Category: 2019

We continue the stories of the Veneto pioneers who arrived in Adelaide between 1926 and 1928. The first to arrive were Francesco and Margherita Marchioro with their seven month old baby, Mary.

Francesco and Margherita Marchioro and Mary, arrived in Adelaide on 1st March 1926. They were the only married couple in the Veneto market gardener community who arrived between 1926 and 1928. The other pioneers arrived as lone men. Francesco was 24 years old and Margherita was 21 years when they married in 1925. They came to Adelaide because life in Malo in the province of Vicenza was difficult for most families on the land.

Margherita’s brother had been in Adelaide for about four years and had a terrazzo business and he employed Francesco. In 1927 the family situation changed: Lina was born and Francesco’s younger brother, Vittorio arrived. After some challenging years trying to make ends meet, Francesco and Margherita leased some land on Frogmore Road with Vittorio for market gardens. Francesco continued to work with his brother-in-law because he had severe asthma and could not work in the market gardens. For the first few years Francesco and Margherita and their two daughters lived in the west end of the city and Vittorio lived at Frogmore Road. In her interview Lina remembers that she was six or seven when her mother took her and Mary to Frogmore Road, a tram ride and a long walk to the market gardens on Saturdays and Sundays:

I remember that I used to come down with my mother and my sister Mary to work on the garden but them we’d go home at night … my uncle did the hard work there, heavy work, and my mother helped planting and picking the crop …

The family moved to Frogmore Road and lived with Vittorio. In 1938 Margherita and Francesco’s third daughter, Connie, was born. The family transferre to the other side of the River Torrens to Pierson Street while Vittorio and his wife Angelina stayed on Frogmore Road. Francesco had an arrangement with Tilletts Memorials, monumental masons, and polished tombstones from home while Margherita worked 16 glasshouses with the help of Mary, who did not work outside the family.

Francesco died in 1945 when he was 43 years old. Connie was nearly seven, Lina was

18 and Mary 20. Margherita continued to work the market gardens with Mary and also provided accommodation for other veneti including a family from Perth whose father was interned at Loveday.

Lina remembers helping her mother in winter to try and save the tomato plants when there was a frost:

I remember when the frost used to come, Mum and I would be up at 2 o’clock in the morning to wash the frost off the glass because that would have burnt the tips of the tomato plants, so we’d hose them off with the hose water, and that saved the crops, because in those days it was, I don’t know about now, but I don’t see frost around now, but then we’d have lots of frost, frosty weather, and they’d cover the grass with ice, so we had to melt the ice with the water. It was 2 o’clock in the morning you know.

Connie also recalls her mother’s hard work:

… when Dad died, Mum had to carry on with the glasshouses because being the youngest, I was still at school. That was the only thing she knew. Eventually burying her own property also in Lockleys. Then she built her dream home. Then she retired and waited for Dad to call her on his birthday, 28th October 2001, at the age of 97 years.

Lina and Connie have kept in touch with their relatives in Malo and Monte di Malo. Lina made five visits and Connie has been six times.

Both Lina and Connie spoke in their interviews with pride about their mother – who arrived as a 22-year old, worked hard in her market garden, and lived a very long life in Adelaide. Mary died in 1986. Lina reflects on her parents’ decision to migrate to Australia:  Oh, they thought they’d only stay a few years, only a few years until they’d made enough money to live comfortably (laughs) initially. It didn’t turn out that way …

 

Madeleine Regan and Connie Leogivch nee Marchioro
23 August 2020

 

 

Francesco e Margherita Marchioro con la loro bambina, Mary, arrivarono in Adelaide il 1 marzo 1926. Era La sola coppia degli orticoltori della comunità del Veneto che arrivò dal 1926 al 1928. Tutti gli altri che arrivarono a quell’epoca erano uomini da soli. Francesco aveva 24 anni e Margherita ne aveva 21 anni quando si sposarono nel 1925. Vennero in Adelaide perché la vita a Malo nella provincia di Vicenza era difficile per molte famiglie che lavorava la terra.

