Patricia Gallaher

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Patricia "Pat" Evelyn Gallaher OAM (1937 – 11 December 2014) was an Australian librarian who established the Randolph Stow Young Writers award and promoted the arts in regional parts of Western Australia.

Early life[]

Pat Gallaher was born in England in 1937.[1]

Career[]

Pat Gallaher began her working life as a laboratory technician in Sheffield.[1] She emigrated to Australia and worked at the Defence Standards Laboratories in Alexandria, Sydney.[1]

Her first library job was at Mosman Public Library in Sydney.[1] Moving a few years later to Western Australia, Gallaher worked in public libraries in regional areas[2] for almost 30 years. She held positions in Paraburdoo and Karratha, and then for 20 years as the regional librarian for the City of Geraldton (1981-2001).[3] While at Geraldton Library, Gallaher introduced many new services and developments, including a service to house-bound residents, the internet, and an automated library management system. She also oversaw extensions to the Library and established the local studies collection.[3]

Recognizing a need to foster young writers, Gallaher initiated the Randolph Stow Young Writers Award in 1989 to encourage school students in the Geraldton region of Western Australia to write.[3][4] Gallaher served on many committees promoting regional arts, including the Geraldton Arts Council and as a board member of Country Arts WA.[3] In 1987 Gallaher formed the Mid West regional chapter of the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA).[3]

Gallaher joined the Library Board of Western Australia in 2002[3][5] as the representative for the Western Australian Local Government Association and served a four-year term to 2006. She was named as a Fellow of the Library Board in 2011, in recognition for her commitment to libraries and the arts in regional Western Australia.[3] She was interviewed on 28 October 2013 as part of the Library Board of Western Australia 60th anniversary project.[1]

Gallaher remained involved with the library profession in her retirement, helping to establish[6] the Retirees section of the Australian Library and Information Association.[7]

Political life[]

Following her retirement from the Geraldton Library, Gallaher was elected to the Geraldton City Council, serving on the municipal council from 2001-2003.[3]

Awards[]

  • 2003 Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to the arts and to the community, particularly as a regional librarian.[8]
  • 2011 Fellow of the Library Board of Western Australia

Personal life[]

Gallaher died in Perth, Western Australia on 11 December 2014.[9]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Gallaher, Patricia E; Bannister, John (William John Egerton), 1967- (2013), Interview with Patricia Gallaher, retrieved 2 January 2015CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Gallaher, Patricia E (1991), "Libraries in Western Australia: the north", Libraries Alone, 3 (1): 19–24, retrieved 2 January 2015
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Patricia Gallaher OAM". State Library of Western Australia. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Randolph Stow Young Writers Award". City of Greater Geraldton Regional Library. Archived from the original on 2 January 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  5. ^ Gallaher, Patricia (2007). "Serving on Boards in Retirement". Incite. 28 (10): 29.
  6. ^ Gallaher, Patricia (2007). "Volunteering…for a holiday". Incite. 28 (10): 32.
  7. ^ Gallaher, Patricia (2011). "Connected for life: retired professionals stay in touch" (PDF). Incite. 32 (1): 6. Retrieved 6 January 2015.
  8. ^ "Australia Day honours list: OAM, CSC, NSC". The Age. 26 January 2003. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  9. ^ "Pat Gallaher, Obituary". The West Australian. 12 December 2014. Retrieved 2 January 2015.

Further reading[]

  • O'Connor AC, Hamlyn C, Allen M, Gallaher P. (2012) State Library Board celebrates anniversary: The WA State Library Board turns 60 this year and is transforming in a bid to stay relevant. 730 WA (ABC1 Perth) interview. p. 7 min., 4 sec.
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