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How the West Was One

 Memoirs of Melbourne’s Western Suburbs

Ever wondered where Rob Sitch and Michael Leunig started out?  What about actor Kevin Harrington or broadcaster Tony Leonard? Or Mark Ferrie, Wendy Stapleton and Pat Wilson and radio and TV journalists Josephine Cafagna and Lina Caneva who both attended Mount Saint Joseph? Well, they all grew up in Melbourne’s working class western suburbs in the post-war migration and industrial boom years. In this collection of memoirs, they and others tell their unvarnished stories of those mercurial times.

Childhood friends from the West and ex students of MSJ, Karyn Howie and Sue O’Brien (nee Joy) have collected and edited 39 memoirs about the western suburbs from the 1950s ‘60s and ‘70s. These heart-warming stories capture the reality of a tough life for new migrants and the hard physical work in the local abattoirs, factories, kitchens and transport hubs. They remind us of the dignity and decency of lives well lived. The daring escapades, Christmas rituals, the parish fetes, the school yard tales and the magical places of childhood are all here. There are sporting stories from the old days of the Footscray Football Club and why Williamstown is the home of Lacrosse. Other former MSJ students such as Carmel Taig (nee Duckworth), Sheryl Enright (nee Gunn) and Kerri Gunn have also contributed to this collection.

All the profits from this book go to Western Chances, which supports talented and motivated young people in the western suburbs of Melbourne facing barriers to fulfilling their potential by providing them with scholarships, opportunities and on-going support.

Books can be purchased at www.howthewestwasone.com.au or ask at your local bookshop, the Sun Bookshop (Yarraville) and Book and Paper (Williamstown) among others.