Il fratello di Margherita era già in Adelaide per circa 4 anni e aveva un business di terrazzo e Francesco lavorava per lui. Nel 1927, la situazione familiare cambiò perché la seconda figlia, Lina, è nata e il fratello di Francesco, Vittorio arrivò in Adelaide e si unì alla famiglia. Dopo qualche anno durante la depressione, la coppia con Vittorio affittarono terreno in Frogmore Road vicino altri veneti per coltivare verdure. Francesco continuò a lavorare con suo cognato perché soffriva un problema ai polmoni e non poteva lavorare il terreno. Per i primi anni Francesco e Margherita con le loro due bambine vissero nella parte della città ovest e Vittorio visse a Frogmore Road. Nella intervista con Lina si ricorda che quando aveva 6 o 7 anni la madre portò lei e la sorella al terreno col tram e una lunga passeggiata sabato e domenica al posto dove lavorava con Vittorio:

Mi ricordo che andavo con mia madre e mia sorella Mary a lavorare il terreno ma dopo si ritornava a casa al buio … mio zio fece il duro lavoro e mia madre aiutava piantando e raccogliendo il prodotto.

Nel 1938, la terza figlia di Francesco e Margherita arrivò. La famiglia visse a Frogmore Road con Vittorio prima che la sua moglie Angelina arrivò in Adelaide. Francesco e Margherita e le tre figlie si erano trasferito all’altra parte del fiume Torrens mentre Vittorio e Angelina rimasero. Francesco non stava bene di salute e trovò lavoro con Tillets Memorials (muratori monumentali) a pulire e lucidare le lapidi in casa. Margherita lavorava sempre nelle 16 serre con l’aiuto di Mary che non lavorava in altri posti.

Francesco morì nel 1945 quando aveva 43 anni. Connie aveva quasi 7 anni, Lina aveva 18 anni e Mary aveva 20 anni. Margherita continuò a lavorare come il terreno e le serre con Mary e provvedeva alloggio ad altri veneti includendo una famiglia da Perth che il marito era internato durante la guerra a Loveday (un campo di internamento circa 230 chilometri da Adelaide).

Lina si ricorda che dopo il padre morì aiutò la madre durante l’inverno:

… Mi ricordo quando la brina scendeva, mamma ed io ci alzavamo alle due del mattino per sciogliere il ghiaccio dalle serre perché avrebbero bruciato le punte delle piante di pomodori. A quel tempo scendeva molto la brina durante l’inverno. Scioglievamo il ghiaccio con spruzzi di acqua. Era molto presto alle due del mattino.

Connie anche si ricorda che la madre lavorò duro.

… quando papa morì, era necessario che la mamma continuasse a lavorare perché ero ancora una studentessa di scuola. Quello era l’unico lavoro che conosceva. Alla fine ha comprato una proprietà a Lockleys. Poi ha costruito la casa dei suoi sogni. Poi si ritirata e ha aspettato che papà la chiamasse per il suo compleanno il 28 ottobre 2001 all’età di 97 anni.

Lina e Connie rimangono in contatto con i loro parenti a Malo e Monte di

Malo. Lina è andata cinque volte. Connie ha fatto sie viaggi per vedere i suoi parenti.

Nelle interviste tutti a due Lina e Conni hanno parlato con orgoglio della loro madre che, arrivata a 22 anni, ha lavorato duro sulla terra e che ha vissuto una lunga vita. Mary morì nel 1986. Lina riflette sulle decisioni dei suoi genitori di emigrare in Australia nel 1926:

… O loro hanno pensavano che sarebbero rimasti solo pochi anni finchè non avessero guadagnato abbastanza soldi per vivere comodamente. (ride) Ma non è andata così …

Madeleine Regan e Connie Marchioro in Legovich
il 23 agosto 2020

 

Guest blogger, Anna Baronian nee Carniello writes about her father’s experience at the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre and her visit there in 2019. Anna also reflects on her connections to family in Caselle di Altivole.

My father Giovanni Carniello was born in Caselle di Altivole, province of Treviso in 1929 and he passed away in 1999. After completing his military service, at the age of 23 he travelled to Australia on the ship “San Giorgio” together with his cousins, Primo and Secondo Carniello.

Giovanni’s sister Bertilla arrived the following year and she later married Egidio Antonini. In 1961 Dad’s brother Tarcisio arrived and he lived with my parents at 63 Garden Terrace, Lockleys. Dad worked as a labourer in the concrete business owned by Primo and Secondo Ballestrin.

After being at sea for 40 days, dad and his cousins arrived in Melbourne on November 21st 1952. Dad was not part of an assisted scheme, so upon arrival, he was handed a name tag attached to a string which was hung around his neck. From there he boarded a train followed by a bus, to travel to Bonegilla, a migrant camp established on the site of a former army camp and located on the banks of the Murray River near Albury-Wodonga. Bonegilla was an isolated place on the southern shore of Lake Hume 300 kilometres from Melbourne.

