Veneto market gardeners 1927

 

This blog is about photos in the lives of the Veneto market gardener families and it is adapted from a blog that had been posted on
the Veneti market gardeners website in 2021. The photos of people were taken in Italy before the first generation migrated  – more than 9 decades ago. 

The family in the feature photo is the Rossetto family – parents and nine children who lived in Bigolino. More detail is provided below.

When was the last time you took a photo? If you’re like me, it could have been very recently. Yesterday  I took some photos of the back garden on my iPhone. I could look at the image straight away, edit it by cropping and share it with others via a text or other media and I could delete ones that I did not like or were not in focus. Taking photos is a very casual activity now because of advances in technology.

In the lives of the Veneto market gardeners, photos held a different value. They were precious because photos were not often taken if families did not own a camera.  They were expensive to develop or purchase from a studio photographer.

I’ve been fortunate that the people I’ve interviewed for the project have given me permission to use photos that are now on the website. When you look at the galleries on the family webpages you’ll see photos that communicate stories for families. They capture a moment at a particular time, in a particular place and hold a memory for the future. The photos include images of individuals, family groups and events such as weddings and baptisms. There are not many that capture working life because photos were taken to show occasions that were socially important and told the stories of changes in families. Working life was probably not seen as an important focus whereas events like weddings, parties to celebrate other rituals like baptisms, confirmations and significant birthdays and anniversaries – and these were often occasions to remember and share with relatives.

Before the ease of taking snaps with smart phone cameras, photos were extremely important because migrant families could see how their absent members celebrated events. Photos of the veneti were sent from one side to the other side of the world.

The following photos convey images and stories of family members before they left the Veneto region. They were all taken before the Second World War. They are significant because they are images of a generation of people who have died – those who made the decision to migrate and begin a new life in Adelaide.

A photo from Bigolino – about 1918/19
I’m very interested in the early photos that were taken for family records. For example, the photo of the Rossetto family is the feature photo of this blog. It was taken about 1918/19 and depicts Elena Vettorello and Modesto Rossetto and their nine children against the family house at Bigolino. The two eldest sons are dressed in the uniform of the Alpino soldiers which is evidence of their service during World War I.

Perhaps the portrait was taken to mark the safe return of sons from the First World War. We do not know who took the photo. It has become a lasting record of a large family before the children married and before eight of the nine began emigrating to Adelaide. In 1926, Domenico, second from the left in the back row, was the first to migrate to Australia leaving his wife Carmela and daughter, Anna who arrived in Adelaide in 1929.

A farewell photo – 1938
The youngest Rossetto son, Giuseppe, (Beppi) aged about five migrated in 1938 and the following photo was taken on the day he left Bigolino inside the large family household. He is in the middle of the back row dressed in a suitcoat and tie.

The photo shows three generations of the Rossetto family and the remaining children, their spouses and children. Beppi is photographed with his parents and other siblings, nieces and nephews including Johnny and Maria Rosa Tormena. Surely this photo was an attempt to record the departure of Beppi, the youngest member of the Rossetto family.

A keepsake photo – before a family reunion in Adelaide
A family photo that has particular emotional significance as a keepsake is the portrait of Elvio, Norina and Vito Rebuli taken after their father, Bruno,

left for Australia in 1927. In the photo, the three children under five years old, are photographed in an outside location and behind them it is possible to see a row of pot plants and then a group of people who has gathered near an old building. It is likely that it was snapped in the late 1920s.

It would have been taken by a professional photographer who converted the photo to a postcard that Nana Rebuli nee Rossetto posted to her husband to an address on Kangaroo Island where Bruno Rebuli worked for a farmer for some time before the family was reunited in 1931.

Another family photo before departing Italy

The photo of members of Giovanni Santin’s family was taken in Italy before his wife, Constantina and their four children, Luigi, Vito, Romildo and Virginia  joined him in Adelaide in 1935. It was eight years after he had migrated to Adelaide. Giovanni’s first wife, Maria Tesseri had died young and their daughter, Angelina is included in the photo.  In 1947, Angelina also migrated to Australia with three children a few years after her husband Pietro Compostella. It was a studio portrait to send to Giovanni in Jervois where he lived and worked for several years – a memento of the absent family.

 

Photo of a proxy marriage – 1930

The large group photo was taken at the proxy marriage of Lina Bordin and Gelindo Rossetto in 1930. Gelindo’s father stood in for his son at the wedding. Lina is seated in the front row, fourth from the left, between her father-in-law who is pointing at Lina, and her mother-in-law. She wears a fur around her shoulders. The guests who are members of the Bordin and Rossetto families are well dressed and have been assembled outside a house where the photo was taken by a professional photographer. Lina lived with her parents-in-law for five months before she sailed to Adelaide to begin her married life with Gelindo. The photo would have been sent to Gelindo – as a memento of his marriage by proxy.

