II am hoping that on visiting this site you will consider being involved in supplying material for a book titled Children of the Snowy. The book will be a collection of stories of the life experiences, family life and adventures of children growing up in the many townships and camps across the Snowy Scheme during its 25 years of construction.
Most books already written about the scheme have been on the construction, conditions and life experiences of men and women of the Snowy. However, the children's experiences have not yet been told. This book is an endeavour to bridge that gap.
The idea came about during the Snowy's 50th anniversary in 1999 when I attended many of the Reunions throughout the districts, talking to others who had grown up during these years about my desire to write about my own experiences growing up on the Snowy. Through these discussions it was felt that it would be great to have a book for all the children of the Snowy. Hence the name.
The book hopes to cover as many of the different townships and camps as possible, as well as cover a wide cross section of life on the Snowy and to show the diverse backgrounds, cultures, life experiences and adventures that made up the life of these children of the Snowy.
It is hoped that those participating will include the many nationalities represented as well as those who lived on the land before the Snowy's arrival—those children and families who found themselves misplaced by construction, relocated and what it meant to them. And not forgetting those that remained to find work on the Scheme maintaining the many projects, or who had the foresight to begin or take on new careers and business enterprises within the many townships and remain there today.
I hope to make contact with as many of these children of the Snowy as possible to get a broader view of life on the Snowy through the eyes of as many of those children as possible.
If you would like to participate in this project or know of anyone please put them in contact with me.
Click here if you are interested.
Kerrie Castles-Allen