Kerri Erler

ALLi Author Member

I grew up in Queenscliff a small sea side town in Victoria Australia and am proud of my family history of living and working in this lovely seaside town, forged over 6 generations through my mother’s family. My first ancestor to arrive on the shores of Queenscliff was John Wells in 1854. He was a fisherman who worked the waters of Port Phillip and Bass Strait as have the generations since then.
My father’s family were latecomers to Queenscliff arriving in the 1930s with my grandfather Augustus Erler serving in the navy on Swan Island.
You could say the sea runs in my veins; however, I am a very poor sailor but love the sea just the same and all it brings to those who truly connect with it.
I served as the Mayor of the Borough of Queenscliffe in the 1990s and have also been involved with many community organisations. I have recently stepped away from a 20-year history as a public servant and am currently building up my consultancy practice preferring to be my own boss.
I have recently become a member of the Queenscliffe Maritime Museum Committee and it was this connection and the memories of the story of my Great Grandfathers dog Bozo, being told down through the generations that inspired me to write my first children’s book.
I currently live in country Victoria with my cattle dog Juniper, surrounded by gum trees and kangaroos. I regularly go back to Queenscliff to recharge my connection with the sea and my family history.