Author of Beneath the Shadows of Mount Molly Morgan, Alek Schulha, said an agent for a film director, producer, and screenwriter has recently been in Australia and contacted Mr Schulha about his book before it was even printed.

"He wanted to buy it outright," Mr Schulha said. "I said no because I want the stories of the individuals who lived at the camp to be told first. I want their whole story to be told."

Mr Schulha took the agent to see Greta town and the camp site and said he was totally fascinated with it and the events that happened there.

Following years of interviews with literally thousands of people and hours of research which took Mr Schulha across the country and abroad, the book was finally released this week.

"I took delivery on Monday afternoon and within a couple of hours after it was announced on Facebook we had 12,000 views," Mr Schulha said.

The book documents the triumphs and tragedies, the racism and persecution and the everyday life in Greta Migrant Camp.

"The things I found," he said. "I came across people with five different names. I had to sign a statutory declaration that I would not print a certain part of a person's story. This was the story about a girl who ran away from the camp to Sydney when she was 15 and became quite an infamous lady. As part of that story I ended up in Shanghai looking for grave sites.

"I've become a gatherer of information and the difference between this an another history book is that the historian puts their spin on what they find but my book is the actual people telling their story as it was - it has no spin, no slant and it's warts and all - totally amazing," Mr Schulha said.

The book tells the dark side of the camp with allegations of child abuse by priests, molestation and children being abused in shower blocks. "And no one said a thing because they were too scared they would be sent back home.

"One woman I interviewed held her secrets to herself for 70 years until she spoke to me. I had to stop her interview several times because she continued to cry. She never shared her secrets with her husband or children but she shared them with me," Mr Schulha said.

But despite those black days there were many happy times with these migrants who thought Greta camp was the best thing in the world. Mr Schulha said so many of them did not want to leave and when it closed they cried.

"I've had calls from people in all states and overseas wanting copies of the book.

"I'm ecstatic," Mr Schulha said. "I was a bit anxious when it was being printed and then it was all a bit surreal when it was delivered. I had 90 boxes at my front door - 500 books in total.

"I didn't know what the reaction would be like but the initial response on Facebook was overwhelming."

Mr Schulha is in touch with his Sydney-based publisher about to do a second print run because of the demand.

One of his first customers was former Mayor of Maitland Peter Blackmore who saw Mr Schulha delivering the books to Green Hills Newsagency on Monday. "He bought one immediately as did former councillor Steve Procter who was also at the centre," Mr Schulha said.

"Unless these stories are told now they will be lost forever," Mr Schulha said.

This is a project close to Mr Schulha's heart. He was born and raised at the camp. His parents Nada, who died in 2006, and father Peter who passed in 2019, arrived at the camp in 1949.

Mrs Schulha worked at the camp hospital as an interpreter and his father a bus driver. His mother was Yugoslav and his father Ukrainian.

They were the first couple married in the Russian Orthodox Church at the camp and Mr Schulha was also christened there.

"I really didn't think it would take off so quickly but people are interested in history and I also found a lot of things during my research that I didn't know before."

Mr Schulha spent two years in Maitland Library trawling through old Mercury files. Every edition of the newspaper from 1939 to 1962.

"Greta camp was such a safe haven," he said.

"There were stories of triumph, there were romances, weddings, births and very much love."

The 508-page book is available through the Beneath the Shadows of Mount Molly Morgan Facebook page, Green Hills Newsagency, McDonald's book store Maitland, Greta Museum and Hunter Multicultural Centre. It retails for $55.

A book signing will be held at Branxton Community Hall on Saturday, July 25 from 10am to 1pm.

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