Vale Peter Sinfield (1950 – 2008)

Peter Sinfield (1950 – 2008)

Peter, who passed away from cancer on 25 March 2008, had worked as a librarian at the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) for 13 years prior to his retirement at the end of 2006.

Peter was born in Melbourne on 27 February 1950. At the tender age of 15 he joined the Royal Australian Navy as a radio apprentice. He served in a number of ships, including the HMAS Sydney in its role as the Vung Tau Ferry on supply visits to Vietnam, and HMAS Hobart, his sentimental favourite. His naval service also saw him in Darwin helping the clean-up after Cyclone Tracey. During his naval career he became a qualified teacher and he was an instructor at HMAS Leeuwin, and later a recruitment officer. He reached the rank of Lieutenant Commander.

Prior to retiring from the Navy, Peter studied librarianship at the Canberra College of Advanced Education (now the University of Canberra), obtaining a Graduate Diploma in 1989. He then commenced a career as a librarian, working in a variety of government libraries in Canberra. He started at the Department of Health, Housing and Community Services, moving to ATSIC and then the Australian Customs Service, before commencing at the ANAO in 1993, followed by some short stints at the Therapeutic Goods Administration and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Peter and I became work colleagues when I commenced at the ANAO in 1994 as a cataloguer and systems librarian – he was by then a well respected and knowledgeable reference librarian.

In 1997, Peter was acting Library Manager when the ANAO library underwent a major review and restructure in 1997. He oversaw the implementation of the review’s recommendations, which saw the library change its name (to the Information Research Centre), location (from the 3^rd to the 2^nd floor) and focus (from traditional collection based services to more research-oriented services utilising electronic resources). The library review also saw the abolition of the library manager position and a change in our roles, with both of us providing research services and co-managing the library. Peter generously shared with me his corporate knowledge and reference skills, and helped me to morph from a cataloguer and systems librarian into a “research librarian”. His professionalism and amiability also ensured our unorthodox partnership endured until his retirement.

Outside of the ANAO, Peter was active in the Australian Government Libraries Information Network, and the Military History Society of Australia. He helped produce the Society’s journal Sabretache for many years, and also organised the annual HMAS Canberra memorial service.

In his younger years, his transport of choice was motorbikes. As a responsible family man he had stopped riding, but the yearning remained. In his mid fifties he purchased a motorbike and joined the Ulysses Club. His wife supported him in this aim to “grow old disgracefully” and bought a large motor scooter to join him on the road.

Towards the end of 2005 he started to plan for, and look forward, to his retirement, giving himself and the ANAO a year’s notice. Things went slightly awry in February 2006, when on a regular weekend ride Peter uncharacteristically came off his motorbike on a gravel road. Medical investigations revealed that he was suffering from something more serious than just abrasions and cracked ribs. After a major operation for cancer, he spent several months convalescing at home before returning to work and seeing out his plan to retire in December 2006.

Unfortunately 2007 saw a recurrence of the cancer, and Peter had little opportunity to enjoy his retirement or motorbike, between medical appointments and further treatments.

He is survived by his mother and brother, wife Sylvia, daughter Patricia and son Andrew.

Vale Peter! A great librarian and human being.

Christine Herrmann

Research Librarian