WHO ARE WE TODAY ?
The Friends are organized via a management Committee and four standing committees: Acquisitions, Membership, Publications, and Program.
The management committee members are:
PRESIDENT
Mark Gilbert is a consulting engineer with a lifelong interest in books and history. He is a keen book collector and, in his spare time, binds and restores books. He was publisher of The Adelaide Review newspaper for 20 years, and owned the Wakefield Press for a period in the 1990s.
VICE-PRESIDENT
Angela Bannon’s first job was as a trainee librarian in Luton UK. Her work-life since then has included teaching at primary schools in SA, youth work, Bureau of Statistics and teaching art history at tertiary level. She is a practicing artist who loves history, archives and of course, books.
HONORARY SECRETARY
Trevor Grant is a retired English teacher of 40 years’ experience in Toronto, London and locally. He spent his last 30 years at Pembroke School with great enjoyment. An avid reader, inveterate theatre-goer, opera buff, and traveller, he has never been as active as now, in the absolute freedom of retirement.
HONORARY TREASURER
Anthony Milton graduated with a Bachelor of Law Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce in 2015. He has two years’ experience in public practice accounting and is currently working in a tax consulting role for Perks Integrated Business Services. He has been an avid reader since he was young and has a love of the fantasy genre.
MEMBERS
Elizabeth Hambly, Immediate past President. An Honours French graduate, worked as the head of a school library and a French teacher for many years. Since joining the Friends on retirement she has been on the Australiana Publications sub-committee and the Program standing committee and was a guide at the State Library.
Roger André has a keen interest in history and heritage and co-edits a local history journal. He joined the Friends while attached to the Mortlock Library of South Australiana where he was Senior Archivist until his retirement in 2001. In an earlier life he worked for nine years in Papua New Guinea.
Alan Brissenden AM taught English at The University of Adelaide 1963-94, was the Friends’ President 1994-2000, edited Bibliofile 1997-2008, and now serves on the Australiana Publications sub-committee. A Shakespearian scholar and dance writer, he was a Governor of the Adelaide Festival of Arts 1981-94 and was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1996 for services to the arts.
Valmai Hankel AM PSM worked in the State Library of South Australia for 43 years. After retirement she increased her involvement with the Friends, becoming their first woman president. She is a regular speaker on radio and to groups, writes on wine and Australian explorers, and travels each year alone in the outback.
Anthony Hurl
TBA
Jane Walkley worked as a Public Librarian for 12 years and an Information Officer at Seniors Information Service for 11 years. She is now retired and has many interests, mainly bookish, walking and travelling. Her PhD was a study of language and imagination in the work of Wilson Harris.
EX OFFICIO
Geoff Strempel is the Director of the State Library of South Australia.
Vini Ciccarello represents the Libraries Board of South Australia.
Annette Mills represents the interests of the State Library collections.
Leah Cronin is the Executive Officer of the Friends.
The Friends are organized via a management Committee and four standing committees: Acquisitions, Membership, Publications, and Program.
The management committee members are:
PRESIDENT
Mark Gilbert is a consulting engineer with a lifelong interest in books and history. He is a keen book collector and, in his spare time, binds and restores books. He was publisher of The Adelaide Review newspaper for 20 years, and owned the Wakefield Press for a period in the 1990s.
VICE-PRESIDENT
Angela Bannon’s first job was as a trainee librarian in Luton UK. Her work-life since then has included teaching at primary schools in SA, youth work, Bureau of Statistics and teaching art history at tertiary level. She is a practicing artist who loves history, archives and of course, books.
HONORARY SECRETARY
Trevor Grant is a retired English teacher of 40 years’ experience in Toronto, London and locally. He spent his last 30 years at Pembroke School with great enjoyment. An avid reader, inveterate theatre-goer, opera buff, and traveller, he has never been as active as now, in the absolute freedom of retirement.
HONORARY TREASURER
Anthony Milton graduated with a Bachelor of Law Honours and a Bachelor of Commerce in 2015. He has two years’ experience in public practice accounting and is currently working in a tax consulting role for Perks Integrated Business Services. He has been an avid reader since he was young and has a love of the fantasy genre.
MEMBERS
Elizabeth Hambly, Immediate past President. An Honours French graduate, worked as the head of a school library and a French teacher for many years. Since joining the Friends on retirement she has been on the Australiana Publications sub-committee and the Program standing committee and was a guide at the State Library.
Roger André has a keen interest in history and heritage and co-edits a local history journal. He joined the Friends while attached to the Mortlock Library of South Australiana where he was Senior Archivist until his retirement in 2001. In an earlier life he worked for nine years in Papua New Guinea.
Alan Brissenden AM taught English at The University of Adelaide 1963-94, was the Friends’ President 1994-2000, edited Bibliofile 1997-2008, and now serves on the Australiana Publications sub-committee. A Shakespearian scholar and dance writer, he was a Governor of the Adelaide Festival of Arts 1981-94 and was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 1996 for services to the arts.
Valmai Hankel AM PSM worked in the State Library of South Australia for 43 years. After retirement she increased her involvement with the Friends, becoming their first woman president. She is a regular speaker on radio and to groups, writes on wine and Australian explorers, and travels each year alone in the outback.
Anthony Hurl
TBA
Jane Walkley worked as a Public Librarian for 12 years and an Information Officer at Seniors Information Service for 11 years. She is now retired and has many interests, mainly bookish, walking and travelling. Her PhD was a study of language and imagination in the work of Wilson Harris.
EX OFFICIO
Geoff Strempel is the Director of the State Library of South Australia.
Vini Ciccarello represents the Libraries Board of South Australia.
Annette Mills represents the interests of the State Library collections.
Leah Cronin is the Executive Officer of the Friends.
WHERE HAVE WE COME FROM ?
Click to read the history of the Friends, as researched by Dr Alan Brissenden AM.
Click to read the history of the Friends, as researched by Dr Alan Brissenden AM.
DONATE TO THE FRIENDS
For over 80 years, The Friends has supported the State Library of Sth Aust by purchasing items that enhance and contribute to the Library’s collections.
The Friends’ financial viability relies solely on memberships, donations and book sales. We no longer receive any funding from the government or the State Library.
Please consider making a donation to assist the Friends in these tough economic times.
Or purchase some of our books as gifts or donate to your local Library. We have over thirty to choose from .
All donations over $2 are fully Tax Deductible.
Click on the button to donate today.
We thank you for your support.
For over 80 years, The Friends has supported the State Library of Sth Aust by purchasing items that enhance and contribute to the Library’s collections.
The Friends’ financial viability relies solely on memberships, donations and book sales. We no longer receive any funding from the government or the State Library.
Please consider making a donation to assist the Friends in these tough economic times.
- For only $50 you can give a Gift Membership to a family member or work colleague.
- For $500 you can be a Subscriber to any of our publications.
- For $2500 you can become a Sponsor to any of our publications.
- A Tax Deductible donation to the Friends.
Or purchase some of our books as gifts or donate to your local Library. We have over thirty to choose from .
All donations over $2 are fully Tax Deductible.
Click on the button to donate today.
We thank you for your support.
Image: Peter Fisher