It remained for thousands of Italians, the place of their first encounter with what would be their new home, Australia – and perhaps even some of our market gardeners from the Veneto region began their new lives there.

Bonegilla’s major functions were to process and house migrants, find work for new arrivals and most importantly, provide language and civics training. The work included fruit picking, working in the cane fields or as labourers on the Snowy Mountains Hydroelectric Scheme. There were 832 huts or army barracks spread out over 24 blocks on a 240-hectare site. The migrants were separated by nationality with separate accommodation for men and women and children. Each hut could accommodate 20 people and initially there were no internal partitions. Later the huts were divided into cubicles approximately 4x3m and they were lined to protect the residents from the heat and cold.

Everything would have been very unfamiliar to our paesani, the dry and vast space, eucalyptus trees, the unfamiliar food and language, the health checks, the basic living conditions and their introduction to English and civics training.

The migrants were given blankets, bed-sheets, towel, crockery and cutlery. Everybody had to help keep the camp tidy, so shovels, brooms, rakes and pails were also distributed. If they got lost or damaged, they had to be replaced by the person and their value was deducted from the one pound per week that the government gave to migrants.

I visited the Bonegilla Migrant Camp in January 2019 where I encountered the Bonegilla Migrant Experience. Block 19 which consisted of 24 huts and could accommodate up to 350 people has been retained as a museum and interpretive centre. On the site, they have recreated the sights and sounds of what life was like for the new arrivals. I experienced the audio-visual installations that have been created to capture what life was like for the new-comers; on their arrival, in the dormitories, in the dining room and recreational areas. I have included some photos from my visit. I found it quite emotional thinking about what it would have been like for dad, leaving his homeland, family and friends.

Bonegilla was the longest operating migrant centre in Australia, from 1947- 1971, by which time over 300,000 people had passed through. It is estimated that today there are over 1.5 million descendants of Bonegilla migrants.

I have visited Caselle d’Altivole on several occasions, the first time being when I was 9 years old and we lived next door to my nonni for about 10 months. I have fond memories of riding with my nonno on the cart pulled by their donkey to buy farm supplies.

Anna Baronian nee Carniello
26 July 2020

Un tributo agli immigranti di Bonegilla

Mio padre, Giovanni Carniello, e nato in Caselle di Altivole nel 1929 ed è morto nel 1999. Dopo che ha finito il servizio militare all’età di 23 anni, è venuto in Australia con la nave, “San Giorgio” con i suoi cugini, Primo e Secondo Carniello.

La sorella di Giovanni, Bertilla è arrivata l’anno dopo e si è sposata con Egidio Antonini. Il fratello di mio padre, Tarcisio, è arrivato nel 1961 e visse con i miei genitori a 63 Garden Terrace, Lockleys. Mio padre ha lavorato come operaio nel cemento che apparteneva ai fratelli Ballestrin.

Il viaggio è durato 40 giorni e mio padre e suoi cugini sono arrivati a Melbourne il 21 novembre 1952. Mio padre non è venuto assistito dal governo. Quando è arrivato a Melbourne le hanno dato un pezzo di carta col suo nome da mettersi attorno al collo. Da Melbourne ha preso il treno e dopo l’autobus per arrivare a Bonegilla. Era un campo per immigranti costruito dove prima era un campo militare vicino al fiume Murray vicino Albury-Wodonga. Bonegilla era un posto isolato circa 3000 chilometri da Melbourne. È rimasto il posto del primo incontro di migliaia di italiani ed altri immigranti, la loro prima casa in Australia. Forse anche certi ortolani della regione veneta che arrivarono là negli anni 50.

A Bonegilla c’erano 832 baracche militari in circa 24 blocchi in 240 ettari di terreno. Gli immigranti erano separati da nationalità e gli uomini da una parte e le donne con bambini all’altra. Ogni baracca poteva accomodare 20 persone e inizialmente senza partizioni per privacy. Dopo le baracche erano divise in piccole stanze approssimativamente 4 metri per 3 e per protezione dal freddo e dal caldo. Tutto era molto strano per i nostri paesani – lo spazio secco e molto vasto, le piante di eucalipto, il cibo, le visite mediche, le condizioni base e le lezioni di inglese. Gli immigranti hanno ricevuto coperte, lenzuole, utensili da cucina. Tutti quanti dovevano tenere il campo in ordine. Se gli utensili venivono danneggiati dovevano rimpiazzarli con in valore dedotto dalla loro paga che era una sterlina alla settimana che il governo passava agli immigranti.

