DescriptionThis interview consists of two audio recordings and transcripts. Roberta Goehner was interviewed on 24 August 2009 at the Whitlam Library, Cabramatta by Shirley Kingsford McLeod. Interview SummaryRoberta Goehner was born on the 30th May 1938 in Perth, Western Australia. She attended school there until the age of 15 and married a German born migrant before deciding to move to New South Wales. At the time of this interview, the couple lived in the lower Blue Mountains. They have two children and five grandchildren.
Roberta completed her HSC at Evening College and won a scholarship for teacher training but chose a different path as it was expected she move to a country area to complete the course. So instead, Roberta transferred to librarianship.
A position was advertised at Patrician Brothers in Fairfield and Roberta applied and was successful. Her employee there was Brother Aengus Kavanagh. She is still teaching there after nearly 40 years as the school’s librarian.
She continued with her studies to become qualified as a teacher librarian, receiving her Bachelor of Arts at Macquarie University and also studied at St Mary’s Strathfield where she earned a Graduate Diploma in Religion.
Another of Roberta’s loves is the environment and she describes how Patrician Brothers has created a garden group that plants trees and maintains gardens. Roberta gives great insight into librarianship and feels proud to assist students with their studies. She also tells of her observations about the introduction of technology into the school and other changes that have occurred over the 40 year period of her employment.
Roberta and her husband have traveled extensively and at times she is asked to speak at the school about their trips and upon retirement, she plans to travel even more.
Roberta Goehner Oral History. Fairfield City Heritage Collection, accessed 11/03/2026, https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/879
