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
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.
CO-VICE-PRESIDENT
Patricia Michell
Patricia Michell is a general medical practitioner who has been active in many not-for-profit organizations for over 40 years. With interests in health, restoration, gardens and of course books.
CO-VICE-PRESIDENT
Rick Sarre is Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia, and lectures in criminal justice, policing, media law, sport law and commercial law with the School of Commerce. Rick has enjoyed teaching stints in the USA, Hong Kong, and Sweden during his 34 years in the tertiary sector.
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
MEMBERS
Mark Gilbert, Immediate past President. 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.
Elizabeth Hambly 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.
Anthony Hurl has been in the antique and art business his entire life. He is the owner of Tusmore Antiques and holds 5 consultancies, including that of consultant specialist with Sotheby’s Australia. Anthony, via his own business and these consultancies, provides advice to both the Federal and State governments, corporate and private clients.
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.
Bernard Whimpress is a writer, editor, niche publisher, reviewer and former curator of the Adelaide Oval Museum. While most of his 38 books are on sports history he has also produced works on city heritage, memoir, photography, Aboriginal history and oral history. He has taught in courses on history and journalism at Flinders and UniSA. In 2017 he was awarded a South Australian Life-Long History Achievement Award by the History Council of South Australia.
Pauline McCarthy migrated to Australia as a Ten Pound Pom, growing up in Elizabeth. She began her working life in the Elizabeth Public Libraries. She later retrained as a teacher, and went on to become an advisor, manager and principal, specialising in libraries and publications, including multimedia. She has also exhibited collages and photographic works. Her income has been spent on family and homemaking, artworks, music and theatre, extensive travel to Asia and the Middle East, as well as parts of Europe. Good books, good company and good wine enrich her life.
Emma McEwin
Emma has written two books, An Antarctic Affair, published in 2008, and The Many Lives of Douglas Mawson, 2018. Most recently a post-doctoral research essay on bacteriologist Nancy Atkinson, who held a senior position at the University of Adelaide from 1939 to 1975, was published in the December 2018 issue of the Australian Journal of Biography and History. Emma loves research and is especially interested in bringing to light lesser known lives. Emma has a BA and honours degree in English literature, and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Adelaide.
Vini Ciccarello
Vini is a former Labor Party MP for the electoral district of Norwood. A mayor of the City of Kensington and Norwood for seven years, she was a well-known identity in the eastern suburbs electorate. She is a former member of the Libraries Board of South Australia from 2012-2019.
Allison Murchie
Allison Murchie is an oral historian with over 20 years experience specializing in trade union activists, ALP politicians and in more recent years current and past employees of the Adelaide Zoo. She has been a Volunteer at the Adelaide Zoo since 1988 volunteering in numerous areas, particularly with youth.
EX OFFICIO
Geoff Strempel is the Director of the State Library of South Australia.
Leah Cronin is the Executive Officer of the Friends.
The management committee members are:
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.
CO-VICE-PRESIDENT
Patricia Michell
Patricia Michell is a general medical practitioner who has been active in many not-for-profit organizations for over 40 years. With interests in health, restoration, gardens and of course books.
CO-VICE-PRESIDENT
Rick Sarre is Professor of Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia, and lectures in criminal justice, policing, media law, sport law and commercial law with the School of Commerce. Rick has enjoyed teaching stints in the USA, Hong Kong, and Sweden during his 34 years in the tertiary sector.
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
MEMBERS
Mark Gilbert, Immediate past President. 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.
Elizabeth Hambly 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.
Anthony Hurl has been in the antique and art business his entire life. He is the owner of Tusmore Antiques and holds 5 consultancies, including that of consultant specialist with Sotheby’s Australia. Anthony, via his own business and these consultancies, provides advice to both the Federal and State governments, corporate and private clients.
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.
Bernard Whimpress is a writer, editor, niche publisher, reviewer and former curator of the Adelaide Oval Museum. While most of his 38 books are on sports history he has also produced works on city heritage, memoir, photography, Aboriginal history and oral history. He has taught in courses on history and journalism at Flinders and UniSA. In 2017 he was awarded a South Australian Life-Long History Achievement Award by the History Council of South Australia.
Pauline McCarthy migrated to Australia as a Ten Pound Pom, growing up in Elizabeth. She began her working life in the Elizabeth Public Libraries. She later retrained as a teacher, and went on to become an advisor, manager and principal, specialising in libraries and publications, including multimedia. She has also exhibited collages and photographic works. Her income has been spent on family and homemaking, artworks, music and theatre, extensive travel to Asia and the Middle East, as well as parts of Europe. Good books, good company and good wine enrich her life.
Emma McEwin
Emma has written two books, An Antarctic Affair, published in 2008, and The Many Lives of Douglas Mawson, 2018. Most recently a post-doctoral research essay on bacteriologist Nancy Atkinson, who held a senior position at the University of Adelaide from 1939 to 1975, was published in the December 2018 issue of the Australian Journal of Biography and History. Emma loves research and is especially interested in bringing to light lesser known lives. Emma has a BA and honours degree in English literature, and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Adelaide.
Vini Ciccarello
Vini is a former Labor Party MP for the electoral district of Norwood. A mayor of the City of Kensington and Norwood for seven years, she was a well-known identity in the eastern suburbs electorate. She is a former member of the Libraries Board of South Australia from 2012-2019.
Allison Murchie
Allison Murchie is an oral historian with over 20 years experience specializing in trade union activists, ALP politicians and in more recent years current and past employees of the Adelaide Zoo. She has been a Volunteer at the Adelaide Zoo since 1988 volunteering in numerous areas, particularly with youth.
EX OFFICIO
Geoff Strempel is the Director of the State Library of South Australia.
Leah Cronin is the Executive Officer of the Friends.
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 $55 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.