Passport photos – taken in Italy 97 years ago
Photo identification was important documentation for migrants in passports. It has been possible to locate some passports in the papers held at the National Archives of Australia. The passport photos were formal and often taken shortly before the migrants left their families.

The two photos of passports below are examples of the documents that migrants had to produce for migration. Both men had migrated in 1927 – Isidoro in September, and Pedro Berno in the first week of October. That was exactly 97 years ago!

Isidoro had arrived from Riese  with his brother, Antonio and 17 year-old cousin, Giuseppe.

Pietro Berno had also left Riese with his cousin Gino and joined Pietro’s brothers, Fedele and Alberto in Adelaide.

It must have been a difficult situation when the first generation of Veneto market gardeners applied for naturalisation after living in Australia for some years. They had to hand over their Italian passports.  The contadini who had separated from their family in the Veneto must have valued their passports as a material and symbolic link to Italy. Giving up their Italian nationality to become British subjects must have caused some reservations as they swore allegiance to King George VI.

 

Photographs taken of forebears taken many decades ago are valuable reminders of the circumstances of migrant families and their separation from loved ones. We can more deeply appreciate the challenges of migration in the snapshots of members of the Veneto families.

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Madeleine Regan
6 October 2024

The image above shows the wedding of Lea Griguol and Orlando Tonellato,
21 February 1953.

My father
My Dad, Orlando Luciano Tonellato or “Nano” as he was affectionately known, was born on 13 December 1927 in Caselle di Altivole, Treviso, Italy. His father, Secondo, had already emigrated to Australia and settled in Kidman Park, where he purchased a rail car previously used by King George V during his visit to Australia. This rail car became the family home when the rest of the family, including his mother, Elizabetta, and siblings Luigi, Rosina, Alberto, Lino, and Assunta, joined him in Australia in 1934.

Dad, then just seven years old, met his father for the first time in Australia, and spoke of him with great affection throughout his life. Secondo was a hardworking and kind man, qualities that my dad inherited. He also had a great sense of humour—always laughing, joking, and getting along well with everyone. Despite his roots in Italy, he seamlessly integrated into Australian culture, often using Aussie phrases.
One of his favourites, when he was hungry, was “I could eat a horse and chase the rider!”
Dad attended Flinders Park Primary School and St. Joseph’s in Hindmarsh before joining his father and brother, Lino, in market gardening. They grew tomatoes, beans, and potatoes, selling their produce at the East End markets.

My mother
My Mum, Lea Tonellato née Griguol, was born on October 14, 1932, in Meduna di Livenza, Italy, to Giuseppe and Rosa Griguol. She had five siblings: Tony, Maria, Lina, Mario, and Silvana. In February 1949, the Griguol family emigrated to Australia aboard the ship Toscana. They initially lived in New Residence, between Loxton and Kingston, where they worked in glasshouses and gardens. However, after a short time, Mum and two of her sisters moved to Fulham Gardens in Adelaide to find work.

According to the book, Polenta in Australia: The story of Giuseppe and Rosa Griguol and their Family, written by Rose Noble, Mum’s mother, Rosa, was unhappy in Australia, particularly when separated from her daughters. Giuseppe and Rosa planned to move the entire family to Adelaide to be together but Rosa fell ill and passed away before the move.* Her loss at the age of 18 was profoundly difficult for Mum and her family, but it forged a deep bond between the siblings and help make her the devoted and loving mother that she was.

Mum and Dad met through her brother Tony. There are many versions of how their relationship began, but what’s clear is that Dad who was popular with the ladies, was smitten with Mum from the moment they met. They married on February 21, 1953.

They initially shared a house with Dad’s brother Lino and his wife Rosanna, working together in the market gardens. It was hard work, but they loved it. Mum often told us how she would find Dad sleeping between the rows of tomatoes in the glasshouses. They didn’t have much but when they had a good day at the market, Dad would give Mum money to buy material for a new dress—a story she told many times, and one I only appreciated more as I got older, realising how special it must have been and how hard they worked for everything they had.

 

Our Tonellato family

They had five children: Pauline (1954), Susan (1955), Christine (1957), Paul (1962), and later on… me, Leanne (1974). They remained in Kidman Park on the land purchased by Nonno Secondo. My siblings have many fond memories of the glasshouses, but I was born after they were gone. I often found it hard to picture what the place looked like, where the wagon used to be, and what it was like working on the land.

