Dante Alighieri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Dear members, supporters and sponsors ,
As I look back over the past months I am very pleased to acknowledge the
importance of our Society’s achievement in conducting its activities whilst
at the same time strengthening old links and forging new ones within the
wider community.
The new committee is to be congratulated for its continuing hard work and
dedication. New strategies for an evermore successful future will be the
subject of a forum in the not too distant future.
My enthusiasm for the work we are doing was further aroused when I
recently read a new publication, “La Bella Lingua”, by Dianne Hales. This
book was brought to my attention by Avv. Luciano Bini, director of the
Melbourne Italian Festival.
I agree wholeheartedly with Luciano that this book should be widely read
by all those who cherish the love and passion of the Italian language. The
experience, as perceived and well presented by such an ardent student
of Italian, will certainly enrich our appreciation and lead us to further
exploration of the beauty inherent in the language we so dearly promote
through our Dante Alighieri Society.
Grazie Luciano for alerting us to this little treasure!
Recent Highlights.
1. Presentation to the Lord Mayor of Melbourne,
His Worship Robert Doyle.
Attended by myself, the vice president Mary Marcuccio, James Ryan,
award wining student who studied Italian in Rome and Savona in 2009 and
Gabriella Gommersal, from “Il Globo”. The Mayor of the city of Savona, in
a spirit of friendship and goodwill, gifted a number of books, illustrating
Savona and its artistic treasures to the City of Melbourne, via young James
Ryan.
On behalf of Melbourne Dante I presented the Lord Mayor with books
illustrating the history of our Society, the contribution of Italian migrants to
Australia and the contribution of the Ursuline Order of Nuns to the general
Australian education system.
We were all cordially well received by the Lord Mayor and his staff. Mr
Doyle was very generous with his time and happily recalled old memories
of his childhood amongst Italian tobacco growers in the country town of
Myrtleford.
Discussion took place regarding a number of gifts from Italy to the City of
Melbourne, viz. a marble bust of Dante Alighieri, a bronze statue of the “Lupa
Romana con Romolo e Remo” (This is currently exhibited in the window of
the Exhibition Room in Swanston st), a statue of Guglielmo Marconi and one
of Benito Mussolini. These gifts have been kept in storage for many years
and hopefully, we were promised, will be eventually placed in an appropriate
environment.
2. Poetry Recitation and Poster Competition.
3. Poetry writing competition – by VCE students.
This enormous task was co-ordinated by Maria Buonopane and Tania
Barbati with the support of Mary Marcuccio and others.
I was particularly impressed by the creativity expressed by our young
students in their posters and our secondary students with their poetry
writing, the latter showing great maturity and extensive knowledge of the
Italian vocabulary. Thank you also to all the judges, assistants and ushers,
who have assisted in this huge event and cooperated especially with Maria.
Looking forward to Presentation Night on the 16th September.
Photo: courtesy of Il Globo
from left: Tania Barbati, Mary Marcuccio, Dominic Barbaro, Pina Iapozzuto.
standing, from left: Christina Siciliano, Rosa Solowiej, Nick Panayotis, Ada Parrella,
Caterina Sciacca, Maria Buonopane. (Absent: Paolo Baracchi, Secretary)
4. “La Tavola Italiana” – Luncheon and the Athenaeum Club.
I was particularly pleased and honoured to have been invited to address
such a group of enthusiastic lovers of our language and culture on the
history of our Society and the teaching of Italian in Victoria.
Mille Grazie to Dick Davies for the invitation and to the whole group for their
attendance and interest. Some have subsequently joined our Society.5. Italian Medical Society- dinner meeting.
Following a short presentation of the history of our Society at the recent
meeting of IMS I several attendees have become members of Dante.
I was subsequently very pleased to have received confirmation by Dr J.
Nastasi, president of IMS, of their offer of a yearly scholarship to the value
of $500 to be added to the other awards already in existence for the best
student of Italian at a Tertiary Institution.
The Award shall be called “The Italian Medical Society Award” .
Mille Grazie to our Italian Medicos.
6. Book Launches
i) “Something to Declare” –A Memoir- by Sir James Gobbo
Congratulations Sir James for enlightening us all with recollections of your
personal life and successes in both private and public life.
Grazie Mille for being one of our distinguished Patrons
ii) “Tax evasion in Australia” – by Justice Tony Pagone
Congratulations Justice Pagone for such a well considered appraisal of
such an important issue in our fiscal responsibilities.
7. Dante Society Melbourne – 114 years
Thank you to so many present and new members of the Society for
attending this happy occasion.
Finally, I urge you all to keep in touch with our website where you will find
all the forthcoming events of our Society and those of our collaborating
bodies as well as world wide news of activities
of Dante Alighieri Societies around the globe.
Hope to see many of you soon.
Arrivederci
Dr Dominic Barbaro AM
Photo: courtesy of Il Globo
President
An Elegant Cocktail Evening of
Thank-yous but not ‘Farewells’
On Friday April 16th, 2010, a most important Cocktail Evening
was organised by the Melbourne Branch of the Dante Alighieri
Society to mark the retirement from their posts of President
Tom Hazell and Honorary Secretary Anna Cavedon. Whilst
the assembled guests expressed their collective sadness
at the final decision of these esteemed and capable leaders
(also known as the “DDD” or “Dynamic Dantist Duo”) the
overwhelming feeling in the Conference Rooms of Coasit,
Carlton, was one of congratulations for jobs well done over
the many years of dedicated service. In fact, to everyone’s
relief, there was an undercurrent all evening in their speeches
and just in general conversation, from the very same Guests
of Honour, that their departures did not mean a ‘permanent’
detachment from all things “Dante”. Both Tom and Anna kept
on reiterating in lots of ways that they would be involved
and interested in the Melbourne Dante – even if from a slight
distance – as their association and relationship with the Society
would be forever strong. Thus, with fond reminiscences from
George Santoro (regarding Tom) and Michael Bula and Donna
Salera (regarding Anna), the evening progressed in a happy
and joyful way, so much so that the significant “passing of the
guard” from Tom to new President, Dr. Dominic Barbaro, was
done in an official but equally relaxed manner. The excellent
tone of the evening was a good omen for a successful and
prosperous future for the Melbourne Branch of the Dante
Alighieri Society.
from left: Sir James Gobbo, Dott. Marco Mattacotta-Cordella Consul General,
Dominic Barbaro, Anna Cavedon and Tom Hazell.
