GEM OF TIME RECIPIENT - LINDSAY JAMES PEET 2006
Lindsay is great friend of the Battye Library and a generous supporter and contributor to the State’s heritage collections. Over many years he has donated important and valuable collections of original materials, including personal papers and photographs to the Battye Library and State Records Office archives. In addition he has contributed enormously to the Library’s published works, ephemera, and map collections.
Battye Library staff appreciates Lindsay’s efforts and recall fondly the times when he would regularly pop into the library and deposit with them bags of ephemeral publications which he had assiduously gathered on his many trips around the State. Lindsay understood that these brochures, flyers and pamphlets, all items which are generally tossed away, give a unique perspective on Western Australian society and are a precious research resource for the future.
​
His passion for Western Australian history is infectious and Lindsay’s deep knowledge of many aspects of our heritage and past is remarkable. He has a particular interest in the history of military aviation in this State and has worked with the National Trust (WA) to identify and preserve sites of importance. Lindsay has researched and written authoritatively on aspects of World War Two as well as the history of real estate development in Western Australia. Most recently he has written articles on these topics for the Historical Encyclopedia of Western Australia. Lindsay holds a Bachelor of Science, a Graduate Diploma in Heritage Studies, a Diploma in Real Estate Management and is a qualified valuer. He has been working towards a Master of Arts degree at Curtin University.
​
Lindsay was instrumental in the establishment and management of the Historical Records Rescue Consortium (HRRC) Project which was sponsored by the Friends of Battye Library with a $3 million grant from Lotterywest. Lindsay’s parents, Cyril and Ethel Peet are commemorated in the memorial fund which was used to preserve an important collection of photographs identified through the HRRC Project.
​
As an indicator of Lindsay’s deep concern and compassion for those less fortunate, he has been involved in several community and charitable groups, such as ‘Lifeline’ and the Children’s Leukaemia & Cancer Research Foundation. He is a long term member of the Friends of Battye Library, the National Trust (WA), and the Royal Western Australian Historical Society, and has served on the executive of the Professional Historians Association.
​
The Friends of the Battye Library (Inc.) would like to add to Lindsay’s many awards and achievements and show our appreciation of his commitment and generosity by listing him as a “Gem of Time” – a list that will last to acknowledge the contribution of outstanding men and women to the recording, collection, and preservation of Western Australia’s history.
​
The Honour Board list can be viewed on the third floor of the State Library of WA, just outside the lift near the Battye Library.