ITALIANS OF WOLLONGONG: ELSIE DAL SANTO

Elsie Dal Santo was born May 10, 1928, in Lithgow, NSW. Her father Gino arrived in Australia in 1925 aboard the ship Regina D`Italia and her mother Caterina arrived in Australia in 1927 aboard the ship Orvieto.

Gino settle in Lithgow and got a job in the mine. He worked for approximately 12 months as a miner and then the family moved to Surry Hills in Sydney. Gino got a job as a gardener/caretaker. Gino and Caterina`s second child, Ugo Dal Santo, was born in 1929.

When Elsie was two and half years old, Gino came down to Balgownie, hoping to find work at the Port Kembla Steelworks, but the jobs were scarce. Whilst the family stayed in Balgownie, Gino headed by train to Queensland looking for work. Once he found work he called for Caterina and the children, who then headed for Queensland to be with him. Gino got a job on a sugar cane farm working as a roustabout and Caterina also worked there, in the kitchen, cooking for the employees and the owners. Elsie was now five years old.

The family stayed in Queensland for four years before Gino and the family went back to Sydney, NSW. Gino and Caterina bought a shop in Balmain, a mixed business that sold take away hot food items as well, with the family living upstairs. They had the shop for 14 months before selling, as Elsie was a sleep walker and fell down the stairs, leaving her black and blue.

The family came down to Tarrawanna in 1938 and Gino rented a house on the Princes Highway, Corrimal. After six months Gino purchased the house next door that was situated in Short Street. It was now 1939 and Gino returned to the mine at Mt Kembla. The house in Short Street backed onto the Princes Highway.

Gino applied for permission to build a shop front on his land that faced the Highway. Permission was granted and the bricks arrived, but the work halted due to the commencement of WW2.

Elsie went to the local primary school at Corrimal. She loved to play sports and was very good at it. Elsie played Vigoro (a game that was similar to Cricket) and basketball, where she represented the district. At different stages throughout her school years, Elsie played Netball, Vigoro, Tennis, Athletics and did Horse riding, all on the weekends

At high school Elsie continued with sports and she learned to sew. She would become quite the sewer. Elsie left school when she was 15 years old. She had several odd jobs. Occasionally she would help out at the Fazzolare Brothers fruit shop, early morning on the weekends. She then got a job for six months at the Streets ice cream factory that was situated across the road from where she lived.

When Elsie was 16, her friend told her about a job vacancy with Mrs Kenny, in Gladstone Avenue, Wollongong. Mrs Kenny, who was a dress maker, had approximately 6 employees and was looking for staff. Once Elsie started her new job, she enrolled at the Technical College and took a dressmaking course for six months.

Elsie worked for Mrs Kenny for approximately two years. Elsie, with two of her friends, got jobs working for Bramsen`s mens wear at Corrimal, making trousers and doing alterations.

Whilst working for Bramsen`s, Elsie and Marion commenced making dresses. As they got busier with dress making and everyday wear, they began making ball gowns and wedding gowns. Elise and Marion did a whole range of dress making.

One of the first wedding dresses that Elsie remembers them making was of a parachute silk fabric that was brought back from New Guinea after the war. They also did the bridesmaids dresses for that wedding, which were made from Taffeta.

One of the girls left Bramsen`s and only Elsie and her friend Marion remained. Soon after, they both left Bramsen`s and got jobs in a rubber factory. Marion continued working there and Elsie went back to dressmaking at home. Elsie also had a part time job as an usherette at the Strand Picture Theatre, Railway Street, Corrimal.   In the meantime, Gino went back to building the shop on his land in Corrimal, as the war was over and he had permission to commence. In 1949 the shop was finally finished and open for business. It was a Habaerdshery and Crockery Store. Elsie ran the store and had room to sew. She made everyday wear, evening and wedding dresses.

