Project celebrates nation’s diverse stories

An autobiographical project celebrating Kwinana residents who have migrated to Australia will be unveiled for Harmony Week.

Celebrate Our Stories is a collection of 11 short videos, with each one telling a unique story captured by heritage organisation Know Your Nation.

The videos highlights intimate and heartfelt moments and are a testament to Kwinana’s culturally and linguistically diverse population.

German-born Nicole Andres features in the project and said it had been a really enjoyable experience.

The Kwinana resident moved to Australia in 2009 where she fell in love and had a daughter, who is now four-and-a-half.

“I was raised in a small village in South West Germany in the Palatine region — Kwinana is really the best,” she said.

In the video, Ms Andres talks about her grandfather, who was imprisoned in Russia, and how hard life was for him, as well as her own struggles of feeling controlled as a teenager and coming to terms with Germany’s history and her place in it.

“Harmony Week is about the harmony of cultures, diversity and to celebrate all the cultures of the people who are living here. It’s nice to share that — you can learn a lot from each other,” she said.

City of Kwinana Deputy Mayor Peter Feasey said the local stories would be preserved for future generations to enjoy. The project will be unveiled on March 21 at the Darius Wells Centre.