Our Team

Management

Imagination Garden is owned and operated by Geelong locals, Sue Down and Matthew Dawson, who have managed child care services in the government, private and not-for-profit sectors since 1991.

Sue and Matthew are uniquely placed to develop a successful high quality early childhood education and care service in Bell Post Hill.

After developing successful careers in children’s services, Sue and Matthew decided to take their experience and expertise into the private sector as owner operators. They are respected professionals who are highly regarded in their fields, with a track record of successfully operating quality early childhood education and care services.

Sue Down has experience establishing and managing new state-of-the-art integrated children’s centres, managing child care services and leading large multi-disciplinary teams. Sue has also worked extensively in family support programs and lectured in Early Childhood Education at Deakin University.

Sue has a Bachelor of Early Childhood Education and a Graduate Certificate of Community and International Development. Sue has worked extensively in TAFE colleges and registered training organisations delivering children’s services certificate and diploma qualifications.

Matthew has managed numerous childcare services since 1991, including long day care, kindergartens, family day care, outside school hours care, occasional care and mobile childcare. Matthew has a Bachelor of Arts and a Postgraduate Diploma in IT Management and has specialist skills in business planning, risk management, customer service and financial management.

A consistent theme of Matthew’s work since 1991 has been managing new services in rapidly growing markets. Matthew’s experience in this area has included establishing new not-for-profit services, building new integrated children’s centres and managing rapidly growing childcare services in local government settings.