BERTLES, ZOE EMMA (1880-1975), librarian, was born on 8 May 1880 at West Maitland, New South Wales, fifth child and youngest daughter of Samuel Bertles, a builder from England, and his native-born wife Emma Cecilia, née Evans. Educated at West Maitland Girls' High School, Zoe ran a small private school at Quirindi until 1912. She then enrolled at the University of Sydney (B.A., B.Ec., 1916), supporting herself by part-time teaching.

Probably encouraged by Nita Kibble, in April 1915 Bertles was appointed library-assistant at the Public Library of New South Wales. Her high qualifications were quickly recognized and her ability was exploited; from 1917 she also worked after hours as research officer for the Premier's Department. Reclassified as cataloguer in 1919, she was described by the principal librarian W. H. Ifould as one of his two ablest. That year she topped the higher grades examinations for library staff ...

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Source:

Australian Dictionary of Biography