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jobs before coming to Darwin. She was with Shell in Melbourne, established and ran the Papua New Guinea
Administrative College Library (1961–1966), was Chief Librarian of the South Pacific Commission in Noumea
(1966–1970), and foundation Librarian of the Riverina College of Advanced Education, Wagga (1970–1971).
Finally, in 1971, she accepted the position of Chief Librarian of the Northern Territory Library Service, based
in Darwin. She reorganised the service, and built up the book-stock from the parlous state into which it had fallen.
She battled the bureaucrats for greater recognition of the importance of libraries, and succeeded in obtaining more
generous funding and new professional positions.
Whilst she enjoyed and excelled in most library duties, possibly her favourite was the planning of new library
buildings. She relished the challenge these presented, and the first public library at Nhulunbuy (1974), and the new
libraries at Alice Springs (1980) and Casuarina (1980) owe their existence to her.
After Cyclone Tracy in December 1974, the Northern Territory Library Service administration was transferred
from Darwin to Canberra, and for the next two years, Thea continued to manage the Service from Canberra. It was
during this time that she embarked on a very ambitious book purchasing policy, buying not only for the existing
public libraries, but also for the foundation of the State Reference Library’s stock. The State Reference Library
was her vision, to provide Territorians with a high quality reference service to avoid, as far as possible, the need
to seek help from southern libraries. She commenced this crusade soon after her arrival in Darwin, and finally saw
it achieve fruition in December 1980 with the opening of the State Reference Library (now the Northern Territory
Library).
Thea was an austere and forbidding figure to strangers, and she did not take kindly to the uninvited use of
her first name by acquaintances. However, she was extremely loyal and supportive to her friends, and gained a
much-deserved reputation in public service circles for straight dealing and honesty. Her professional knowledge
was deep and all embracing, and she shared this generously with colleagues. As a professional librarian, she set
herself and maintained the highest standards, and expected (and helped) her colleagues to strive to meet these
too. In the early 1970s when the number of librarians in Darwin could be counted on the fingers of one hand, she
assumed a high professional profile and added a considerable lustre to her chosen profession.
She was a clever and highly intelligent person, who read widely (in German, English and French). She loved
discussing a wide range of topics with her friends. A fine sense of humour, which could not be suspected at a first
meeting, always lurked not far beneath the surface.
In 1987, Thea retired on medical grounds, having suffered a stroke. She continued in poor health until her death
in Darwin on 22 September 1990. Her mother who died in Darwin about a year later, survived her. The Northern
Territory Library’s Special Collection of rare books, most of which were purchased by her, was named the
Thea Schmitz Collection as a permanent memorial to her.
Northern Territory Women’s Register 1948–1988, second edition, 1991; personal knowledge.
MICHAEL LOOS, Vol 3.
SCHULTZ, CHARLES NOEL (CHARLIE) (1908– ), stockman, ‘battler’, pastoralist, drover, and horseman,
was born in Charters Towers on 17 February 1908, the son of Charles Frederick Schultz and Bridget, nee Larkin.
His father was manager of Woodhouse Station for 50 years from about the turn of the century, and Charlie spent
most of his early life there. His formal education began at the age of five when his parents sent him to boarding
school at Bowen. Later he attended Mount Carmel College in Charters Towers. Of his academic career, Charlie
always maintained that he was ‘just hopeless’ at school, whereas ‘cattle and horses were just an everyday job for
me’.
In 1925 at the age of 16, he got a job on a ship taking 1 400 head of horses to India ‘the youngest that ever
did that trip’. These horses were remounts being supplied to the Indian Army by the great horse-buyer, J S Love.
The poverty and primitive living conditions in India, especially as it affected children, made a deep impression on
young Charlie and in later life undoubtedly influenced his attitude to those less fortunate than himself, including
Aboriginal people.
In 1927 he was about to make a second trip to India when a message arrived which was to alter the course of
his life—his uncle, Billy Schultz, had been thrown from a horse on Victoria River Downs (VRD) and killed. Billy
Schultz had originally gone to the Victoria River District to manage Humbert River Station after Charles Schultz
senior bought the property in 1919. Unfortunately, the isolation and loneliness of the Territory took its toll and as
time passed, Billy paid more attention to the bottle than the branding. In September 1927, he rode the 48 kilometres
to Victoria River Downs to pick up his mail and to enjoy a session on the grog. Although considered a top
horseman, on the way back to Humbert his horse shied, threw him against a tree and killed him.
When the news arrived, 19-year-old Charlie and his father loaded a truck with supplies and equipment, and
made an epic wet season trip across Queensland and the Territory to Humbert River Station. They found the place
in terrible condition—yards and old bark huts were falling to pieces, horses were unbroken, cattle unbranded and
gone wild—and there was a massive 8 000 Pounds debt. Charlie took one look at the place and thought: ‘I’ll be
lucky to last a bloody year here’—fate was to decree otherwise.
Father and son immediately began to set the station in order, with a view to selling out. For 10 months they
worked together, repairing the yards, counter-lining saddles, breaking in horses and branding cattle. They expected
their nearest neighbour, Victoria River Downs, would buy them out, but VRD’s offer was too low—1 000 Pounds
less than the debt. Charles senior was reluctant to lose that much money, so young Charlie volunteered to run the
station alone while his father returned to Queensland and looked for a buyer. Thus began one of the great ‘battler’
stories of Northern Territory history, an epic of loneliness, determination, hard work—and ultimate success.