I never had the chance to meet my grandparents which made it even more challenging to imagine.

In 1973, Mum and Dad took a holiday back to Italy with my brother, visiting family, but they were happy to return to Australia which they considered home. When they sold the land, they kept a block and built a home on Fergusson Avenue, where they would live for the rest of their lives. Dad worked as a storeman and packer at Associated Grocers on Findon Road until his retirement, and Mum worked at the Adelaide airport cafeteria.

Memories of my parents

My childhood differed from my sisters’, but all our memories are filled with love and joy. I remember Mum helping in my school’s canteen, joining my class excursions, and was always our netball team’s “transport.” I remember walking home from school with friends, knowing that if it rained, Dad would show up to pick us all up – every time. When I took the bus home from university, he was always waiting at the bus stop. I was very spoiled – not with material possessions, but with their time.

Our home was full of love and laughter, with visitors constantly dropping by for coffee, grappa, Mum’s frittole, and crostoli. Mum’s soup was a family favourite, especially among the grandchildren, who still enjoy it, though it’s never quite the same. Her gnocchi, baccala, and polenta were also beloved by her children. The house always smelled of methylated spirits or eucalyptus oil as Mum was a meticulous cleaner. Her house was always spotless, and even when she made me dust the house, the rag would barely get dirty! I still don’t know how she did it.

They didn’t have much and didn’t go on many vacations but they loved going for drives and spending time with family. Mum adored her grandchildren, welcoming her first grandchild in 1978 and her last in 2002. They had 10 grandchildren and now 11 great-grandchildren.

I am so glad my children got to know Mum and Dad. They have cherished memories of them and knew how deeply they were loved. It warms my heart to see so much of my parents in my children. My son has Dad’s humour and kind heart, while my daughter shares his gentle nature. She also inherited Mum’s caring and empathy, making her a wonderful nurse, as I always thought Mum should have been.

Changes in our family
Dad passed away in August 2009 at the age of 81. Life changed significantly for Mum after his passing but she still laughed and enjoyed having her family around. She spent a lot of time making coffee for the visitors who often dropped by. Thursdays were special, as Nillo and Angelina Piovesan, Assunta and Angelo Giovannini, Connie Legovich, and Sergio would come over.

Unfortunately, after Mum fell and broke her hip, she could no longer stay in her home and moved into a nursing home. Selling the house that she loved was devastating for her but her strength and positive attitude helped her through it. She continued to laugh, joke, and even made many friends at the nursing home. The most amazing thing was her ability to make others happy. When she first arrived, she was upset that the staff didn’t smile often. Eventually, they put a sign on her door reminding staff to smile! Many staff members would hide in her room to chat and seek advice which she loved. Although she wasn’t particularly fond of watching the cleaners work, she would still tell them what a good job they were doing before then smirking and rolling her eyes at me. Mum lived in the nursing home for seven years until she became unwell.

Mum passed away in August 2023 surrounded by her family. She was 90 years old.

Christine Basso, our beautiful and deeply loved sister, passed away three months later after a short but devastating illness. She was only 65 years old.  We are heartbroken that she didn’t get to enjoy her retirement and missed out on so many things. However, she was fortunate to have been married to her soulmate, Wally Basso, and they had a wonderful daughter, Deanna. Christine was cherished by so many friends and family for her humour, always making us laugh.

 

To me, she was a protective big sister, generous and always helping me with any computer issues I had while at school and university. I cherish the memories I have of her. I am grateful that Mum and Dad didn’t have to endure the pain of losing Christine. I take comfort in the belief they are together and we will be all be reunited one day.

Leanne Toscano nee Tonellato
22 September 2024

All photos supplied by Leanne.

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*Polenta in Australia: The Story of Giuseppe and Rosa Griguol and their Family was written and published by Rose Nobel in Adelaide in 1996

 

In the photo above, Lina and Gelindo Rossetto are seated with their children, Aldo, Romeo and Lena.
The photo was taken in Adelaide in about 1937.
It was supplied by Lena Moscheni nee Rossetto.

The experience of Gelindo Rossetto (one of the Veneto market gardeners who arrived in Adelaide in 1927) during the war differs from the rest of the Veneto market gardener group because he combined three roles: market gardener, mica miner and political activist.

