Gavino Arru arrived in Australia July 1st, 1955 on the ship Paolo Toscanelli. He was living with a family friend. He went back to Italy for a holiday in December 1962, returning to Australia in 1963. In 1964 he was living in Jutland Avenue, Wollongong and he became an Australian Citizen, acquiring Naturalisation.
In 1967 Gavino was living at 11 Auburn Street, Wollongong. It was boarding house business that he purchased, though his listed profession was `Truck Driver`. The boarding house was for men only. Up to 10 men were living there at any given time. Part of his role as boarding house proprietor was to provide meals for the boarders. He had a garage set up out the back that was used as a dedicated dining room where he provided the lodgers their dinners ect.
Gavino would also have friends and other guests over for a meal and pretty soon he had a small makeshift restaurant/eatery happening at the garage of his house in Auburn Street. By 1972 it was functioning like a normal restaurant of the day, only without a liquor licence. He did however provide guests with complimentary red wine on the tables as part of the meal. The local council wanted to acquire his land for the use of a car park. Gavino accepted and was given 12 months grace of finding a suitable venue to relocate to.
Rosina Silveri, who everyone knew as Rosa, came to Australia in 1959 to marry her husband Giovanni, by proxy. Giovanni had arrived in Australia in 1956 on the 27th of June by plane. A trip that took approximately three - four days. He lived in Cringila and got a job at the steel works.
Around 1962 Rosa was looking for work. She and her husband Giovanni now had a small child and Giovanni was injured in a work place accident. With no money coming in Rosa needed to become the breadwinner. Rosa, who spoke no English, approached Lola Comelli, who was part owner of the Capri Restaurant in Wentworth Street, Port Kembla. Lola employed Rosa to work in the kitchen. Her role at the Capri was helping with the food preparation as well as dishwashing. A role she did full time.
Rosa was working extremely hard trying to balance life as a mother of a toddler whilst working full time with a husband at home who was not well. She would also take restaurant linen home and at night she would wash, bleach and press the linen for use on a daily basis. She had a lot on her plate.
The Capri Restaurant ( Taverna Capri) opened around 1958. It was previously a cafe/trattoria style eatery owned by Lidia Lebrocchi. It was purchased in a joint partnership by Giovanni Comelli and Domenico Sardella. They changed the whole dynamic of the restaurant which included a bar and a stage for a band with dancing at the restaurant on the weekends. It became an extremely busy place opening for both lunch and dinner with a diverse clientele as many people who worked at the steelworks would also come for lunch whilst others would dine at night such as couples and families.
Some years later the Capri Restaurant was sold and the Comelli family opened another restaurant in Crown Street, Wollongong called Frascati. At Frascati it was busy and largely patrionised by the Italian community. Many functions happened there as well such as christenings, engagements ect. Rosa stayed on at the Capri for a short while before eventually joining Lola at the Frascati restaurant. Rosa was back in the kitchen but sometimes would work front of house on the floor and behind the bar, eventually moving to front of house. Rosa spent a total of six years at the Capri.
Gavino Arru often frequented the Frascati and noticed the work that Rosa was doing. Rosa was still working full time as her husband was still unwell at home. Their son was now 12 years old and it was 1972. Gavino approached Rosa asking her if she would like to work for him at his restaurant in Auburn Street. He offered Rosa more money and because she was the only one working she took up his offer.
Soon Rosa began working with Gavino, but this time she was back in the kitchen, along with another woman. Gavino was the sauce maker and would also be in charge of cooking the roasts of pork and veal. He often served on the floor as well. Over time Rosa`s mother Bice would work in the kitchen too. Bice came to Australia in 1963, Feb 9, with her two sons Domenico and Adamo. She joined her husband Gino who arrived around 1961. There were two other women working in various roles along with another waitress. Four women in total were in the kitchen.
The restaurant could seat over 100 people opening everyday lunch and dinner. They ran small functions including weddings and christenings and some private parties. Eventually, they would close one day per week.
