The photographs featured in 'Arcadia Del Sud' document the early life of Italian migrants in Melbourne's West Heidelberg in the 1960s. The book presents images taken by Mimmo Cozzolino soon after his family's migration from Italy in 1961. Cozzolino later reworked these original negatives, achieving significant recognition when seven of these images won the Leica/CCP Documentary Photography Award in 2003. The work has also been critically examined by Gael Newton, Senior Curator of Photography at the National Gallery of Australia, for its contribution to contemporary Australian documentary photography.

This collection of photographs has garnered significant critical attention, particularly for its contribution to Australian documentary photography. The award-winning images, reworked from original negatives taken in the 1960s, offer a poignant look at the Italian migrant experience in Melbourne. The inclusion of an essay by Gael Newton, a prominent curator, situates the work within a broader national photographic discourse. The book's reception highlights its value as both a personal memoir and a significant piece of social and photographic history.