Mattiazzo, Armida

Armida Mattiazzo nee Biasetto, born 20 October 1928 in Ponzano Veneto, Province of Treviso, arrived in Australia in 1952. She married her fiancée, Augusto Mattiazzo in Melbourne five days after she arrived. Augusto had arrived in 1949, sponsored by his brother-in-law, Attilio Piovesan and they worked together in mica mines at Harts Range in the Northern Territory. Attilio had arrived in 1937 and he worked in the mica mines and later bought land on Frogmore Road when his wife, Claudina nee Mattiazzo and small daughter, Edda, joined him in 1948. Claudina was Augusto’s sister.

Armida and Augusto stayed two weeks with Attilio and Claudina, before they went to live at the Last Chance mica mine, about an eight-hour jeep ride from Alice Springs. They stayed there for seven years and for much of that time Armida was the only woman in the camp. A first daughter who lived just one day was born in May 1953, Denny was born in 1954 in Alice Springs and Adelina was born in Adelaide in 1956.

Other Veneti who worked at the Last Chance mine at this time included Attilio, Lui Vendramini and Leandro Bortoletto, husband of Maria Bortoletto..

Armida stayed at Frogmore Road with her in-laws on several occasions and in her interview, recalls the vast area of market gardens and the few houses in the1950s.
In the late 1950s she leased four glasshouses on Henley Beach Road, near the intersection of Tapleys Hill Road and grew tomatoes and beans. She worked in a number of factories and also at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. Augusto worked at Holdens and was ill for many years. He died in 1994.

She keeps strong links to her daughter who married in Ponzano Veneto. She has travelled several times to see her family and she maintains links with Veneti friends in Adelaide. Armida continues her interest in gardening and grows seasonal vegetables in her backyard.

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