Anna Walraven

Anna Walraven used to begin her working days by saying, Good morning, boys and girls.

But she wasn't talking to kids.

Anna was addressing 30 chimpanzees waiting to be given their breakfast and to be let out into their day enclosure.

For two decades, Anna was the senior curator at Taronga Zoo.

As the sun was coming up, she would walk through those iconic zoo gates and see Sydney Harbour sparkling in the distance over the heads of the giraffes, hearing the sounds of the lions and monkeys and birds as the zoo woke up.

All of this was a long way from Anna's childhood in the Netherlands, where, as a little girl, she was forbidden to wear woolen hats or gloves in the wintertime.

She and her sister had to prove themselves by jumping off high walls and swimming across the Rhine, dodging barges and boats.

This Spartan upbringing was intended to make them tough.

And it turned out Anna needed all those reserves of resilience and hardiness when she started out as one of the first female zookeepers in Australia.

Not because of the wild animals, though, but in order to deal with her male co-workers.

Her book is Hear Me Roar.

Hi, Anna.

Before we talk about zookeeping, tell me about some of the other jobs you've had in your life, because it's been quite a mix.

And did you have to use standover tactics or what was your approach?

Is there any other kind, Anna?

Tell me about your very first interview then at Taronga Zoo.

What did you wear?

That's very appropriate.

I looked very smart, I thought.

So you had enthusiasm.