When the war began, Gelindo had been in Adelaide for 12 years and he and his wife, Lina nee Bordin, had three children, Romeo, Lena and Aldo. (Silvano was born in 1943. Romeo died in 1938, aged 7 years and two other children died as infants)

 

The market gardener
Unlike others in the Veneto community, Gelindo and his wife and their three children had moved away from the Lockleys area. They lived in the west end of the City of Adelaide from about the mid-1930s. Gelindo cycled eight kilometres to work his market garden.

Gelindo had grown vegetables on leased land at Lockleys on the River Torren beside the bridge on Rowells Road for several years. He had about 20 glasshouses and with Lina’s assistance, grew tomatoes, potatoes, cabbages, cauliflowers and other ‘outside’ vegetables. When his brother, Giuseppe Rossetto arrived in 1938, he  worked in the market garden when Gelindo was away.

The mica miner – and market gardener

In the mid 1930s, Gelindo bought a share in a mica mine at the same time as Angelo Piovesan, one of the other Veneto market gardeners. The ‘Spotted Tiger’ mine was in the Harts Ranges about 1,700 miles north of Adelaide. There had been a large presence of Italian mica miners in the Harts Ranges from the 1930s.  Working the mine gave Gelindo and Angelo the opportunity to increase their income as their families grew – and profits from the market gardens were not consistent.

 

Gelindo’s daughter, Lena Moscheni, was interviewed in 2014 and she remembered that it was not always possible for her parents to sell the vegetables in the 1930s:

During Depression time, they used to go to the market with their vegies, and couldn’t sell them because nobody had money, so they used to bring them all back and bury them into the garden, back into the garden. I remember that.

 Lena Moscheni nee Rossetto, OH 872/32, 28 August 2014, p 13

Both Gelindo and Angelo alternated work on the mine and the market garden. The financial return from mica mining became very lucrative during the war because mica was used in electronic equipment, insulation and airplane instruments.

Conscription to the civilian workforce
Gelindo, like the other market gardeners, was conscripted to the Australian Government civilian labour force to assist with the war effort by building infrastructure such as airstrips, roads, pipelines, stores etc. The manual work was undertaken in remote work camps with pay and conditions that were considered sub-standard.  In June 1943, Gelindo received instructions to travel to the Northern Territory where he was assigned work with the Civil Constructional Corps. Through a lawyer, he applied for an exemption because of the need to work his market garden. The lawyer explained that Gelindo had a tomato crop worth $500 and he supplied vegetables for the Army and Gelindo’s brother was not able to manage the market garden and sales alone. The lawyer also added that Lina was seven months pregnant. Gelindo’s exemption was rejected at first but he was granted periods of leave without pay to remain with his wife.

The political activist, miner, market gardener
Gelindo took liberties with instructions from the Civil Constructional Corps, was prosecuted and fined for absence without leave. During this time, in addition to being with his wife and children, Gelindo was an active member of the Italia Libera (or Free Italy) movement in South Australia.

Italia Libera had been founded in Melbourne in 1943 as an anti-fascist organisation that aimed to support the allied countries and restore democracy in Italy and it had links to groups of Italian migrants in other countries. Members of Italia Libera distributed political materials such as the fortnightly newspaper, Risveglio (or “Awakening”) to members in the civilian labour camps and campaigned for issues such as parity of pay for different kinds of work undertaken by conscripts. The Australian Government assumed that it was a radical organisation and the South Australian Investigation Branch identified Gelindo as one of five Italians involved in the movement.[1]

Gelindo’s son, Aldo,  remembered that his father was a strong opponent of fascism before he left Italy:

In the mid-1920s when Mussolini came to power and fascism was getting stronger, he disliked that intensely …. he wouldn’t stand for the fact that the fascists used to go around from village to village,
and if they didn’t convert you to fascism or you wouldn’t turn, they would beat you and make you drink castor oil as a result.

Aldo Rossetto OH 872/16, 4 July 2011, p 2.

About a year after serving with the Civil Constructional Corps, Gelindo was discharged in 1944. Although the reason for Gelindo’s discharge was because of his agricultural work, he began official duties as secretary with the State branch of Italia Libera in November 1944 when there was an estimated 60 members including men who were interned and conscripted civilians. Other Veneto market gardeners who remained on their land during the war were focused on their livelihoods and families. It seems that Gelindo was the only open political activist in the Veneto market gardener community during the war.

 

You can listen to interviews with Lena Moscheni nee Rossetto and Aldo Rossetto, daughter and son of Gelindo. Other Rossetto relatives also recorded interviews for the project and you can listen to them too. Use this link to access the interviews and some transcripts:

Click here to access the Rossetto family page

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Madeleine Regan
8 September

[1] National Archives of Australia: D1915: SA20480 – Investigation Branch, South Australia.