Meet the Team
Sue Carroll – Chairperson
My family arrived from England in the mid-60s, settling in Adelaide. Quite late in my teens, the reading-bug bit me — not for escaping so much as finding meaning or structure in non-fiction, which suited my mild dyslexia. I now dive much more into fiction. I started my career and tertiary education towards the end of my children’s school years. I worked in banks, rising from teller to training consultant and trainee manager. In Sydney I started my own business as a training consultant, but later, in Queensland, the GFC drained my resources. Needing a ‘real job’ I moved to Broome and found my ‘real life’ in my ‘real, forever home’. I have joined some of Broome’s creative community groups: Wasamba Drumming, tap dancing and singing circle — and Backroom Press.
Pat Lowe – Deputy Chairperson
Pat Lowe grew up in England. She taught at secondary schools in France and East Africa and has spent more than half her life in Western Australia. Pat trained as a psychologist and worked for many years in WA prisons. She has written a dozen books, fiction and non-fiction, several of them in collaboration with Aboriginal artists and storytellers. Pat is a keen environmentalist and lives in Broome.
Christine Elsasser – Treasurer
After immersing myself in mediaeval literature in Germany, I worked in a publishing house in Munich, helping to produce reference books for libraries and universities until life took me on a different path in Australia. Books always occupied a special place in my life, so I’m excited to be part of Backroom Press and helping to bring stories From the Kimberley to the World.
Michelle Ashworth – Secretary
Michelle is a primary school teacher with 20 years’ experience specialising in literacy and language teaching. While she now largely works with learners who have specific language learning difficulties, Michelle has also had the joy of teaching learners from non-English speaking backgrounds. She currently tutors local students and volunteers with a few Broome-based groups. Her interests include gardening, reading, scruffy dogs, social justice, food security and caring for our environment. Michelle has been to the Kimberley a few times between 1985 and now, and the love affair continues.
Joyce Hudson
Joyce Hudson grew up in Queensland in the days when career opportunities for women were few, so she trained as a nurse. Later she was greatly relieved to discover she had a talent for learning and analysing languages. This allowed her to move to a career in linguistics. She studied the Walmajarri language, from the Great Sandy Desert, and Kimberley Kriol. She has coordinated the publication of many books about Kimberley languages and supported language programs in schools. Joyce has lived in the Kimberley since 1967 and looks like staying here forever. Since her retirement Joyce has applied her experience to her role of volunteer with Backroom Press. Other interests include working in the Uniting Church Op Shop.
Thomas Saunders
I’m originally from Tasmania but have lived in Broome since 2012 and before that I lived in Derby. I studied linguistics at the Australian National University in Canberra but learnt much more about languages and cultures from Aboriginal people of the Kimberley.
I have contributed to a number of Aboriginal biological field guides collaboratively with speakers of Aboriginal languages and scientists and have written a few linguistic articles. Since moving to Broome, I have become more interested in writing and have tried my hand at writing fiction for the first time.After participating in various Corrugated Lines- A Festival of Words, in 2021, I organised a festival event. Corrugated Online was a serial novella that appeared on the Corrugated Lines website. Each chapter was written by a different writer to create a story called ‘Theft of a Pearl’. Currently I work for Aboriginal Interpreting Western Australia but try to
work on my writing in my spare time.
Martine Docherty
I have always loved a good story and, as a child, dreamed of writing my own stories – I am still dreaming! I struggle to put a good book down.
My first experience of living in the Kimberley was in Camballin, where I worked in the office and as a Librarian at Looma school. I have lived in Broome since 2002. I worked casually in the office and as a librarian at the local primary schools and then fulltime as a financial counsellor at Broome CIRCLE, while raising three girls and completing a Bachelor of Commerce through Curtin University. I have since worked as an accountant for various local organizations. I am currently employed part-time as finance manager for Magabala Books.
Previous Management Committee Members:
Sarah Tobias, Trish Pepper, Diana Oliver, Deb Courtney, Vicki Carroll, Maria Mann, Rani Middleton, Suzanne Jess, Sudha Coutinho, Alex Smee, Rachael Christensen, Valerie Burgess, Ushan Boyd, Rebecca Youdale, Robyn Wells, Jacqui Wright, Flip Prior, Jean Indermaur, Carmel Leahy, Sharon Griffiths, Carolyn Pickett, Ben Collins
