Barb Aust is the newest addition to the Salt Spring Archives.

Barb is a former principal and teacher on Salt Spring and is now working part time as a university instructor and consultant.

Barb comes from a family in which genealogy has played a huge role.  Her great, great uncle, William Irvine, was the first European boy born in Fort Victoria in 1851. She then married into a family who are descendants of Catherine Parr Trail and Susanna Moodie, family history from both sides of the continent.  The old family tales are rooted in her early memories and have helped to pique her interest in their preservation.

As an educator on Salt Spring for three decades, Barb always made sure that her students were introduced to local history.  Her aim was to help the students take pride in their home and have a sense of place in the broader world.

Volunteering in the Salt Spring Archives provides Barb with an opportunity to help preserve the history of Salt Spring for all peoples – First Nations and those who followed later.