Kathleen Schilling

Ms Schilling is 50 years old and lives in Canberra, Australia. She holds a degree in Behavioural Sciences, and works at AIATSIS as the Manager of the Family History Unit. This unit is responsible for assisting indigenous people to trace their family history, especially members of the Stolen Generation and Link-Up clients. Ms Schilling’s work has involved trying to raise an awareness of the records and making them accessible. The overall goal of the unit being to develop a network of co-operation and reconciliation among Collecting Institutions, Church Groups, Genealogical Societies to help those disassociated from their heritage to reclaim it. She has also been an active member of the ACT Reconciliation Group, Journey of Healing and Racial Respect Groups in the Canberra Region. Ms Schilling is interested in the training particularly to learn effective lobbying techniques, which she believes has great potential for significantly increasing the abilities of the Family History Unit to reach their goals. This includes methods for using the media and the Internet for advocacy. Overall, she believes that the knowledge gained at the training will broaden the scope of the Unit’s possibilities.