Cairns Modern Pioneers 1950-2000: 50 Stories in 50 Years

How does a blip on the national map become a vibrant multicultural city?
It is 1950. Five years have passed since the Cairns region served as a military town during the Pacific phase of World War II. Residents who fled south of the ‘Brisbane Line’ have forged new lives, leaving just 15,000 residents in the Cairns region.
The catalyst for change arises when Italian vice-consul Elvio Meoli and the Canegrowers Council successfully appeal to the Commonwealth government to allow Southern Europeans to migrate to the region to work in the ailing Sugar industry. But what motivates ‘New Australians’ to leave their homeland and embark on a new life in a foreign land? Their resilience and courage in the face of the unknown is truly inspiring.
Wet season flooding, cyclones and shortages create havoc for the Far North.
The air ambulance Rapide aircraft is unsuitable for carrying out rescues in remote communities.
First Nations people and those of colour live on the fringes of society,
at the whim and behest of the government. What will it take for these people to stand up and be counted? What does the region have to offer?
What sets us apart?
Cairns Modern Pioneers 1950–2000 is a collection of narrative non-fiction stories based on interviews with local residents who, despite environmental threats and the tyranny of distance, demonstrate remarkable resilience, tenacity, and vision.

Product Details:

Format: Perfect Bound
Size: 203mm x 254mm
Page Count: 320pp