The Journey

Italian presence in Australia, dates all the way back to before the First Fleet. Ever since the ship ‘Endeavour’, with captain James Cook in 1770, Italians have been flocking to our country for reasons including: obtaining a better life, finding work and building themselves a safer future. The first rush was in the 1850’s with Victoria’s gold rush period, the second big influx not occurring until after World War II, with the number of Italians in Victoria peaking at 121,000 in 1971. Although many years have passed since, every year italian immigration continues. Our Italian-born Australian population grows larger and hence enhances the strength of italian culture in our country.
The only reason I am here today is because of my Nonna(grandmother) and Nonno’s(grandfather) desire to migrate to Australia for a better life for the both of them and to create the very family that i am apart of now. In Italy now, life is very different to Australia. Children still leave their homes and their families early on in life, in order to make a living, to get a good job or to study. Their study focus lies mainly in the fields of hospitality and tourism. School is only compulsory until 16 years of age, so many move to Australia to further their studies. Although the rates of immigration from Italy to Australia have lessened, the reasons for Italians leaving Italy to come to Australia have stayed the same.

Love Letters Home-Italians in Australia tell Italy what they miss

Life before Migration

Maria-Josephine Rosato was born October 12, 1943 in Crespano Del Grappa, Veneto Region, Italy. One of 4 children she spent her time going to school, before at 11 years of age, moving to a big city called Busto Arsizio, Lombardia to became a nanny. She did not always know my Nonno, (Fiorenzo)Domenic Pegoraro. He was born on May 3, 1938. One of six children, he grew up in Bassano Del Grappa, Veneto Region, Italy.
He went to school for five years before leaving to work in a factory for a while. At the age of only 22 in 1960, struggling to find work, he joined the army for a year. Their paths crossed 60 years ago in 1957, at a party in the mountains in Covolo. My Nonna was 13 and my Nonno was 18. My Grandmother had said that, "in that time, when you met someone you knew you liked you had to hold onto them." They were both so young and so unaware of how their lives would change in the next 3 years.

Reflections

Leaving Italy

Maria Rosato was 18 when she came to Australia in 1962, in search of a better life, a better career and to start a family. She came on a 28 day trip on a boat called Neptunia (Nave Neptunia). Her soon to be husband, Domenic, had been in Australia for a year previous to that, trying to work to prepare for her arrival. After they were married in Australia, they lived with Domenic’s aunty for a while, before moving to Tottenham to live in a bungalow for a year. They then lived with Domenic’s uncle for a year, before building their own house in St Albans. Maria said that in their street in that time, "there were people from all over the world" living next to them, who had come to Australia for the same reasons as her. They lived in that house in St Albans for 33 years before moving. Maria believes that she has had many homes while she has been here but, Australia as a whole is now where she belongs

Still call Australia Home

After quite some time, going out became a way for Maria and Domenic to include themselves into the Australian community. They would go to the movies in Footscray, they would go camping to Yarrawonga and Mildura in their caravan and would also go for picnics somewhere local.
After teaching herself to speak English by listening to the radio and watching television, going out and socializing with other recent migrants and stepping into the workforce, she realized what opportunities our country could bring her. Now she strongly suggests that she would never go back to Italy and Australia is her home.