I was born in Melbourne to parents of German background. They were both interned separately in Australian internment camps during the Second World War and then settled in Melbourne after their release. I am married to Erich and we have four children and one grandchild.

My work over the years both in a professional capacity and as a volunteer has revolved around the use of the German language. After secondary school, I completed a Bachelor of Arts degree part time at the University of Melbourne with Majors in German and Swedish. During this time, I worked as a Technical Assistant in the Language Laboratory at the University of Melbourne. After the birth of my first child I took an extended break from paid employment to stay at home and care for our children. During this time, I was involved with the after-school hours German program run by the Temple Society Australia, teaching German and being involved in the school’s administration.

Almost twenty years later, I returned to university study to complete a Graduate Diploma in Primary Teaching at Latrobe University, specialising in teaching German as a LOTE (Language other than English).

I then taught German part time at two different primary schools for over twenty years.  With a passion for enhancing language learning through the use of technology, I developed many resources and online materials over the years. I was an active member of the AGTV (Association of German Teachers of Victoria), Network leader and presented workshops at conferences and Professional Learning days. I was awarded life membership in 2015. For the last two years of my teaching career, I was the Information Technology Coordinator for the school.

Since 2014 I have been a member of the Temple Society Australia’s Heritage & Culture Focus Group and am currently its leader and Archive Manager. My main research area is the History of the Temple Society and life in Palestine pre-Second World War. I maintain the Templer family tree database, compile many family stories for members of the Templer community and write Heritage articles for Templer publications.

Compiling a life story of my father – Lothar Böhmer - has been very rewarding. He went to sea as a sailor in the German Merchant Navy in 1939 and spent time in Persia before being captured by the British forces in August 1941. Transportation to Australia followed with years of internment in Loveday, South Australia and Murchison, Victoria before release and settlement in Australia. Reading the many letters exchanged between him in Australia and his family in Germany during and after his imprisonment gives an insight into life in both countries during and after the Second World War.