Cecil Charles Florey, with his passion for books and people, was the founder of the City of Stirling Libraries and played an integral role in the development of the Western Australian public library system.
Cecil Florey was Stirling’s first City Librarian, arriving from the UK in 1958 with the challenge to establish the then called Perth Road Board’s library service. As the Perth Road Board evolved into the Shire of Perth and then the City of Stirling, Cecil Florey built a network of public libraries and a committed library staff to service its residents. Driven by a belief in the need to take books direct to the people, he pressed developers to set aside land for libraries at new shopping complexes, and advocated for increased library stock allocations.
After a distinguished career with the City of Stirling which included the establishment of four public libraries, Cecil was able to further advance the case of public libraries as Principal Librarian Technical Services, at the Library and Information Service of Western Australia, from 1978 to 1988.
Cecil later joined the City of South Perth in 1988, as the Local Studies Librarian. His work with the City and the South Perth Historical Society was instrumental in preserving and celebrating the history and culture of South Perth. His meticulous research resulted in a variety of publications on War memorials of South Perth, the development of Manning Road and the establishment of South Care, as well as an as yet unpublished history of the Old Mill Theatre. Cecil’s central professional contribution included the City of South Perth’s official history Peninsular City: A Social History of the City of South Perth, commissioned to mark the centenary of local government in the area in 1992 and first published in 1995. This detailed and passionate book is a landmark of scholarship in the local history field, and continues to be a first reference point for any aspect of the history of the City.
Cecil served as the Secretary of the South Perth Historical Society, helping to establish and guide the organisation during its critical early years. He was instrumental in creating an oral history programme to record the memories of South Perth residents, which continues today under the City of South Perth and has preserved a priceless social history of the area. In addition to his busy professional life, family duties and church services, Cecil found time to volunteer as an Old Mill Guide in his retirement, continuing into his 90th year.
Cecil was a member of ALIA from 1961 to 1991, and was passionate about books, reading and libraries. He will be greatly remembered for his professional achievements and encouraging management style, and his favourite quote ‘ … never stop reading.’
Cecil Florey died on 22 July 2019, survived by daughters Barbara Freeman, Margaret and Jan, son Ric, five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
Cecil’s funeral service was held at Fremantle Cemetery on the 29 July 2019.