Courtesy of Donna Salera July,2010
ex committee member 2009
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Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Speech Given at Cocktail Party for
Anna Cavedon and Tom Hazell
It is a pleasure to be able to stand here among the great
number of people who acknowledge and truly thank Anna
Cavedon for her many years of dedicated and loyal service to
the Melbourne Branch of the Dante Alighieri Society. Her role
as Honorary Secretary for the past 27 years is to be lauded
and commended, as it has always been a role with significant
responsibilities attached to it. When I joined the Committee
6 years ago, I was in awe of the high standard that Anna set
for herself in impeccably maintaining the organisational side
of things within the Dante. And for a long time, she tackled
most of those organisational tasks single-handedly. But there
was a particular time of the year when Anna’s capabilities as
Secretary really came to the fore. It was that *interesting*
time of the year when she needed to rally and co-ordinate
everyone else on the Committee, and prepare for the annual
Dante Competitions. I found it especially then, that Anna
actually shone. Her skill at motivating herself and other people
to complete the myriad jobs that needed to be done (on time!)
was exceptionally impressive and that ability was in fact,
inspiring to me personally. However, it was at this time of the
year that I once discovered another ability – or talent – that
Anna possessed. But for this, I have to paint a picture...
When I was growing up, I had a favourite TV show. It was a
half-hour show that was on after school and I simply loved it.
Well, I didn’t really love the whole show – just the introductory
5 minutes. The show was called It’s Academic (and, for those
who don’t know, it was a show where 9 schoolkids from 3
different schools answered quiz questions, for points) and I
simply adored the start of that show for a specific reason.
You see, I found it challenging to call out the suburb names
of the 3 participating schools, befor the host announced it –
for example, Andrew Harwood would say “St. Bede’s” and
I’d call out: “Mentone”; or “Killester College” and I’d state:
“Springvale” etc., etc.
how about the girls’ school St. Aloysius? North Melbourne.
Brava! And one more: “What about Marian College?” Now,
I half expect Anna to clarify: “Which Marian College –
Sunshine or Myrtleford?” Yes, she IS that good! Anna can
even tell you the details of schools OUT OF THE MELBOURNE
METROPOLITAN AREA, and that is because so many country
schools entered the Dante Comps every year too! Oh, and
just for the record, Anna could even tell you all the suburbs of
the Catholic Schools whose names are exactly the same (i.e.
“St Joseph’s”... that comes to: 4 Primary and 2 Secondary,
ranging from Northcote to Ferntree Gully, no less) – and don’t
let’s get started with the multiple “St. John’s” around the
place!!!
So, to conclude, I would like to reiterate what a champion for
the “Dante” you have been, Anna – Not just a CHAMPION! – in
that we know that you did the very best that YOU could do, for
the promotion of the Italian language and culture – especially
at Competition time – when you were “the face” of the
Dante. Anna, not only has your work over all the years been
appreciated, you should also know that this recognition means
that no-one here will ever forget that you form an indelible part
of the prestigious history of the unique and special Melbourne
Branch of the Dante Alighieri Society. Grazie.
Speech by Donna Salera
16 April, 2010
Well, might I say that I met my match when I encountered
Anna Cavedon in action at Competition preparation time!?! I
take my hat off to her for so instantly and effortlessly rattling
off the suburb names of the many Melbourne schools where
Italian is taught, when that detail or information was required
for entering on correspondence; or on timetable lists; or on
little slips of paper that were needed for slotting onto giant
spreadsheets. That is no mean feat, particularly when dealing
with all the other administrational things she had to deal with,
connected with the thousands of students that entered the
various competitions that the Dante held every year. From an
It’s Academic buff, I can tell you that Anna Cavedon’s memory
was VERY good. What am I saying? It IS very good; so much
so, that I think we should just quickly put her to the test right
now...
Anna, what would you say if I asked you: “What suburb is
Whitefriars Secondary Boys College in?”Donvale. Brava! “And
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
3
The Dante Garden Party
A gesture of friendship from the city
James Ryan in Italia
26/10/2009-4/1/2010.
Photo: courtesy of Il Globo
from left: Tom Hazell, James McCormick, Kathryn Lynnette Smith
(Colin McCormick Prize), Elena Muikic (Santoro Prize) and George
Santoro, Philippa Clare Morris (President’s Prize), Dominic Barbaro
It has been a tradition of the Melbourne Dante to initiate its year
with a Garden Party, to which all members and supporters
are invited. On the same occasion, the prizes for the best
students, in Italian, at the three major Melbourne universities
are awarded. These students are nominated by the Italian
departments in the respected universities.
Roma: Prima Parte
I arrived in Rome via Bangkok from Melbourne on the morning
of Monday 26th October. The following Monday I commenced
classes at Dante’s headquarters in Piazza Firenze. The class was
a four week intensive program in Italian grammar and conversation.