Gavino`s restaurant at his Auburn Street home didn`t have a registered name but people knew of it all the same. Locals dined there along with many community service people such as council staff, policemen, hospital workers and the general public who just loved the food. Typical Italian pasta dishes were available, meats and sides. The Auburn Street restaurant was a fun place to be. They even had a jukebox!
In those days the restaurant was very basic in its style with good food and a great atmosphere, they were always filling the tables. They often served more than one course but they didn`t change the cutlery, it wasn`t a thing they did back then. One of their regular customers remarked how they had to eat with a greasy fork for their next course. That remark would later come to serve Gavino. He would register the name Greasy Fork as a restaurant name. The name started in Auburn St. At the beginning there was no written menu, whatever was the special of the day, was the menu they served.
With the Auburn Street property now sold to the council Gavino along with three other staff members purchased a property in Kenny Street, Wollongong. The property consisted of two houses side by side. Gavino purchased one of the houses to live in. The other he purchased along with three other staff members to be the new restaurant. The new restaurant was called Gavino`s. It was a complete change from the Auburn Street eatery. It had a bar, a dance floor complete with stage for the band. Gavino also hired a head chef and Rosa was front of house and on the bar.
Everything was ready as they planned their opening and because of the move, they really weren`t expecting many people but what they were not prepared for was the amount of people who actually did show up! The opening didn`t go well at all! They were understaffed on the day and the customers were unhappy as they were waiting and the service was not up to par. Gavino struggled with what to do, so he up and left and went to the beach leaving the whole service up to two people on the floor, Rosa and another waitress as well as three in the kitchen. It just so happened that a friend of Gavino`s (who was a Policeman) also came to the restaurant. Seeing what was happening he spoke to the unhappy customers and explained the situation and managed to calm them down. The restaurant staff managed to push through with Gavino eventually returning to help out. It was a long day indeed.
The menu consisted of freshly made Pasta dishes such as tagliatelle, gnocchi and lasagna, poultry, roast veal and pork and a selection of desserts. The restaurant was attended well over the course. It was also fully licensed.
Gavino`s restaurant was doing very well, busy with customers, functions, weddings and Saturday night dancing. The same ladies from the Auburn Street, restaurant were also working at Gavino`s. It was coming into the year`s end of 1973 and Rosa`s youngest brother Adamo passed away November 29. Adamo was only 23 years old. It was all too much for her mother Bice, who was still working in the kitchen at the time. She made the decision to no longer work after the passing of her son.
Gavino decided to put the restaurant up for sale and in 1974 Camillo Sacco purchased Gavino`s restaurant. The restaurant was now called Don Camillo`s. It was also very successful. After the sale of the restaurant Gavino returned to Italy with the intention of staying. He wanted to open a restaurant in his home town, but the local council would not pass it. It was very upsetting for him. On October 22nd of that year, almost a year after the losing her brother, Rosa`s husband Giovanni passed away after a long illness. He was 40.
Around 1975 Rosa was working in a local Asian restaurant and Gavino came back to Australia. He decided to go into business again and found a new venture. He approached Bice to see if she was interested in working with him, she agreed. Together they purchased a boarding house that was situated in Gladstone Avenue, Wollongong. Bice would work in the kitchen providing the in-house meals for the boarders and they also had one lady who would help with the housekeeping. The boarding house would have up to 20 people at a time staying there.
At the boarding house, on the lower floor, they joined two rooms to use as the dining area to provide meals for the lodgers. This worked out well, but as with the Auburn Street property this dining room somehow ended up welcoming friends, family and the many people Gavino knew who worked in the community. As more and more people wanted to dine there, organically it became a small eatery that Gavino found himself running. It prompted him to think about another restaurant.
Underneath the boarding house was a huge carport with many of the rooms on the floor above. The carport was almost the length of the building. Gavino came up with an idea of enclosing it and building a large restaurant. With the current dining room on the same level, it could also be part of the restaurant. With the help of a good carpenter and council approval the Greasy Fork was born. The name that he heard years ago at his Auburn Street restaurant.
