Valerie Barnes

Born in London, Valerie Taylor Bouladon Barnes moved to Geneva to work for United Nations at the age of 21, soon after the end of WWII when the organisation was young and full of hope, everyone believing that if they based everything on compromise, there would be no more war. She became a simultaneous interpreter in English, French and Spanish and a translator in Russian. Having fallen in love with an Australian conference delegate, she came to live in Australia in 1979, where she worked for...See more

Born in London, Valerie Taylor Bouladon Barnes moved to Geneva to work for United Nations at the age of 21, soon after the end of WWII when the organisation was young and full of hope, everyone believing that if they based everything on compromise, there would be no more war. She became a simultaneous interpreter in English, French and Spanish and a translator in Russian. Having fallen in love with an Australian conference delegate, she came to live in Australia in 1979, where she worked for Prime Ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating at both the old and new parliament houses. She danced with Bob Hawke in a restaurant in Geneva and was captivated by his aftershave and hairstyle and enjoyed the challenge of translating Paul Keating's vocabulary into French and Spanish. She has worked and travelled in 98 countries and had many adventures mostly before tourism took over the world. She has many stories to tell: this is her third book of memories and at 94 she is still writing! See less