Thea Schmitz

Thea Schmitz, born Maria Theresa Schmitz, (28 June 1927 – 22 September 1990) was a librarian who was the first librarian at Library & Archives NT in Darwin and opened the State Reference Library after building the collection. She was a strong advocate for professional library services.

Early life Schmitz was born in Cologne, Germany, and was the younger of two children to Franz Joseph Karl and Paula Louisa Schmitz. Schmitz's father, a lawyer, died while she was still attending school. She also became actively involved in advocating and planning for new libraries in other parts of the Northern Territory including Nhulunbuy Public Library (1974), Alice Springs Public Library (1980) and Casuarina Public Library (1980).

After Cyclone Tracy Schmitz was transferred to Canberra, to work from the National Library of Australia, and continue running the library service from there. This move was due to a government policy which meant that only essential personnel would remain in Darwin.

Legacy

A rare book collection, the "Thea Schmitz Collection" at Library & Archives NT is named for Schmitz.