Born in Bombay in India to a French-speaking Mauritian mother and a German-speaking Czech father, Anne-Marie Schwirtlich spent her early years living in Bombay where she attended the Pck Presentation Convent Primary School in Kodaikanal.
With her parents she migrated to Australia in 1972 and attended Turramurra High School in Sydney in New South Wales.
She completed her education at Macquarie University in Sydney where she took her Bachelor of Arts degree in ancient history.
In addition, she has been a member of the National Collections Heritage Committee, the Australia-China Council and is the Deputy Chair of the Art Exhibitions Australia Board.
In 2015 she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia "for significant service to the library and archives sector through leadership roles at state and national levels, and to professional information management organisations".