Marlene Norst

Marlene Johanna Norst (24 March 193020 December 2010) was an Australian linguist, pedagogue and philanthropist of Austrian heritage. Her main areas of work were German language and literature studies, language pedagogy, English as a second language, socio-linguistics and children’s literature.

Early life

Norst was born in Vienna,

After secondary school she studied German and Linguistics at Sydney University and later at Newcastle University.

Freelance work

In 1986, she resigned from Macquarie University and established herself as a freelance writer, multicultural consultant and teacher.

In the Vienna Natural History Museum she discovered the drawings of the Austrian botanic artist Ferdinand Lucas Bauer (1760-1826), who had documented Australian flora and fauna when he was engaged to accompany Matthew Flinders on the first circumnavigation of the Australian continent. At the invitation of the British Museum which holds his corresponding colour drawings, she wrote a book about Ferdinand Lucas Bauer in which she brought together the pencil and colour drawings.

In 1989 Norst embarked on an oral history project entitled Family Reflections, where she supported families in documenting and writing their stories and history. She was a close friend of the Aboriginal activist, Burnum Burnum (1936-1997) and on his request wrote his biography Burnum Burnum: A Warrior for Peace.

She taught English language and literacy to international students, migrants as well as street kids and ex-prisoners at institutions including Sydney Skill Share, Wesley Skill Share and Street Smart, as well as Sydney TAFE and Nature Care.

In 1991 she was awarded the University of Newcastle Convocation Medal for "Outstanding Professional Merit", and 1995 the "Ehrenkreuz für Literatur und Wissenschaft der Republik Österreich" (The Cross of Honour for Literature and Science of the Republic of Austria)

Norst translated a number of German plays into English - including works by Igor Bauersima, Falk Richter, Lukas Bärfuss, Roland Schimmelpfennig, Reto Finger, Margareth Obexer, Agnes Gerstenberg. Many of these translations have had public performances. The play Before/After (Vorher / Nachher) was performed by Sydney Theatre Company in February 2011, less than two months after her death in Sydney.

Personal life

As an enthusiastic chorister, Norst was a member of Sydney Philharmonia Choir and of SUMS (the Sydney University Musical Society) for many years and took part in many performances and concert tours in Australia and overseas.