Katy Gerner

Katy Gerner is a writer, teacher, history buff and avid scholar. She has written or contributed to twenty-two text books for Macmillan Education including: People Who Shaped Australia, Caroline Chisholm, Cultural Celebrations, From Colonisation to Federation, The Australian Immigration Debate, World Religions Buddhism, World Religions Hinduism, World Religions Judaism, World Religions Islam, World Religions Catholicism, and World Religions Protestantism.

Katy also teaches students with physical disabilities for TAFE and has a Master of Special Education, a Master of Education (Support Teaching), a Graduate Diploma in Adult Education (Basic Education), a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) and a Graduate Certificate in Linguistics.

Katy Gerner reviews 'Beyond the Vapour Trail: The beauty, horror and humour of life: An aid worker’s story' by Brett Pierce

May 2017, no. 391 • 30 April 2017

Beyond the Vapour Trail, a memoir-cum-travel book spanning six continents, concerns the author’s experiences as an aid worker for non-government organisations such as World Vision. Brett Pierce’s work involves researching and setting up community projects, and adapting and remodelling child sponsorship programs. He describes it as ‘sitting down with these communities to explore the causes of ... (read more)

Katy Gerner reviews 'Hamilton Hume: Our greatest explorer' by Robert Macklin

April 2017, no. 390 • 27 March 2017

Robert Macklin is a great admirer of Hamilton Hume (1797–1873). He paints a vivid, scholarly picture of one of Australia’s lesser-known ‘currency’ explorers: a man who spent his youth hiking in the bush, with his brother and an Aboriginal guide, as often as his mother would allow. Hume was a successful farmer, able bushman and an expert on Aboriginal customs and languages. It was these ski ... (read more)