Sharr, Francis Aubie (Ali)   (1914 - 2002)

He was born on 5 October 1914 in England: died on 16 November 2002 in Perth.

He was the only child of Francis Joseph and Ethel Lucy Sharr (née Bennett).

He attended Chigwell School and then studied at University College in London before proceeding to the University of London School of Librarianship for postgraduate studies. He graduated in 1936.

He then worked in several public libraries before military service in the Royal Artillery during World War II.

While serving as the city of Manchester's Deputy City Librarian, after completion of his military service, he was appointed to become the first State Librarian of Western Australia in 1956.

Sharr held dual roles as state librarian and secretary of the library board, established as the coordinating body for local and regional collections and the State Library of Western Australia; he held these positions from the time of his first arrival until retiring in 1976.

Ali Sharr worked at other institutions and coordinating bodies, acting as a consultant to the Northern Nigerian government during 1962-1963, attended international conferences on establishing other nation's library services, and on committees formed in Australia.

Ali married a fellow librarian Florence McKeand (born 12 January 1920) on 7 July 1962. They died within a week of one another, Flo on the 9 November and Ali on the 16 November 2002.

Sharr was the recipient of several awards, including the 1977 New Year Honours list, and an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Curtin University in 1991.

An award, originally a medal, is named for Sharr, the recipients receiving recognition for excellence in works undertaken in the first few years after graduation and who make a significant contribution to the library profession in WA.

F.A. Sharr is the author of a book Western Australian plant names and their meanings: a glossary, published in 1978 and revised in 1996 and 2023 with Alex George.

Source: Extracted from:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._A._Sharr
https://slwa.wa.gov.au/pdf/mn/mn2001_2500/mn2446.pdf
A.S. George & F.A.Sharr, Western Australian plant names and their meanings: a glossary, Four Gables Press, 2023.
Portrait Photo: Frontis-piece, 'Western Australian plant names and their meanings: a glossary'

Collecting localities for 'Sharr, F.A.' from AVH (2024)

Data from 31 specimens