The Greasy Fork was a fun place to go to. It was well attended by so many in the Wollongong area. It could seat at least 150 people. The Greasy Fork was known for its great food but more importantly was the red wine on the tables with lemonade, part of the meal complimentary. It was one of the draw cards. So many functions and parties, end of year celebrations, couples, families and those who just wanted to enjoy the experience. It was a happy place. Rosa was back at the helm working on the floor and helping out in the kitchen if need be. Opening hours for the Greasy Fork was 7 days, lunch and dinner initially. Eventually Sunday and Monday`s the restaurant closed. The restaurant made their signature dishes that included classic pasta. Using kilos of flour every day to make fresh pasta with trays of Lasagna made weekly.
Their signature dessert were strawberries soaked in Rosso Antico (a classic red Italian Vermouth), Tia Maria (a coffee, vanilla and rum liqueur), with sugar and lemon juice. It was a hit and they sold a lot of it! Desserts also included Italian gelato and cheese cake. All the while the boarding house was still operating. In 1979 Rosa and Gavino were married.
Gavino sold The Greasy Fork in the mid 1980`s. He had a small break before opening another restaurant in Wentworth Street, Port Kembla. It was the site of the former ANZ Bank. The restaurant was again called Gavino`s. Situated on the main street it had a mezzanine level as well. It was always busy opening for both lunch and dinner. Gavino`s staff came with him including Rosa`s son and his wife, who also worked at the restaurant. After approximately 4 years, Gavino sold his restaurant to head chef Benito. In 1990 Rosa`s mother Bice passed away on March 30. She was 70. The following year Rosa`s father Gino passed away June 21. He was 75.
Gavino and Rosa had now both retired from the restaurant industry. They spent a lot of their time travelling. Quite often they would stay in Italy for six months at a time, enjoying their life.
Gavino Arru passed away Feb 4, 2009 at age 76. Rosa loves to spend time with family and friends and has 2 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
In 1967 Gavino was living at 11 Auburn Street, Wollongong. It was boarding house business that he purchased, though his listed profession was `Truck Driver`. The boarding house was for men only. Up to 10 men were living there at any given time. Part of his role as boarding house proprietor was to provide meals for the boarders. He had a garage set up out the back that was used as a dedicated dining room where he provided the lodgers their dinners ect.
Gavino would also have friends and other guests over for a meal and pretty soon he had a small makeshift restaurant/eatery happening at the garage of his house in Auburn Street. By 1972 it was functioning like a normal restaurant of the day, only without a liquor licence. He did however provide guests with complimentary red wine on the tables as part of the meal. The local council wanted to acquire his land for the use of a car park. Gavino accepted and was given 12 months grace of finding a suitable venue to relocate to.
Rosina Silveri, who everyone knew as Rosa, came to Australia in 1959 to marry her husband Giovanni, by proxy. Giovanni had arrived in Australia in 1956 on the 27th of June by plane. A trip that took approximately three - four days. He lived in Cringila and got a job at the steel works.
Around 1962 Rosa was looking for work. She and her husband Giovanni now had a small child and Giovanni was injured in a work place accident. With no money coming in Rosa needed to become the breadwinner. Rosa, who spoke no English, approached Lola Comelli, who was part owner of the Capri Restaurant in Wentworth Street, Port Kembla. Lola employed Rosa to work in the kitchen. Her role at the Capri was helping with the food preparation as well as dishwashing. A role she did full time.
Rosa was working extremely hard trying to balance life as a mother of a toddler whilst working full time with a husband at home who was not well. She would also take restaurant linen home and at night she would wash, bleach and press the linen for use on a daily basis. She had a lot on her plate.
