Settlers Stories [1913 - 1975]: Why They Came – And Stayed In Canberra

Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: No dust jacket
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
Condition remarks: Condition as shown in image

Before Canberra became Australia's capital city, it was little more than a scattering of rural stations and dusty plains — and yet, from 1913 onwards, a remarkable wave of settlers chose to plant their roots in this unlikely place and build a nation's heart from the ground up. Settlers Stories [1913–1975] is an intimate oral and written history that chronicles the lives of the men and women who arrived in the fledgling capital and, against all odds, decided to stay — weaving together their personal testimonies into a rich tapestry of ambition, resilience, and community spirit. Each voice captured within these pages presents a unique window into the social and cultural fabric of early Canberra, detailing the daily hardships, unexpected joys, and quiet sacrifices that shaped a city unlike any other in the world. Compiled by the Canberra Stories Group, this anthology stands as a vital document of Australian social history, illustrating how individual human stories collectively form the foundation of a national identity. The narratives range across decades of extraordinary change — from the tentative early years of federation-era settlement through to the post-war boom of the 1970s — and together they argue powerfully that cities are not built by governments alone, but by the countless ordinary people who choose to call them home. For anyone curious about the human geography of Australia's capital, this collection poses an irresistible question: what truly draws a person to an unfamiliar place, and what makes them stay?