Hedland ‘spirit’ captured in book

A history of Hedland will be immortalised in print with a personal twist after a former resident puts the final touches to a book five years in the making.

My Footprints in Port Hedland, written by former resident Steve Fitzgibbon, chronicles the events over his 24 years in the town, both personal and historical.

Mr Fitzgibbon said after growing up rough, moving to the Pilbara was pivotal moment in his life.

“Moving to Hedland was a very important and very pivotal time of my timeline that changed the outlook of my life forever,” he said.

“I wanted to write this book in one way or another, I tried to portray the sense that even though you don’t think you’re capable of doing something, you definitely are. You just need the passion and confidence in your self that whatever you set your mind to, you can do it.

“It’s been very therapeutic and calming because it set me back in motion, so to speak, of some of the good times in Hedland.”

Now a cameraman, producer and director at Media Productions Australia, Mr Fitzgibbon began writing the book in 2010 to immortalise his home and adventures in the Pilbara.

“It’s not just about me, either,” he said. “I tried to make it as informative as I could with a bit of everything, from the history of the town to what I’ve done in town.

“There’s a bit of industry in there. It’s not just focusing on one thing, it’s lots of things,” he said.

“From the people that know what I’m doing, they thought it was fantastic and it’s not just people who live in the town now but past residents, and I think that’s because a lot of people who used to live in town can relate to the issues I’ve written about in the book.”

Despite not living in the red-dirt town anymore, Mr Fitzgibbon said it would always be a part of him.

“Hedland has been my home for half my life and I loved every minute of it,” he said.

“It’s the spirit of the town and the togetherness of the community — there’s no other place like it and I can’t wait to be able to share that with the rest of the world.”

Dedicated to his best mate and pet dog Beau and wife Sue, Mr Fitzgibbon is now on a mission to gain a publishing deal and release his story to the masses.

“I owe my life to Hedland. If I hadn’t gone there, who knows where I’d be,” he said,

“Timing is important in life and you can do anything if you put your mind to it.”