“Now, it’s on me”

Egilberta (Bertina) Carraro was 20 years old when she waved goodbye to her father and  boarded the ship for Australia at Genova. She remembers saying the words, “Now, it’s on me.” It was 1953 and Bertina had made up her mind that she was responsible for her new life. She was leaving her parents and brothers behind and was on her way to meet her fiancée, Sante Buratto, who had arrived in 1951.

The image above, of Bertina and Sante Buratto, was taken in Adelaide
in 2020, on the occasion of Sante’s 90th birthday.

Early life
Bertina was born on 29^th July 1933 in Latina in the Lazio region, a city that was then called ‘Littoria’ which was founded by Mussolini in 1932. It was populated by settlers mostly from the Veneto and Friuli regions. Bertina’s parents returned to live in Biadene in about 1934. (Biadene is about 65 kms NorthWest of Venice.) Bertina had two older brothers, Armando and Bruno.

The Carraro house held an important role in Biadene. Bertina’s father worked at the Mulino, a factory that ground wheat for flour and ran 24 hours. Bertina’s father managed the operations and  ran  generators from the family home. The generators provided heat that enabled local families to dry their washing  during the winter months. Bertina’s mother cared for the items of clothing and made sure that they were returned to each family.

After three years of education, Bertina stayed home because the village school was closed because of the war and was given over to accommodation for refugees who came from the south of Italy. She learned sewing and helped with cooking and housework. When she was 14 years old, Bertina  went to work in a factory that made silk fabric.

A young woman in Biadene
Bertina remembers that she had limited freedom as a young woman in Biadene. There were few social activities and the parish priest opposedyoung girls having a social life outside the family home and refused to give them communion if they attended dances. Once a year there was a sagra or a festival in Ciano del Montello, a town about five kilometres north of Biadene. Bertina went with three friends on their pushbikes and it was there that she saw Sante Buratto for the first time. After about four months, Sante found out where Bertina lived and went to see her. She thought she was too young to get involved but he was keen and when he decided to migrate in 1951, he told her that he would wait for her in Australia.

She received Sante’s letters for about six months but she did not reply. After about six months, he found a way to get Bertina’s attention – he enclosed a £1 note in a letter and said that if her mother didn’t give her the money for a stamp then she could use his money. This strategy worked and they made arrangements for Bertina to marry him when she arrived in Australia.

To Australia…
Bertina remembered that her departure was very difficult for her parents. Her mother was very sad and asked how could her only daughter leave her. Her father accompanied her on the 400-kilometre trip to Genova.

From the moment she boarded the ship, Bertina had a strong sense that she was determined to make her life anew. She recalls thinking to herself, “I know the good and the bad, and I will do my best.” She had felt constrained by the village and she wanted to learn different things. For a young woman who had had a protected upbringing, the experience of being on the ship was a big adventure.

 

Arrival in Australia
Bertina had three aunts who had migrated to Melbourne between the wars and she stayed with one of them for three months after she arrived and before she and Sante married. She worked in a factory making women’s clothes and earned £140.00, and Bertina was able to pay for the costs of the wedding. Sante arrived in Melbourne a few days before the wedding.

Just the week before the wedding, Sante had bought a large old house on Park Terrace [now Greenhill Road] near the Adelaide showgrounds and the young couple began their married life there.

Life in Adelaide

In Adelaide, Sante took Bertina to meet the Veneti who were his close friends and they welcomed her and friendships were made for Bertina’s future. The house on Park Terrace was in poor condition because it had been empty for many years. The floors were rotten and everything needed to be fixed. Because Sante was a carpenter, he was able to work on the house after finishing his day job.

Bertina remembers, “I was happy. I was young and I pulled up my sleeves and cleaned everything.”

Family life in Rostrevor

Diana was born in 1955, and in 1957, the Buratto family moved to Rostrevor (known as Oldfield at that time) where Sante had built their house. It was a new suburb with few roads and not many other houses nearby. In 1958, Denis was born, and Roger, in 1966. Over the years, the family enjoyed celebrations and the company of good friends from the Veneto region.

The Buratto family life became fuller when Bertina’s parents came for a visit in 1969. They had thought they might stay in Adelaide but after some time, Bertina could see her parents were homesick and she organised for them to return to Montebelluna.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Involvement in the Veneto Club
Before the Veneto Club Inc., Adelaide was built in 1974, Sante was involved in meetings and he became a Foundation Member. It was an important place for the Veneti to gather and speak Italian and build community. One of the most important social gatherings in the early years were the Sunday night dinner dances and Bertina attended these with Sante and the family.

 Gradually, Bertina became involved in the Women’s Committee at the Veneto Club where she assisted with the functions on Saturday nights. She used to catch the bus just outside the family home at 1:00 pm and it took her to Beverley about 15 kms across the city.

With a team of other women, Bertina prepared for the functions setting up tables and serving meals for up to 400 people at times. The women  enjoyed providing hospitality at the Club. Bertina said, “I would take the last bus at night and was home around midnight. I was a strong person, not scared of anyone.”

She was one of the cooks for Tuesday bocce games at the Club and also for school groups that were invited by the Club for an Italian experience. She has taught groups how to make crostoli and frittole.

Bertina was a member of the Veneto Club Committee for a number of terms. In acknowledgement of her long years of service, she was made a Life Member of the Veneto Club.

 A rich life
Bertina arrived as a young woman in Australia and  built their family life with Sante. She developed and maintained friendships, actively contributed to the Veneto Club and has visited relatives in Italy several times. Today she enjoys spending time with her children, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

She looks after her garden, sees her friends and attends events at the Veneto Club. Bertina has created a rich and rewarding life in her 72 years in Australia.

All photos supplied by Bertina and Diana Buratto.

---

Bertina Buratto, Diana Buratto and Madeleine Regan
29 June 2025