My Story: Snowy: The Diary of Eva Fischer
by Siobhan McHugh
My Australian Story (1958), My Story (1958)
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Description
This book tells the extraordinary story of the mostly migrant workforce who built one of the world's engineering marvels. This classic, prize-winning account of the remarkable Snowy Scheme is available again for the 70th anniversary of this epic nation-building project. The Snowy Scheme was an extraordinary engineering feat carried out over twenty-five years from 1949 to 1974, one that drove rivers through tunnels built through the Australian alps, irrigated the dry inland and generated show more energy for the densely populated east coast. The Snowy Mountains Scheme was also a site of post-war social engineering that helped create a diverse multicultural nation. Siobhan McHugh's in-depth interviews with those who were there at the time reveals the human stories of migrant workers, high country locals, politicians and engineers. It also examines the difficult and dangerous aspects of such a major construction in which 121 men lost their lives. Rich and evocative, this sweeping narrative tells stories of love, endurance, tragedy and hard work during a transformative time. Includes 40 iconic images of the construction of the Snowy Hydro Scheme. Redesigned and updated, the book is available for the 70th anniversary of the launch of the Scheme. Book now includes more detail on the environmental impacts of the scheme. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
This diary is set in the late 1950s when many migrants came to Australia to help with the construction of the Snowy River scheme. Eva is not a migrant but she feels lost because her entire family has had to move from Sydney where it is warm to live in the cold mountains while the dams and power stations are constructed. She makes new friends with some of the migrants’ children and then there is a terrible accident…
This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.
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Learning history through first-person, young adult, historical fiction one
188 works; 4 members
Author Information
9 Works 134 Members
Series
Common Knowledge
- Original publication date
- 2003
- Important places
- Snowy Mountains, New South Wales, Australia
Classifications
- Genres
- Kids, Tween
- DDC/MDS
- 621.312134099447 — Applied science & technology Engineering Applied physics Electronics & Computers Generation, modification, storage, transmission of electric power
- LCC
- TK1081 .M348 — Technology Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear engineering Electrical engineering. Electronics. Nuclear Production of electric energy or power.
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 65
- Popularity
- 478,506
- Reviews
- 2
- Rating
- (3.50)
- Languages
- English
- Media
- Paper
- ISBNs
- 11
