Introduction

This story has been inspired by one of the original Kiewa kids. I say original, as I know that the Kiewa kids attending school at Bogong Village, were the first kids to arrive up in the mountains during world war II. Their parents started working on the early development of the Kiewa Hydro Electric Scheme, commissioned by the Victorian Government in 1939. One of these original Kiewa kids, Graham Gardner, went on to become a most respected school teacher and writer. He has always held Kiewa in high regard, as it seems his close and happy family upbringing at Kiewa, most likely helped to mould his life and values. Graham has produced an abundance of literary material on the area and more recently wrote the book 'Kiewa Kids'. It is now in it's third re-print.

Graham recently asked me if I would like to write down my recollections of my early years at Kiewa. I had already commenced documenting extensive family history but not long after I started my own story for him, I could not put the pen (keyboard) down. One story led to another and when I asked old friends about their recollections, another story appeared.

The bush, the peaceful serenity, the fresh air, the clean water, the wildlife and the fun we had as Kiewa kids has never been forgotten. Most of all, it is the true relationships that we formed and retained. We all relish the times when we return to the valley, get together and relate to the good old times, as the spirit is always there and that is what was so unique about our life at Kiewa. I hope you enjoy this storybook, as much as I enjoyed writing it and in particular, experiencing the wonderful times back then. 

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