They sold crockery dinner sets and ornaments. Caterina, Elsie`s mother, was the one who wanted to sell the crockery and she looked after that. She also helped Elsie with the dressmaking side. In the shop they also sold fabric to the public. In the shop they never sold the wedding dress material. The customers had to organise that themselves.

Elsie often went to the warehouses in Sydney to purchase the fabric for the shop. When Elsie ordered the fabric, she would get it delivered by rail to Corrimal Railway Station, awaiting for pickup by the delivery driver, Mr Larkin, who would then deliver it to the shop.

In 1952, at the age of 23, Elsie married James Fairfax. Elise took on the task of making her own wedding dress and what a task it was! Elise’s wedding dress consisted of 42 yards of fabric, which is approximately 38.5 meters. Her wedding dress had a massive train at the back and the fabric was Chantilly lace with silver thread throughout . The stiffened underskirts of the dress were made of buckram. Buckram is a fabric that is usually soaked in a starch to make it stiff. The dress itself was also fully lined with taffeta. The dress was stunning and also extremely heavy. When Elsie was photographed in the studio in her wedding gown, the photographer had to scrunch up the skirt and the train of her dress because it wouldn’t fit in the (small) room.

Elsie and James moved in with Elsie’s parents in Corrimal. In 1955 Elsie closed the shop as her first child Louise was born. Elsie didn’t do any dressmaking at this time. When Louise was 18 months old Elsie and James moved into their newly built house in Caldwell Avenue, Tarrawanna. At their Caldwell avenue home, Elsie had a room at the back for her dressmaking.

In 1957, whilst pregnant with her second child, Elsie resumed her dressmaking. Elsie felt quite awful with her second pregnancy and many times her mother would be sitting on the floor pinning dresses, as Elsie had to sit up all the time. Elsie and James lived in Caldwell Avenue for approximately 13 years before moving into their newly built home in Thurston Crescent, Corrimal. She was also closer to her parents, who were just up the road.

As well as general dressmaking, Elsie made wedding dresses, bridesmaids dresses, the going away dress and many times they mother of the bride dress. She did the whole package. Over the years, from when she starting at the shop, Elsie made many dresses. She made quite a few wedding and bridesmaid dresses for those who were married at the Luccarda Wedding Reception Centre.

She started to make many more dresses from home and once she had her car licence, Elsie would take the dresses herself to the bride on the day and dress them. Elsie also made wedding dresses for both of her daughters when they married. Louise married in 1977 and Suzette was married in 1982.

In 1976 Elsie`s mother, Caterina, suffered from a stroke. Elsie, who had retired from dressmaking 12 months prior, concentrated on caring for her mother. Elsie cared for both parents. She would often do the cooking, cleaning and even mowing the lawns for her parents. Elsie`s day for her parents would start from 8am till 6pm and then she would go home and care for her own family. Caterina Dal Santo passed away November 8th, 1983. A month later Gino passed away on December 3rd.

Although Elsie officially retired from making wedding dresses in 1975, she occasionally made dresses here and there. The last dress Elsie made was for her daughter Louise. Louise wanted a new dress to attend her nephew`s wedding and had no doubt that Elsie would do a great job, Elsie was 93 years old when she made the dress for Louise.

Elsie Dal Santo made wedding dresses for almost 40 years, that was her life! She was also dedicated to raising her family. When Elsie began sewing she used her mother’s Singer Treadle sewing machine. Eventually, she purchased a Singer industrial sewing machine. Elsie only ever used the one machine for her dress making business. It would usually take about three weeks to make a complete package of a wedding dress, 3 x bridesmaid and a going away dress. Elsie made all her own clothing as well. At age 13, Elsie started slowly making them. By time she was 16 she was making all her own clothes. Elsie never purchased any clothing, except jumpers and coats, ect.

Elsie still lives in her home at Thurston Crescent. At 94 years young, Elsie has a zest for life and is close to her family. Many times you will find her tending to her beautiful garden and caring for her flowers.