ONE of our very own national treasures, Colin McPhedran, was given the chance to tell his story at Robertson's Ranelagh House on the weekend.

The story came through the launch of Mr McPhedran's book, White Butterflies, which attracted more than 200 people to the day including politicians Peta Seaton and Joanna Gash.

"This is Colin's first and what I believe will be his only book," Pandanus Books representative, Ian Templeman said.

"We have already pre-sold 3,000 copies and have gone into another printing of 5,000 books."

The book tells the tale of Mr McPhedran's life from when he left his home in Cambodia at the age of 11 as a refugee and ended up in Australia 10 years later with no money, friends or family support.

Australia welcomed Mr McPhedran openly, and he has now lived in the Southern Highlands for more than 50 years.

"It's funny how Colin ended up in the Highlands," Mr Templeman said.

"He was travelling by train to Canberra in search of work and he stepped off at Bowral station.

"The train then pulled away with his suitcase leaving him there with nothing and he has been here ever since."

Mr McPhedran said there was a reason for him stepping off at Bowral: "I felt I was in familiar surroundings here," he said.

"There was a definite spiritual closeness between Bowral and my home-town back in Cambodia."

When he began to write, Mr McPhedran set out to write a personal memoir.

It wasn't until his daughter Verona Burgess read and edited his writings that Pandanus Books decided to publish it.

"Not even his own family knew his story at any great length, and it only took him a few months to put it down in writing," said Mr Templeman.

"Now the world can learn about this wonderful man."

Over the years he has lived in the Highlands, Mr McPhedran has embraced the highland life and made it his own, determined to live his life in full in a place that has meant so much to him.

"In the 50 years that Colin has lived here he has been on the Bowral Council, the Board of the Bowral Hospital, he has owned two Shell service Stations in the area and has been a constant supporter of community activities," Mr Templeman said.

Mr McPhedran, now 72, said he only triumphed in this life because of a few words his dying mother said to him: "There will always be enough good people in the world to look after a boy like you."

"It is these words that have sustained me over the years and they still ring true today," Mr McPhedran said.