Stanford University and has worked as a Lecturer in Chemical Engineering UNSW. Bill also worked for about 20 years in Finance, managing teams in investment management risk management and derivative products. Bill’s current career is ‘family support’ which includes the support of Maria’s business and Bill and Maria’s severely disabled son Morgan (born 2007). B.Sc. (App. Maths), Ph.D., M.B.A. (University of Sydney)
Languages
Among our staff, we have members who are fluent in Italian, Vietnamese, Sinhalese, Arabic, Hindi, Tagalog, Mandarin and Samoan. Furthermore we have staff who can speak basic French, Malay, Cantonese and who have training in key word signing.
Arosha Perera
Arosha is a full-time educator in the 2-4’s room. She works with the children and coworkers to design and implement an individualised educational program. Arosha has been working At Garfield Street Children’s Centre since 2006. Prior to Garfield Street Children’s Centre, Arosha worked for several years in preschool and long day care settings, and has experience with special needs children.
Dip. Children’s Services (Petersham TAFE), Senior First Aid Cert.
Sangeeta Bajoria
Sangeeta is a part-time educator in the 2-4’s room. Sangeeta has been working at Garfield Street Children’s Centre since 2007.
Dip. Children’s Services, Senior First Aid Cert.
Dr. Erin Harper Ph.D. Early Childhood Education
Erin was one of the first children to enrol in Garfield Street Children’s Centre in 1995. She has been working as a Teacher with us for most of the years since 2008 and has recently completed her Ph.D. in Education at the University of Sydney. Erin works at University of Sydney as an academic and will continue to contribute to our educational program. B. Education (Early Childhood) (USYD), University Medal, Cert. ‘Developing Menus to Meet Special Dietary and Cultural Needs’, Cert. ‘Preparing Nutritionally Balanced Food in a Safe and Hygienic Manner’
Becky Le
Becky joined us in January 2024 and is a newly qualified ECT (Early Childhood Teacher).
Susanna Ginex
Susie works throughout the Centre. Susie was one of the first staff members to work at Garfield Street Children’s Centre in 1994, and rejoined our team in 2010. Assoc. Dip. Social Sciences (Child Studies) (Meadowbank TAFE)
Chris Duggan
Chris is an Early Childhood teacher who joined us 2018 and works 3 days permanent part time in our 
Wallabies room (ages 2 to 4) . Bachelor of Education – Charles Sturt University
Hannah Sandeman
Hannah works with us on a permanent part-time basis. She works both in the Preschool as well as the 2-4’s Room. Diploma (Children’s Services)
Mony (MengTing) Zhang
Monty joined us 2020 and works 4 days permanent part time in the Echidna’s room (ages under 2). Certificate III and working towards Diploma (Children’s Services)
Valeria Terlizzi
Valeria joined us in 2023 and has worked in Echidnas and Wallabies
Working towards Certificate III/Diploma – Children’s Services
Uma Suresh
Uma has had very extensive experience in Children’s Services and has been with Garfield Street since January 2014. Uma works in the Nursery team. Certificate III (Children’s Services)
Filiata Tutunoa
Filiata has been working at Garfield Street Children’s Centre since 2010. She is the Centre’s Cook. Cert. ‘Basic Food Safety Procedures’, Cert. ‘Planning and Evaluating Meals and Menus to Meet Recommended Dietary Guidelines’