School and College Librarians in Tasmania – a partial Honour Roll

The Children’s Book Council and school librarians are natural allies because they share the same objectives.  This listing may be of interest to CBCA members.

Prior to 1967 when I was appointed the first (and only) Supervisor of School Libraries, a number of Tasmanian schools had established libraries to supplement the dreary post-war classroom readers and the very limited number of textbooks available to teachers.  They were run by dedicated people with limited or no training in librarianship but who saw clearly the importance of recreational and research reading in education.  Among these notable pioneers were: Miss Faith GIBBONS (Hobart High), Miss Jessie BLYTH (Launceston High), Mrs Cecilia STUBBS (Burnie High), Mrs Doreen HOPKINS, Mrs Fanny HARDING, and Mrs Bronwyn MEREDITH.  Also deserving commemoration for their work with the School Library Service to primary schools were Miss Dorothy BELCHER and Miss Jean CRISP.  An important role was also played from the library at the Hobart Teachers College by Miss Amie EWIN and in the library at the Education Department’s Head Office by Miss Adele de Bomford.  There were others whose names, to my intense frustration, will not surface in my ancient memory.

From 1968 when I started work after studying librarianship at the University of New South Wales, an exciting new era began, taking advantage of the policy of the Federal Labor Party when it was implemented in 1972 by the Gough Whitlam government.  New or refurbished libraries were built, grants for books were increased, teacher-librarians were appointed, advisory and technical support was given, and training courses for teacher-librarians were begun at the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education.

Until 1991 when the Library Services Branch which oversaw these developments was abruptly closed down, I had the pleasure and pride of working with a large cadre of people who made a very significant difference to the quality of Tasmanian education.  It seems to me that their names deserve remembering and honouring.  It is a shame that there is no full register of them but some at least are listed below.

ABELL, Miss Jill 

BECKER, Miss Toni

BECKER, Mrs Marjorie

BEHRENS, Mrs Gaye

BENNETT, Miss Rhoda

BRIDGLAND, Miss Angela

BUCHANAN, Miss Vicki (later GRANT)

BUGG, Miss Sharron (later HEWER)

CANE, Miss Georgie

CLIFFORD, Mr Phil

CULLENWARD, Mrs Jan

DUNBAR, Miss Kay

DUNN, Ms. Lyn

EASTMAN, Mrs Berenice

GARDAM, Mrs Julie

GOWARD, Mrs Coral

GROOT, Mrs Barbara

HAMPTON, Mrs Monica

HAWES, Mrs Joy

HELLICAR, Ms. Ros

HICKMAN, Mrs Leslie

HOUGHTON, Mr John

HUCULAC, Mrs Eva

JAMES, Mrs Kath

JENSEN, Ms. Gita

KELLY, Mr Michael

LEWIS, Mrs Marie

LUDFORD, Ms. Sally

MAHONEY, Mrs Dulcie

McPHERSON, Ms. Lynn

MORRIS, Mrs Gill

PARRISH, Miss Amanda

ROBILLIARD, Mrs Jean

SCOTT, Ms. Judy

SHELTON, Mrs Judy

Glenn Pullen c 1972

SIANSKI, Mr Ed

SMITH, Miss Janet (later MIDDLETON)

STOWE, Mr Edward

WATTS, Mrs Irene

WHILE, Mr Richard

WILSON, Miss Karen

YOUNGER, Mrs Jean

ZIEGLER, Ms. Gaye

Because of inadequate records and the writer’s failing memory, there are many other names that could and should be added to this list, at least up until 1991 when a new generation of school and college librarians took over.  It would be a kindness if any reader could add any names by emailing the writer at Glen Pullen so that the listing could be at least a little more complete.

Glenn Pullen is a Life Member of CBCA Tasmanian Branch.