I received excellent instruction from my tutors in Rome all of
whom were greatly passionate to impart the Italian language unto
foreigners. I was particularly honoured to study and to be involved
with the central office in the city in which Western civilisation was
nurtured and hence able to spread to all corners of the globe. The
experience made me realise how the Italian language and culture
is an inseparable component of this civilisation and how Italians
have contributed to the world’s civilisation primarily through their
immigration; carrying with them their language, history, traditions
and in particular their associations, such as the Dante Alighieri
Society. It was fascinating to contemplate Italian contributions to
civilisation in those places. When my course finished I left Rome,
travelling first to Siena and then to Milan, before moving to Savona
for the second phase of my Italian experience.
This year, the Society held its Garden Party in the grounds of
St. Mary’s College, in The University of Melbourne. It was a
beautiful autumn Sunday afternoon, such as happens often in
our city, in the month of March. We are grateful to the Loreto
Sisters, and the College management, for so readily agreeing
to permit us to use the beautiful garden and courtyard behind
St. Mary’s. The College has always been a good supporter of
the Melbourne Dante and you will recall that we have held our
annual Lectura Dantis in the Chapel, as well as many Garden
Parties.
Melbourne is a “Victorian” city in so many meanings of the
word. Garden Parties, Conversazioni – the precursors of the
modern cocktail parties, and receptions were a feature – of
its social and cultural life. Most of the bodies which organised
such events have long since disappeared – I think back to
such organisations as the Hispanic Society, the Shakespeare
Society, the Henry Lawson Group, the Austral Salon, the
Victoria League, the Dexter Gathering, and a host of other bodies
which no longer exist, but all of whom added significantly to
the cultural and social fabric of Melbourne. Nothing has taken
their place and the world which they represented has become
overly bureaucratic, in ordered concentrations of culture.
In a great “Italian” city like Melbourne – for that it surely is – the
Dante has a significant role to play, as it has done over three
centuries. Such events as the annual Garden Party, when due
recognition is given to the best of students, in Italian studies,
are important, even though they might seem small-scale to
many. Let us hope that the Dante’s presence will continue and
prosper in Melbourne for many years to come, for what we do
is to propagate a good and noble cause.
Tom Hazell, AO
4
In the Piazza Della Pace, with fellow students from Dante, Emma McClean
McCormick (from Sydney) and Adrianna McDonald (from Guatemala).
Savona : Seconda Parte.
In Savona I was welcomed by my host family Germana Pia and her
daughter Fabia Fusco. I was also greeted by members of Dante and
the Mayor of Savona, Federico Berrutti. My time in Savona was spent
attending various functions, clubs and schools as an ambassador
for the Dante in Melbourne. My experience was one which gave me
a greater opportunity to practice and appreciate the Italian language,
in particular with regards to the ways in which it informs the daily
With friends in Savona, whilst it was snowing. Fabia Fusco and Paola Pileri.
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
of Savona to the city of Melbourne
É stato una piacere abitare e studiare in Italia e in particolare essere
un ambassciatore per la Società Dante Alighieri di Melbourne.
Ringrazio tutti coloro che in un modo o l’altro mi hanno dato
l’opportunità di fare questa indimenticabile esperienza. Con interesse
sto continuando a studiare l’italiano e m’incontro regolarmente con
Maria per praticare la lingua. - James
With my host family on Christmas Day in Savona. From left, Fabia Fusco,
Germana Pia, me and Mario Violletta.
lives of those whom I lived with. The warmth and sincerity of this
ancient language, imparted onto me a greater love of it and a greater
appreciation of those who have brought it to this country, thus
enriching the lives of many in Australia. It was particularly special
to spend an Italian Christmas with my host family and to enjoy
the snow on Christmas day. I left Savona for Rome on the 30th
of December. I celebrated New Year’s Eve at the Colosseum with
friends from my course, before departing for home on January 4th.
By using the acquired Italian, I can say that my cultural experience
became even more symbolic and meaningful.
Melbourne : Terza Parte
Upon leaving Savona I was presented with some gifts to be given
to the city of Melbourne as a gesture of friendship between our two
cities. On Thursday, 22nd July, together with Dr Dominic Barbaro
and Mary Marcuccio I acted as an ambassador for Federico Berrutti
and the city of Savona. This amicable meeting with the Melbourne
City officials concluded my experience in Italy. It was a friendly
meeting in which our own Lord Mayor, Robert Doyle, acknowledged
this gesture as an opportunity to praise the Italian contribution to
the world, particularly through its Associations such as the Dante
Alighieri Society. I would like to thank all the members of Society for
this experience, in particular President Dominic Barbaro and Mary
Marcuccio for arranging this meeting, and Anna Maroscia, President
of Savona for her hospitality. I am very grateful to the Dante Alighieri
Society of Rome for granting this scholarship, and I wish to thank
the former President Tom Hazell for selecting me as its recipient for
2009.
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
5
Lectura Dantis: Commemorazione annuale della nascita di Dante Alighieri (1265 – 1321)
After the lectura, refreshments were served and the guests
enjoyed a lively conversation in the very pleasant salon of the
Institute, grateful to the gracious hosts. The writer personally
hopes that there will be more afternoons like it that will be
organised by the society.
Barbara Porciani
Teacher and ex-committee member
of the Dante Alighieri Society
Inferno — William Blake, National Gallery of Victoria
The Melbourne branch of Dante Alighieri Society presented
it’s annual reading from the Divine Comedy on the 27th June
2010. This event usually takes place in May to celebrate the
approximate date of the Poet’s birthday and in Melbourne
was instigated, some twenty five years ago, by Father Ugo
Modotti, a Jesuit priest who acted as a chaplain to the Italian
community.
After the welcome to the Italian Institute of Culture by Dr.
