'Gerritje Galloway was born in the Netherlands and emigrated to New Zealand in 1959. After school, study and several years working, Gerritje had the privilege of visiting the United States, Hawaii, Panama, Curacao, Fiji and parts of Europe, including North Holland where she was born, and experienced the joy of meeting many relatives who had not seen her since she left the Netherlands. These travels contributed to her fascination in revealing the rich history and local culture of places. Gerritje has a genuine passion to foster a love of books and reading in people of all ages, and sharing her knowledge and research. She has had numerous articles published in magazines, newspapers and co-edited educational books written during her time as librarian at St Thomas's and Tamaki Colleges. The National Library adopted her work on information literacy and research. Gerritje formally studied library services and research, graduating from the University of Auckland in 2006 with a Certificate of Support Services to Schools. With her husband Richard, Gerritje pursued her love for the outdoors and the environment, taking their three children on many adventures and travelling to Australia on several occasions. In 2007, Gerritje and her husband moved permanently to Bribie Island where they now live. Gerritje was appointed as the Education Coordinator in 2011, with the Caboolture Region Environmental Education Centre (CREEC) at Burpengary. In the 2013 Longman Awards, Gerritje was nominated and a finalist of Volunteer Achievement in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the Longman community and the sustainability of the Australian environment. Whilst in consultation with the Caboolture District Library, Gerritje was invited to attend the Flag Raising Ceremony at Caboolture to meet the Elders of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders where she was able to hear Dr. Eve Fesl speak and meet Lyndon Davis and the Gubbi Gubbi Dance troupe among others. Their stories and those of many more rich and colourful characters provided inspiration for this book.' (Source : Google Books)