La maggiore funzione in Bonegilla era quella di provvedere accomodazione, lavoro, e molto importante, provvedere l’insegnamento della lingua inglese e cultura Australiana. Lavoro includeva raccogliere frutta, lavorare nelle canne da zucchero o come operai nella idrolettrica che si chiama “Snowy Mountains Scheme.”

Ho visitato Bonegilla Migrant Camp nel gennaio 2019. Ho avuto l’esperienza degli immigranti che vivevano a Bonegilla. C’è un museo che consiste del Block 19 (24 baracche che poteva accomodare fino a 350 persone). Nel museo è possible fare l’esperienza della vita quotidiana degli immigranti. Ho visitato i dormitori, la sala da pranzo e la zona di ricreazione.

Bonegilla è stato il posto che ha ricevuto gli immigranti il tempo più lungo dal 1947-1971. Più di 300,000 persone sono passate per le sue porte. Oggi è estimato che ci sono più di 1.5 milione discendenti degli immigranti di Bonegilla.

Mi sono comossa moltissimo a provare queste sensazioni. Ho pensato come mio padre poteva sentirsi a lasciare la sua terra, la sua famiglia e suoi amici.

Sono andata a Caselle di Altivole parecchie volte. La prima volta era quando avevo 9 anni e siamo stati vicino ai nonni per circa 10 mesi. Un caro ricordo e quello di andare con mio nonno sul carretto tirato dall’asinello per comprare roba per la fattoria.

Anna Baronian nee Carniello
il 26 luglio 2020

The following information about the Piovesan family has been compiled from interviews and family archives.

Angelo Piovesan was one of four sons in a family who emigrated from Ponzano Veneto in the Veneto region. Three sons migrated to Australia: Angelo arrived in Adelaide in 1927, Attilio in 1937and Mario in 1950. The fourth brother, Leono, went to Venezuela in 1949. Two other siblings, Giuseppe and Amelia remained in Ponzano Veneto.

Angelo was one of the Veneto pioneer market gardeners on Frogmore Road at Kidman Park. He also spent time working at the Spotted Tiger mica mine in the Northern Territory with other Veneto men.

Bruno Piovesan provided details about his father and mother in the interview he recorded for the project in 2008:

My parents were born in a place called Ponzano Veneto, that’s about twenty‑five kilometres from Venice, very close to Treviso, and my father came to Australia at the age of 22 – he was born in 1905, 4th December 1905. He came to Australia in 1927.  After seven years of working in Australia, my mother, [Rosalia Zanatta] which he knew as a fiancée in Italy, could not afford her fare to Australia, so she virtually had to find her own money to come to Australia. She came to Australia in 1934 …

Angelo and Rosalia both came from very poor peasant farming families. Their second son, Dino, interviewed in 2011 explains the poverty:

The family ground, whatever hectares it may have been, was simply for family sustenance from one year … I remember them saying that if they were lucky and they had one or two or three cows in the stable, a cow would have had a calf, and that would have been sold, and that would have been a little bit of extra money for the family. But other than that, it was for the family sustenance from one year to the other, with wheat and maize, and of course the grapes and the wine.

Angelo and Rosalia had three sons, Nillo, Dino and Bruno. Bruno recalls the Piovesan market garden from his childhood and describes how his father worked:

… they used to make a good living out of 12 glasshouses, he used to make a good living just with twelve glasshouses. Had about five acres of land in those years and he used to plant potatoes and other type of beans and things like that – I remember sowing beans and all this business. And you had to dig potatoes virtually with a fork to start with, then they had a plough – all horse-drawn, there was no machinery, just all horse-drawn – and I very vividly remember digging glasshouses by hand fork, you had to dig the glasshouses with a hand fork, till the age of about 16 or 18. 

Angelo Piovesan died suddenly in 1949, aged 43 years and Rosalia maintained the market gardens with assistance from Attilio, Angelo’s younger brother. The three sons who were then aged 14, 13 and 12 years also worked in the gardens. Parts of the family land were sold in the 1960s and Nillo and Dino developed a market garden at Bolivar for some years. Rosalia died in 1985. Nillo died in 2011, and Bruno, in 2014.

Madeleine Regan
17 May 2020

A causa della situazione di Covid-19, non e’ stato possibile tradurre il blog in italiano.