Stefano Fossati, Director of the Institute and the welcome
to the Lectura Dantis, by Dr. Dominic Barbaro, President of
Dante Alighieri Society, the guest speaker Ivano Ercole, in his
opening speech, delighted the audience with his extensive
knowledge of the Commedia.
The choice of the introductory music, mostly of the 14th
Century, deserves a mention for it’s suitability to the occasion
and Nicolas Panayotis should be thanked for his selection.
During the intervals, Caterina Sciacca was in charge of
screening some of the famous illustrations from editions of
the comedy. The three Cantos: Inferno VI, Purgatorio I and
Paradiso XXX, gave the audience an idea of the rich diversity
of the language used by the Poet to create the atmosphere
particular to each Cantica.
Tom Padula, Nicolas Panayotis and Dominic Barbaro gave a
very realistic performance of the scene in which Ciacco the
Florentine “buon gustaio” suffers for his sins. Paolo Baracchi
entered the calm and prayerful mood of Purgatorio One,
and his reading of the verses was in a meditative spirit. The
unbelievable beauty of the Poet’s description of the Empireo
in Paradiso XXX was recited with great feeling by Nicolas
Panayotis and Tania Barbati.
Nell’elegante sede dell’Istituto Italiano di Cultura in South
Yarra, la Società Dante Alighieri, in occasione dell’annuale
commemorazione della nascita del sommo poeta, ha
organizzato un pomeggio culturale dedicato a Dante. Al
pomeriggio sono intervenuti molti soci e il Comitato della
Società Dante Alighieri di Melbourne. Il pomeriggio si è aperto
con il cordiale benvenuto del Direttore dell’Istituto Italiano di
Cultura, Dott. Stefano Fossati. Il nuovo Presidente della Dante
Alighieri, Dott. Domenico Barbaro, ha quindi presentato una
breve introduzione alla Divina Commedia, passando poi la
parola all’ospite d’onore, Dott. Ivano Ercole, Direttore di Rete
Italia. Vorrei estendere al Dott. Ercole i complimenti di tutti i soci
presenti; mi preme però segnalare in particolare il commento
di una nostra socia, che mi disse che aveva apprezzato sia
l’approfondita conoscenza della materia dimostrata dal Dott.
Ercole, che la passione e la vivacità che hanno contraddistinto
il suo intervento.
Sono seguiti gli interventi dei lettori Tom Padula e Nicolas
Panayotis e Dominic Barbaro, i quali hanno recitato il canto VI
dell’Inferno; di Paolo Baracchi, il quale ha recitato il canto I del
Purgatorio, e infine di Nicolas Panayotis e Tania Barbati, i quali
hanno recitato il canto XXX del Paradiso. Le letture sono state
inframezzate dalle introduzioni ai canti lette, rispettivamente,
da Christina Siciliano e James Ryan, Pina Iapozzuto e
Maria Buonopane, Anna Cavedon e Riccardo Iuele. Alla
fine non sono mancati applausi calorosi per tutti i lettori. Le
musiche e le immagini che hanno accompagnato le letture
ed hanno contribuito notevolmente al successo di questo
pomeriggio. Alla fine il Presidente, Dott Domenico Barbaro, la
Vicepresidente Mary Marcuccio e tutti i membri del comitato
della Società Dante Alighieri hanno ringraziato il Direttore
dell’Istituto Italiano di Cultura per la gentile ospitalità e tutti
coloro che, lavorando dietro le quinte, hanno reso possible
questo bel pomeriggio in onore del nostro sommo poeta. Alla
fine è stato servito un rinfresco con cibo e vini italiani. La
Società Dante Alighieri si augura di rivedervi ai prossimi eventi
culturali.
Antonio Inserra
Membro della Societa Dante Alighieri
Introduction to each Canto was read by: Christina Siciliano
and James Ryan, Pina Iapozzuto and Maria Buonopane, Anna
Cavedon and Riccardo Iuele.
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Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Nicholas Panayotis, Tom Padula and Dominic Barbaro
Ivano Ercole
Paolo Baracchi
Tania Barbati and Nicholas Panayotis
Christina Siciliano and James Ryan
Pina Iapozzuto and Maria Buonopane
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Anna Cavedon and Riccardo Iuele
7
Umberto Martinengo
Umberto Martinengo (Milano 1946 – Melbourne 10/6/2010),
giunese a Melbourne nei primi anni ’70, lavoró alla “FILEF”
(Federazione Italiana dei Lavoratori Emigranti e Famiglie),
poi come come corrispondente per la “Fiamma” di Sydney.
Giornalista e presentatore radiofonico alla SBS, sin dal
1981, oltre al notiziario era conduttore di un programma “Lo
Scandaglio” il sabato mattino. Un particolare dibattito su
questioni nazionali e internazionali in cui partecipavano “ospiti
di alto profilo”, da varie parti del mondo (2010).
Umberto Martinego svolgeva ruoli important nel campo
dell’educazione: ha creato l’asilo italino “Tommaso Fiaschi”
a Carlton affinché la lingua fosse accessibile ai piú piccoli.
É stato collaboratore con “l’Italian-Australian Education
Foundation” e per tenere aggiornato l’insegnante dell’italiano,
attraverso contatti con l’Italia organizzava conferenze. Con
il “CoAsIt” (Comitato Assistenza Italiana) era impegnato a
programmare corsi di perfezionamento per gli insegnanti e lo
scambio culturale con le Universitá e le Regioni.
Nel 1987 il professore Ignazio Baldelli dell’Universitá
Sapienza di Roma, ha tenuto un’importante conferenza sulla
lingua italiana: “Lingua di grande cultura, di una economia
in grande espansione, lingua delle comunitá all’estero”. Per
l’occasione la sala del Fogolar Furlan era gremita di insegnanti
e simpatizzanti.
