Legacy of migrant roots in South West timber industry explored in new book

Dr Christina Gillgren has achieved a long-term goal of writing a book about migrants who settled in the South West throughout the 20th century. The former lecturer and public policy consultant has released her book Growing Roots about the undocumented contribution of Italians and Croatians to the region’s timber industry. Dr Gillgren said she has had positive feedback from the community and is feeling positive about the launch. “I have certainly had a lot of good feedback and word of mouth has spread, people coming forward who are interested have been very positive” she said. Having arrived in Australia as an immigrant in 1982 and lived in Bunbury for the last five years, Dr Gillgren said she was interested in the history of earlier immigrants and what life was like for them. “It was such an honour to be able to speak to people who arrived in the 1920s, 30s, 40s, and 50s, many of whom are no longer still alive”, she said. “It also gave me a good insight into WA history and how young it was at Federation. By 1920, it was a new federated Australia”. Dr Gillgren said her interest in the social impact of public policy around immigration, and the conflict between population growth and conservation also inspired her work recording history in the words of those who lived at the time. “It’s part of the tapestry of WA history because we are a multicultural society,” she said. “There are good stories that are bad stories, but the most amazing thing is I promised these people I interviewed that I would write their stories”. Dr Gillgren hosts book launches at Busselton Library at 10.30am on Thursday, May 9 and the South West Italian Club in Bunbury at 5.30pm on Friday, May 10.