The Capri Restaurant ( Taverna Capri) opened around 1958. It was previously a cafe/trattoria style eatery owned by Lidia Lebrocchi. It was purchased in a joint partnership by Giovanni Comelli and Domenico Sardella. They changed the whole dynamic of the restaurant which included a bar and a stage for a band with dancing at the restaurant on the weekends. It became an extremely busy place opening for both lunch and dinner with a diverse clientele as many people who worked at the steelworks would also come for lunch whilst others would dine at night such as couples and families.
Some years later the Capri Restaurant was sold and the Comelli family opened another restaurant in Crown Street, Wollongong called Frascati. At Frascati it was busy and largely patrionised by the Italian community. Many functions happened there as well such as christenings, engagements ect. Rosa stayed on at the Capri for a short while before eventually joining Lola at the Frascati restaurant. Rosa was back in the kitchen but sometimes would work front of house on the floor and behind the bar, eventually moving to front of house. Rosa spent a total of six years at the Capri.
Gavino Arru often frequented the Frascati and noticed the work that Rosa was doing. Rosa was still working full time as her husband was still unwell at home. Their son was now 12 years old and it was 1972. Gavino approached Rosa asking her if she would like to work for him at his restaurant in Auburn Street. He offered Rosa more money and because she was the only one working she took up his offer.
Soon Rosa began working with Gavino, but this time she was back in the kitchen, along with another woman. Gavino was the sauce maker and would also be in charge of cooking the roasts of pork and veal. He often served on the floor as well. Over time Rosa`s mother Bice would work in the kitchen too. Bice came to Australia in 1963, Feb 9, with her two sons Domenico and Adamo. She joined her husband Gino who arrived around 1961. There were two other women working in various roles along with another waitress. Four women in total were in the kitchen.
The restaurant could seat over 100 people opening everyday lunch and dinner. They ran small functions including weddings and christenings and some private parties. Eventually, they would close one day per week.
Gavino`s restaurant at his Auburn Street home didn`t have a registered name but people knew of it all the same. Locals dined there along with many community service people such as council staff, policemen, hospital workers and the general public who just loved the food. Typical Italian pasta dishes were available, meats and sides. The Auburn Street restaurant was a fun place to be. They even had a jukebox!
In those days the restaurant was very basic in its style with good food and a great atmosphere, they were always filling the tables. They often served more than one course but they didn`t change the cutlery, it wasn`t a thing they did back then. One of their regular customers remarked how they had to eat with a greasy fork for their next course. That remark would later come to serve Gavino. He would register the name Greasy Fork as a restaurant name. The name started in Auburn St. At the beginning there was no written menu, whatever was the special of the day, was the menu they served.
With the Auburn Street property now sold to the council Gavino along with three other staff members purchased a property in Kenny Street, Wollongong. The property consisted of two houses side by side. Gavino purchased one of the houses to live in. The other he purchased along with three other staff members to be the new restaurant. The new restaurant was called Gavino`s. It was a complete change from the Auburn Street eatery. It had a bar, a dance floor complete with stage for the band. Gavino also hired a head chef and Rosa was front of house and on the bar.
Everything was ready as they planned their opening and because of the move, they really weren`t expecting many people but what they were not prepared for was the amount of people who actually did show up! The opening didn`t go well at all! They were understaffed on the day and the customers were unhappy as they were waiting and the service was not up to par. Gavino struggled with what to do, so he up and left and went to the beach leaving the whole service up to two people on the floor, Rosa and another waitress as well as three in the kitchen. It just so happened that a friend of Gavino`s (who was a Policeman) also came to the restaurant. Seeing what was happening he spoke to the unhappy customers and explained the situation and managed to calm them down. The restaurant staff managed to push through with Gavino eventually returning to help out. It was a long day indeed.
The menu consisted of freshly made Pasta dishes such as tagliatelle, gnocchi and lasagna, poultry, roast veal and pork and a selection of desserts. The restaurant was attended well over the course. It was also fully licensed.