Nello stesso anno (1-6-1987) il prof. Moretti dell’Universitá
per Stranieri di Perugia ha tenuto un corso di aggiornamento
per insegnanti, sul tema: “codice linguistico”, seguito da
un altro tenuto dal prof. Mazzetti, vice rettore della stessa
universitá, il tema: note pedagogiche, che per alcuni giorni
hanno informato sugli ultimo studi della didattica (come...
“sarebbe negativo introdurre la grammatica ad un bambino,
prima di comporre una frase”). Organizzava inoltre che gli
insegnanti si recassero in Italia a frequentare direttamente
i corsi che le universitá offrivano a stranieri e italiani, per il
miglioramento della lingua, che culminava con una settimana
itinerante, per migliore conoscenza dell’Italia.
Dagli anni ’80 in poi dedicó il suo tempo lavorativo, fra la Radio
comunitaria SBS e il CoAsIt, organizzando corsi d’italiano per
lo sviluppo professionale degli insegnanti italiani nel Victoria.
In oltre le suddette sue iniziative, un altro suo programma
alquanto utile e diffuso é quello degli assistenti linguistici, cioé
giovani laureate che vengono in Australia per sostenere gli
insegnanti d’italiano nel loro ruolo didattico.
Nell 1966 ancora studente, quando straripó il fiume Arno, lui
era fra i volontari, i cosidetti “angeli del fango” che da varie
universitá si riversarono a Firenze, per mettere in salvo i tanti
libri danneggiati dale acque. Fu anche politicamente attivo nei
gruppi di sinistra, era rimasto pacifista convinto e “osservava
con cinismo ogni fede politica”.
Muore in seguito ad un infarto (sofferto in palestra). Elemento
importante della sua vita: l’amore per i suoi due figli; Federico
e Giulia.
(Dall’articolo di James Panichi, giornalista di ABC Radio;
Maurizio Pascucci, Deputy Content Manager di SBS Radio).
A cura di Pina Leonardi Piedimonte
(che aggiunge esperienze personali)
Umberto era dotato di “intelligenza vivace, prontezza e
conoscenza enciclopedica”. Era nato e cresciuto a Milano,
figlio unico, il suo accento denotava un tono aristocratico era
infatti figlio di un Conte, titolo di cui lui non si é mai fregiato.
Era laureato in Lettere Antiche, ma il suo discorso poteva
oscillare su qualsiasi vario argomento.
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Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Museo Italiano Melbourne and
Heritage Centre
The development of the new Museo Italiano Melbourne and heritage
centre is well under way in the CoAsIt building in Faraday Street,
Carlton.
Museo Italiano Melbourne is a permanent cultural history centre
telling the story of Italian Australians. It will house a newly created
state-of-the-art permanent exhibition, temporary exhibition and
education spaces. The Museo will also incorporate the existent
CoAsIt Italian Historical Society (IHS) and Italian language resource
centre (ILRC) and will provide comprehensive educational and
research facilities for scholars, teachers, members of the Italian
community and the general public.
The Museo has been developed under the auspices of CoAsIt, with
generous funding provided by the State Government of Victoria
through the Victorian Cultural Precincts Enhancement Fund.
Through a dynamic new exhibition, incorporating multi-media
and traditional techniques, the Museo aims to enhance visitors’
understanding
• of Italian Australians’ experiences and culture across the
generations and
• of the Italians’ contribution to Australian society and culture.
The exhibition has been developed with particular attention to the
diverse audience groups formed by the multigenerational Italian
community, by school students and by casual visitors. It will
encourage an immersive engagement with the historical and cultural
content of the exhibition.
Museo Italiano Melbourne will be located on the ground floor, 199
Faraday St, Carlton. It will be launched with a street party fiesta on 3
October 2010. All are welcome!
Dante Alighieri Society garden party at Doctor Soccorso Santoro’s home in Kew,
c1950. From left to right are Beatrice Mattei [née Coperchini], Mario Bellini, Doctor
Ellen Day, Rodney Wright, Olive Green, Doctor Soccorso Santoro, Sylvia Clancy
and Shirley McLean. After the disruptions of WW2, the Dante Alighieri Society reconstituted itself in April 1948 and regained support from the Australian community.
Rodney Wright, who had become the Society’s secretary in 1938, resumed that
position in 1948. Doctor Ellen Day, a doctor in the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear
hospital, became the Australian vice-president of the Society in the early 1950s,
as her father Doctor Frederick Day had done before the war. Shirley McLean sat on
the society’s council throughout the 1950s and helped to revive the theatre group,
Filodrammatica della Dante. Image courtesy of the Italian Historical Society – CoAsIt.
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Prossima Apertura Del Museo
Italiano Melbourne And
Heritage Centre
Si avviano alla conclusione i lavori per il nuovo Museo Italiano
Melbourne and heritage centre presso la sede del CoAsIt in Faraday
Street, Carlton.
Museo Italiano Melbourne è un centro culturale dedicato alla
storia degli italiani d’Australia. Ospiterà una mostra permanente
appositamente realizzata, oltre a spazi per mostre temporanee ed
attività didattiche. Il Museo, che incorporerà la Società Storica
Italiana e il Centro Italiano Risorse Didattiche del CoAsIt, offrirà
risorse e servizi per studiosi, insegnanti, membri della comunità
italiana ed altre persone interessate.
Il Museo è stato sviluppato sotto l’egida del CoAsIt con un generoso
finanziamento stanziato dal Governo Statale del Victoria attraverso il
Victorian Cultural Precincts Enhancement Fund.
