Australian-born to Yugoslav parents, Jean Zuvela was among the pioneers who established a Lime Kiln community over 300 kms east of Kalgoorlie, in Western Australia, in the 1920s. She tells the story of her early childhood experiences in the mining town of Gwalia, as well as Spearwood and Kalgoorlie, so often tinged with tragedy. In the 1920s she joined the small Yuogslav community at the Lime Kilns, marrying kiln manager Mark Zuvela. It was a life of hardship and many challenges posed by isolation, but Jean’s spirit of generosity and adaptability is evident from her story-telling. Living in houses made from beaten kerosene tins and bag walls, the people of the Lime Kilns became a thriving, hard-working community with dances, music and many intriguing stories.

In her unique conversational style, Jean’s stories of her life reveal a resilient, adaptable and extraordinarily generous woman.