Melva Stone and Erica Smyth

“’Lust, Rust and Dust’ was the first title we thought of,” laughs Erica, “but we realised that our book isn’t really about that.”

“That’s right,” agrees Melva. “Our book will be an inspirational story about inspirational women; women who with almost no resources except those they found within themselves, built communities; women who, by coming to the Pilbara, discovered great things, not only about themselves but about what life is all about.”

Melva Stone and Erica Smyth are talking enthusiastically about their forthcoming book ‘Women of the Pilbara’. And no one is better qualified to talk about the important role women have played in developing the Pilbara than these two.

In 1968 Melva was the first, and for a time, the only, permanent female resident in Newman, before moving to Port Hedland in 1975 to become a radio operator for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. “It wasn’t easy back then,” she says wryly.

“You learned to be resourceful,” adds Erica who as a geologist worked and lived in the Pilbara from the early 70s until the mid-90s. “Mining is mainly about men and machines, but to build liveable communities you need women.”

“And the women are still doing it,” adds Melva. “And loving it. Every woman interviewed for the book loves living in the Pilbara. It’s a big country; you can see a long way out there and it teaches you to live a big life... to see a long way inside yourself.”

For Melva publication of the book will be the fulfilment of a long-held dream. She first thought of the project back in 1996 but it wasn’t until a chance meeting with Sam Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of Rio Tinto Iron Ore that she found someone prepared to lend support to her vision.

“The book unashamedly champions the cause of living in the Pilbara,” Erica states firmly.

“Through interviews with scores of women who are living, or have lived, there,” Melva continues, “the book will recount the stages - Arrival; Growth; Coming of Age; Learning to Leave; that they went through. It will recount not only how those women have risen to the challenge of living in remote communities but also how they’ve worked to make those communities better.”