Tramite una mostra moderna e dinamica, che farà uso di tecnologie
multimediali oltre ad allestimenti tradizionali, il Museo si prefigge di
arricchire la comprensione
• delle esperienze e della cultura degli italiani d’Australia attraverso
le generazioni e
• del contributo degli italiani sulla società e la cultura australiana.
La mostra è stata sviluppata con particolare attenzione per i diversi
settori del pubblico formati dalla comunità italiana multigenerazionale,
dagli studenti delle scuole e dai visitatori casuali. La mostra proporrà
un’esperienza di immersione nel contenuto storico e culturale
proposto.
Museo Italiano Melbourne si trova al piano terreno di 199 Faraday
Street, Carlton. L’inaugurazione avrà luogo con una festa di strada il
3 ottobre 2010. Tutti sono i benvenuti!
Official unveiling of the Dante Alighieri bust at the Treasury Gardens on the 16th of
November 1958. The bust was a gift from the Dante Alighieri Society to the City
of Melbourne. Included are [from left]: Councillor Alexander Grant [Lord Mayor
of Melbourne] and the Lady Mayoress, Doctor Soccorso Santoro, Vida Santoro,
Marchese Giorgio Serafini [Consul General of Italy for Victoria], Councillor Poreus,
unidentified and Ellen Rubbo. [Photographer: Photo Zugna, 44 Wellington Street,
Flemington]. Image courtesy of the Italian Historical Society – CoAsIt.
9
National Curriculum Letter
At the VATI Conference held on 30th April, Dr. Joseph LoBianco
addressed the teachers of Italian and spoke about the New Australian
Curriculum and the place of languages in the new design. This prompted
a response from the Committee of the Dante Society with the support
of Dr.LoBianco. This letter will be sent to all relevant Government and
Opposition politicians. We encourage all schools and those who value
the importance of Italian, to also write and use /or modify this letter.
These websites should be useful. www.aph.gov.au go to Who’s Who
for addresses and www.parliament.vic.gov.au for legislative council and
legislative assembly addresses.
Mary Marcuccio
(Vice President) on behalf of the Committee
Dear Honourable Prime Minister,
We write to congratulate you on the initiative of establishing a National
Curriculum in Australia. We are pleased to see that the importance
of second language learning is being rightly valued and appreciated.
Our concern is that Italian, as one of those languages, be adequately
funded and supported so that it might reach its full potential as the
language of more than one million Australians, and remain a popular
and relevant language which intrinsically generates great interest and
vivid engagement in the broader Australian community.
We are the Dante Alighieri Society Melbourne Branch that has a proud
history of 114 years, widely known for promoting the Italian Language
and culture throughout Victoria. Amongst our varied activities we
organise an annual Dante Alighieri Poetry Recitation and Literary
Competition for Secondary schools and a Poster competition for Primary
schools. These attract approximately 4500 students from primary and
secondary schools throughout Victoria. We also offer conversation
classes for VCE students throughout Victoria and generally assist
students in their preparation for their final oral examination in Italian. We
are a self-funded society that operates through member contributions
and voluntary work.
Through the opportunities we provide and through the committed
work that we do with school students, we are in close contact with
the spirited young ones who appear to pursue Italian with a zealous
and keen enthusiasm. It is a real bonus to us to observe many Prep to
Year 12 students seeming to enjoy the benefits of communicating in
Italian with other Italian-speaking people, in addition to strengthening
a better understanding of their own language and culture, through
the comparisons that they can make for themselves with the Italian
language and culture. It is no surprise to us that their skills in the
English language, for example, are enhanced and enriched through their
learning of Italian. Sadly, we have noted that over the years there is a
declining representation from public schools to our competitions and
this we deduce is not due to disinterest from teachers but because of
insufficient or reduced funds for the teaching of Italian.
We believe that currently there is no provision of adequate funding for
the teaching of Italian within the National Curriculum. Italian as a second
language has a unique place in Australia. Over one million Australians
are of Italian descent; statistically making it the most popular second
language taught in Australia. Consistently over the last 20 years it has
been one of the main languages other than English (LOTE) taught in
public and private schools. Notably, Italian is the most widely studied
language outside the formal school system and it attracts significant
enrolments to recognized educational institutions such as: Victorian
School of Languages; Centre of Italian Studies; Co. As. It. (Italian
10
Community Assistance), and Associazione Culturale L’Aurora who hold
classes after school hours or on Saturday morning. In many cases,
Italian is not available to these students in their schools. These centres,
along with our own Dante classes, also offer support for VCE studies.
In Australia, the Italian language holds a unique cultural profile; it
exposes the Australian community to Italy’s rich history; her art; her
music and literature and it happens that many people in their adult years
also seek to enrich their knowledge by studying the language. Italian has
in fact, the largest number of adult students who pursue such learning
not only for cultural enrichment, but for communication and travel. It is
a proven educational fact that learning a language in the school years
can give learners basic competencies for learning many languages later
on in life.
In the world, Australia holds a unique reputation for its multiculturalism.
Italian has a primary role within this multicultural context. It is evident
in all cultural aspects including food, wine and enjoyment of film
and the arts that the linguistic element must not be lost because that
specifically enhances the total enjoyment and appreciation of the
cultural experiences.
Our Australian history and our connectedness to Italian families who
have lived, worked and contributed to the development of this country
is significant and must always be recognised. Maintaining the language
in the schools is an important link between students, the history of
Australia and their ancestry.
Commercially, there are numerous reasons for maintaining the Italian
language. Australia has a good trading relationship with Italy and the
European markets. Economically it is the 6th trading partner in the
world. Italy can also be the inroad for Australian companies to enter
the European market. Australia has already acted as the intermediary
for Italian companies entering into Asia. Therefore, there is so much
potential and enormous prospects for students of Italian in their future
working life.