Gavino`s restaurant was doing very well, busy with customers, functions, weddings and Saturday night dancing. The same ladies from the Auburn Street, restaurant were also working at Gavino`s. It was coming into the year`s end of 1973 and Rosa`s youngest brother Adamo passed away November 29. Adamo was only 23 years old. It was all too much for her mother Bice, who was still working in the kitchen at the time. She made the decision to no longer work after the passing of her son.
Gavino decided to put the restaurant up for sale and in 1974 Camillo Sacco purchased Gavino`s restaurant. The restaurant was now called Don Camillo`s. It was also very successful. After the sale of the restaurant Gavino returned to Italy with the intention of staying. He wanted to open a restaurant in his home town, but the local council would not pass it. It was very upsetting for him. On October 22nd of that year, almost a year after the losing her brother, Rosa`s husband Giovanni passed away after a long illness. He was 40.
Around 1975 Rosa was working in a local Asian restaurant and Gavino came back to Australia. He decided to go into business again and found a new venture. He approached Bice to see if she was interested in working with him, she agreed. Together they purchased a boarding house that was situated in Gladstone Avenue, Wollongong. Bice would work in the kitchen providing the in-house meals for the boarders and they also had one lady who would help with the housekeeping. The boarding house would have up to 20 people at a time staying there.
At the boarding house, on the lower floor, they joined two rooms to use as the dining area to provide meals for the lodgers. This worked out well, but as with the Auburn Street property this dining room somehow ended up welcoming friends, family and the many people Gavino knew who worked in the community. As more and more people wanted to dine there, organically it became a small eatery that Gavino found himself running. It prompted him to think about another restaurant.
Underneath the boarding house was a huge carport with many of the rooms on the floor above. The carport was almost the length of the building. Gavino came up with an idea of enclosing it and building a large restaurant. With the current dining room on the same level, it could also be part of the restaurant. With the help of a good carpenter and council approval the Greasy Fork was born. The name that he heard years ago at his Auburn Street restaurant.
The Greasy Fork was a fun place to go to. It was well attended by so many in the Wollongong area. It could seat at least 150 people. The Greasy Fork was known for its great food but more importantly was the red wine on the tables with lemonade, part of the meal complimentary. It was one of the draw cards. So many functions and parties, end of year celebrations, couples, families and those who just wanted to enjoy the experience. It was a happy place. Rosa was back at the helm working on the floor and helping out in the kitchen if need be. Opening hours for the Greasy Fork was 7 days, lunch and dinner initially. Eventually Sunday and Monday`s the restaurant closed. The restaurant made their signature dishes that included classic pasta. Using kilos of flour every day to make fresh pasta with trays of Lasagna made weekly.
Their signature dessert were strawberries soaked in Rosso Antico (a classic red Italian Vermouth), Tia Maria (a coffee, vanilla and rum liqueur), with sugar and lemon juice. It was a hit and they sold a lot of it! Desserts also included Italian gelato and cheese cake. All the while the boarding house was still operating. In 1979 Rosa and Gavino were married.
Gavino sold The Greasy Fork in the mid 1980`s. He had a small break before opening another restaurant in Wentworth Street, Port Kembla. It was the site of the former ANZ Bank. The restaurant was again called Gavino`s. Situated on the main street it had a mezzanine level as well. It was always busy opening for both lunch and dinner. Gavino`s staff came with him including Rosa`s son and his wife, who also worked at the restaurant. After approximately 4 years, Gavino sold his restaurant to head chef Benito. In 1990 Rosa`s mother Bice passed away on March 30. She was 70. The following year Rosa`s father Gino passed away June 21. He was 75.
Gavino and Rosa had now both retired from the restaurant industry. They spent a lot of their time travelling. Quite often they would stay in Italy for six months at a time, enjoying their life.
Gavino Arru passed away Feb 4, 2009 at age 76. Rosa loves to spend time with family and friends and has 2 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.
Chef Benito at the Kenny Street restaurant.
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Preparations for a large function at the Greasy Fork, Coniston.
All images from the collection belonging to Rosa Arru
