Cultural background: Italian Place of origin: Crespano del Grappa, Veneto, Italy Date of arrival: 1953 First home in Australia: Cousin’s house, Yenda, NSW Nella Piva’s migration story My name is Marianna Nella Piva (Maiden name; Torresan) but ever since I … Continue reading
The cane knife is historically significant as evidence of the manual labour of the many South Sea Islanders, Indians and migrants from Europe who were the backbone of the sugar industry in northern NSW. Continue reading
The spaghetti maker and dolls are historically significant as evidence of migrant folk art transplanted from Italy to the Fairfield in the suburbs of Sydney. Continue reading
White painted Bakelite hard hat, Snowy Mountains Authority, Australia, c 1953-1954. Standard issue protective clothing for use on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric scheme. Continue reading
Meet Rosina Rombola and see the Italian weaving frame used to make patterns on her home-made nacatoli biscuits and macaroni pasta.
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The collection consists of personal ephemera brought to Australia by Italian Women chain migrating to Australia between 1920 and the 1970s. Continue reading
The Greg Ritchie Negative Collection is a collection of over 3000 negatives featuring buildings and other sites in the City of Canterbury. Between 1990 and 1998 Canterbury City Council staff documented their day-to-day duties through photographs. Continue reading
Meet Domenico Sidonio and see the clock that woke him up for work in the
Snowy Mountains in 1953.
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Meet Silvia Saccaro and see the nightdress she made for her baby daughter when they first came to Australia in 1961. Continue reading
The Villawood Migrant Hostel recipe books and dining equipment are historically significant as evidence of the daily ritual of communal dining at the Hostel from 1948 until the mid 1980s. Continue reading
The spaghetti maker and dolls are historically significant as evidence of migrant folk art transplanted from Italy to the Fairfield in the suburbs of Sydney. Continue reading
The textiles machines are of historic significance as evidence of the transfer of haberdashery and tailoring of clothing from the Italian village to Fairfield in the Australia suburbs. Continue reading
Meet Maririta Torsello and see her mother’s snake made from WW2 hand grenades. Continue reading
Meet Silvana Toia and see her childhood embroidery loom from Italy, brought to Australia by her mother.
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Meet Nino Rombola and see his farm hoe from Italy.
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!["We stuffed the cover [with wool] so we would have a bed to sleep on. I always found it funny that we bought wool to Australia where so much wool was produced."](../../cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/wool-150x150.jpg)
Meet Antonio Punturiero and see the wool his family brought from Italy in the late 1940s.
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Meet Fella Porcu and see the sheets she hand-made in Italy.
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Meet Elisa Pizzuti and see the bust her husband sculpted of her in Italy in the late 1940s. Continue reading
Meet Teresa Pirrottina and see her cup and saucer from Italy.
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!["My Aunty Caterina asked us to bring her one, no-one had one here. In Italy, we boil the ripe tomatoes, then squeeze [them] through the sieve. We would do this every time we have pasta sauce which was a lot."](../../cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/sieve-150x150.jpg)
Meet Carmela Pasquetti and see her tomato sieve from Italy. Continue reading
Meet Salvatore Papasidero and see the exercise book he used for English classes in Australia.
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Meet Domenica Scarcella and see her statue of the Madonna, a family heirloom from Italy.
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Meet Teresa Restifa and see the bedcover purchased in the 1940s for her mother’s glory box.
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Meet Edda Marcuzzi and see the remaining item from her 24-piece cutlery set.
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I was born in 1935. My mother Caterina and I were originally from Pola in Istria, then in Italian territory. Continue reading
Meet Rosina Benevenuto and see the piano accordion her husband played as a shepherd in Italy.
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Meet Teresa Iannelli and see her café latte cup from Italy. Continue reading
!["Joe sat in the hot coals, in the fire, when he was a little baby, in Italy. Because he was saved and didn’t get burnt, we put him in the St Anthony’s clothes - he's the patron saint [for protecting children] - from Italy to Australia. I washed [the suit] before Mass in the boat."](../../cms/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/suit-150x150.jpg)
Meet Caterina Grippo and see the suit her son wore on the ship from Italy.
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Meet Graziella Del Popolo and see her sheet set from Italy. Continue reading
Meet Tarsilla Cunial and see her dress design books from Italy. They were brought over for potential work opportunities and gave her the courage to come to Australia. Continue reading