Italian is a language that is sustainable and one that can offer its
students success, as it is one of the easiest languages to learn because
it is phonetic and because it connects with English through cognates.
It is sustainable because in Australia we have an excellent resource of
teachers with expertise in the classroom, who are qualified, experienced
and passionate. The availability of past funding to schools has been
able to provide resource materials that support our teachers. It has
also created a network of teachers who have learnt the language in
Australia and whose methodology is innovative, current and successful.
Unfortunately funding has diminished greatly through the years and
given instead to Asian languages; therefore, the proportion of the
money allocated and the students studying the Asian languages has not
proven to be of equal value. Italian on the other hand has continued on
a steady level despite lack of funding.
We ask that you hear our concerns and that you consider making
direct funding for Italian so that its retention is assured in the National
Curriculum. We strongly believe that maintaining the existence of Italian
in schools has many potential future benefits both for its learners and
for Australia.
We look forward to your comments in the earliest time possible.
Yours sincerely
Dr. Domenic Barbaro AM
President and on behalf of Dante Alighieri Society, Melbourne Branch
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Thank you to Gabriella Gomersall and Il Globo for always keeping the Italian community informed of the Society’s activities.
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
11
Dante Alighieri Society (Melbourne) — 114 years 1896–2010
On Sunday the 22nd of August, we had the pleasure of being
part of a delicious luncheon to celebrate the 114th Anniversary
of the Dante Alighieri Society (Melbourne) (11 August 1896).
The venue was an iconic Italian restaurant, Zia Teresa located
in Lygon Street Carlton. The food was “casalinga” style and
it was very delicious displaying Italian regional cooking. The
ambience was warm and comfortable and this was enhanced
by the friendly and relaxed mood of the guests.
The President Dr. Domenic Barbaro made us all feel very
welcome. He introduced special guests including the Italian
Consul General and our guest speaker Dr. Brigid Maher who
presented us with interesting thoughts and aspects of her
translation of the book: “La casa in Via Manno” (Mal di Pietre).
In total, it was a pleasant Sunday afternoon amongst members
and catching up with friends and acquaintances.
Sara and Anthony Moate, and Vito Cassisi
Emilia and Kerry Fields
Mario and Alda Bramante
Kerry and Emilia Fields
Patrizia Benincasa and Francesca DiMattina
George and Susan Santoro
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Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Melbourne — 175 years 30th August 1835 – 30th August 2010
And then came the collapse. Over-speculation in land followed by rural
drought lead to the Depression of the 1890s. Banks and many small
companies closed, thousands of people lost their jobs and savings, and
almost no new buildings were erected until 1900.
The new century ushered in the Federation of Australia with Melbourne
as its capital until 1927. Electricity transformed the city. Electric street
lighting, electric trams, theatres and cinemas, like the State Theatre,
dramatically increased the numbers of people coming into the central
business district for work and leisure. Building resumed but restrictions
were now imposed. A fear of congestion and the model of Paris as a
well-planned city led to the setting of height limits. Overall, a uniform
profile prevailed but new reinforced concrete buildings began to
dominate the skyline that was once the province of spires and domes.
“This will be the place for a village”, declared John Batman when in
1835 he found, six miles up the Yarra, good deep water and gently
sloping wooded land suitable for settlement and his pastoral interests.
Others before him had not stayed but Batman negotiated with the local
aboriginals exchanging looking glasses, scissors, clothing and blankets
for land. At the same time, John Pascoe Fawkner was also engaged in
finding more pastoral land. These squatters on Crown land began the
fledgling unauthorised European settlement called Bearbrass.
Authorities in New South Wales were infuriated by the rogue settlement
but Governor Bourke, the administrator responsible for the colonies,
bowed to the inevitable and legitimised the Port Phillip settlement in
1837. By this time there were about 100 houses clustered around the
port area on the river. Surveyor Robert Hoddle drew up the plans for the
new city to be called Melbourne after the Prime Minister of England. It
was never a haphazard settlement but rather a carefully-planned city.
Hoddle’s rectangular grid had 32 x 10-acre blocks that began at the
river. The streets of Hoddle Grid were to be 30 metres (99 feet) wide
and 200 metres (660 feet) apart. Large areas of land around this were
set aside for Government use and for parks and gardens. But 1842
there were more than 1000 buildings and all the major urban functions
were in place.
Melbourne was officially declared a city by Queen Victoria in 1847.
The State of Victoria was proclaimed in 1851, and Melbourne became
the capital city. There were more than 80,000, mainly British people
living in Victoria and of these, 20,000 were in Melbourne. Gold changed
everything. In 1851 the discovery of the largest gold nugget the world
had ever seen led to the Victorian Gold Rush. Melbourne’s population
grew seven-fold in a decade. British, Europeans, Californians, Irish
and Chinese flocked to Melbourne bringing with them new skills and
lifestyles, egalitarian attitudes and radical ideas such as Unionism, “a
fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay” and the right for women to vote.
Over the next ten years the Victorian goldfields produced on third of
the world’s gold and by 1885 this wealth brought to Melbourne such
a building boom and such optimism that the city became known as
“Marvellous Melbourne”. Dynamic entrepreneurs like Frederick Sargood
built grand, elegant homes, stores, industrial enterprises and public
buildings. Melbourne wanted to show the world how wealthy, grand and
civilised she was and it is at this time that some of the great classical
buildings, Parliament House, Exhibition Building and St. Patrick’s
Cathedral, were constructed. Gold funded the important institutions like
Melbourne University, The National Gallery and the National Museum.
Even today, Melbourne is considered the cultural capital of the nation.
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
The two world wars and the intervening Depression changed Melbourne
once more. Thousands of Melburnians had enlisted and many lost
their lives in foreign countries. Women had to enter the workforce in
large numbers and developed skills in many new areas. A shortage
of labour and building materials meant that there were comparatively
few new buildings constructed. Exceptions were the wonderful Art
Deco buildings, Manchester Unity, Myer’s, G.J Coles and Russell Street
Police Headquarters.
Melbourne’s cultural diversity also changed after the war. British
immigrants came but thousands of others too, from Yugoslavia,
Germany, the Netherlands and Malta. Many arrived as “assisted
migrants”, passages paid for by the Australian Government. Immigrants
from Greece and Italy in the 1950s and 1960s joined those who had
come earlier in the century. The 1970s and 1980s also brought Asian
migrants to Melbourne. As in previous times, Melbourne benefited from
the new ideas, energy and optimism of the newcomers.
The post-war glass and steel high-rise buildings changed Melbourne’s
skyline forever. In the mid 1970s there had been a very strong
public voice to protect fine city buildings like the Windsor hotel, and
streetscapes such as Collins Street. Although some were demolished,
Melbourne today is one of the few cities to have retained much of
its original Victorian architecture. By the twenty-first century, towers
in excess of 50 storeys were appearing around the fringe of the retail
centre.
Shopping in the retail core declined during the 1970s as large onestop shopping centres and malls developed in the suburbs. This trend
was reversed during the mid-1980s when residential apartments that
included supermarkets, improved public transport, and entertainment
areas brought people into the city once more. People now sat under
their umbrellas and leafy trees at footpath cafés. In 1990 there were
only 1000 bars and cafés in central Melbourne but by 2002 there were
18,000.
Batman’s decision that this would be “the place for a village” proved
to be fortuitous. Melbourne is ideally sited; its position at the head of a
deeply indented bay places it almost in the centre of its region. In the
first 50 years of European settlement, the patterns of Melbourne’s future
development were set, patterns recognisable in the twenty-first century.
Today, more than 160 different nationalities make up Melbourne’s
population of 4 million.
excerpt from “Melbourne – Then and Now”, by Heather Chapman and
Judith Stillman (Thunder Bay Press, 2005).
13
Upcoming Events
16th September
Literary & Poster Competition Awards Night
7pm -9pm
Public Lecture Theatre, Old Arts Building, University of Melbourne.
6th October
“Caravaggio”
presenter: Dr. Tommaso Durante
8th October
“ALIAS”
presentation Night of Literary awards.
11th October
“Forme Uniche di Continuita` nello Spazio”
Italian Institute of Culture : Domain Rd Sth. Yarra. 7 pm
Celebrating the power of musical composition mingled with the
strength of the Italian language. Presenter: Rosaria Lo Russo.
23-29 October
Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel mondo
See the Italian Institute of Culture website for further information
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Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010
15
Books that come highly recommended
The House In Via Manno — Milena Agus, translated by Brigid Maher
In this magical, jewel-like novel, a young Sardinian woman explores the life of her Nonna. Her
romantic, beautiful, and somewhat crazy grandmother. Nonna is an unforgettable character whose
life spans much of the twentieth century. A dreamer with fierce loyalties and unbridles passions,
we follow her search for perfect love to an ending both surprising and profound. Along the way,
against the stunning Sardinian landscape of cities, marinas and mountains, we meet the members
of her large family, and the mysterious Veteran, the man of her dreams - each on drawn with
warmth, humour and deep insight. Milena Agus writes of family loves and secrets, of sexuality, of
music, and of the harsh realities of war and migration in twentieth-century Europe in a powerful,
compelling, and yet whimsical voice. A best-seller in Europe, The House in Via Manno introduces
Milena Agus to the English-speaking readers in this sparkling translation by Brigid Maher.
Mal di Pietre — Milena Agus; published by Nottetempo, Rome, 2006
The Countesses of Castello — Milena Agus, translated by Brigid Maher
published by Scribe in bookshops from October. Translated from the original italian book titled La
Contessa di Ricotta. Three sisters live in three flats in an aristocratic palazzo in Cagliari’s ancient
Castello quarter. The eldest, Noemi, dreams of lost splendours, while the second, Maddalena,
dreams of having a child. The third, known as Countess Ricotta “because she’s clumsy — she’s
got ricotta hands — and because everything about the real world hurts her weak heart, which is
also made of ricotta”, dreams of love. Countess Ricotta is the only one with a child, Carlino, a little
livewire and a fine pianist.
Last of the Braves — Archimede Fusillo
Alex is a young Australian-Italian teenage boy living in Melbourne. He has just turned 18. He is
gay. His uncle is a small-time gangster. His mother is dying. Alex feels the weight of his mother’s
expectations on him, her obsession with Caravaggio and her own lost dreams fall heavily on his
great talent as an artist. The pressures of life become to much for Alex and he goes off the rails,
using violence and stealing as an outlet and a message to his family. Can Alex come to terms with
his mother’s death, his relationships with his family, and his acceptance of who he really is? An
authentic and fascinating slice of Australia-Italian life, Last of the Braves is woven with a wealth of
themes and issues, including growing up, family life, responsibility, relationships, death, respect,
caring, grandparents and homosexuality. In this prototypal of a teenager struggling to find his voice
Archimede Fusillo captures the impact of family on a young person in a vivid and moving way, also
exploring the relevance of Caravaggio’s art and life.
Something to Delcare: A Memoir — Sir James Gobbo
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Dante Aligheri Society - Melbourne Branch - Agosto 2010