THE TAILORS OF WOLLONGONG - PART ONE

FILIPPE D`AURIA,  PAOLO SCOTELLARO & RAIMONDO BRUGNERA

The history of the `Sarto`, the Italian tailor, in Wollongong, was hard to research, as there was little to no information.  The tailor, was one of the trades available to men in Italy and I know that in Calabria, it was one of the three artisan trades available along with shoe maker and barber.  

As a teenager, I remember speaking with my father about where he got his suits from.  Not that he had a lot of them, but the ones that he did have, he wore for many years.  Papa` wasn’t very tall and he got his suits tailor made, and the suits were made by someone called, Filippe.  That’s all I knew.  Filippe, with no last name.  Papa` had this black suit that he always wore to a funeral, wedding or some important event.  It was a black, simple dinner jacket style, and it was lined inside, made in a thick, wool type of material.  I still have the jacket.  It was made sometime in the early 50`s after he first arrived in Australia.  Years later Papa` had a few more suits tailor made by Filippe.  Suits that were beautifully cut, in classic fabrics that looked brand new year after year.

I had also heard of a man called Michael Molino, who was a tailor in Wollongong, and many Italians went to him.  Michael Molino started his business in the 60`s, but that was about the only information that I had. However, I would eventually get to meet Michael Molino in the mid 80`s.

So on my quest to find the Italian tailors of Wollongong, and as I was looking for Filippe and Mr Molino, I found at least 8 more!  In fact, finding out about Filippe, was almost trying to find a needle in a haystack.  As I was researching about another story unrelated, I found the smallest advertisement in a newspaper, and there he was,  Filippe D`auria.  I now had a last name and was able to track down his son.  

Now that I had all these names, I went about searching and researching, looking for relatives.  I was fortunate to have found some family members and relatives who were generous with their knowledge and photos.

FILIPPE D`AURIA

Filippe D`auria arrived in Australia November 13, 1951, aboard the ship Skaubryn. Filippe D`Auria was incredibly lucky to have escaped the concentration camps during the war.  A creative man who was also a skilled musician, having studied at the conservatorium in Italy.  Filippe could also speak several languages with English being one of them, so when he came to Australia his knowledge of the language was advantageous.

As a tailor, he began his business sometime around 1955, at 88 Kembla Street, Wollongong.   He traded under the name P.H.D`auria, and he was known as Phillip.  In 1956 he was operating from a different location in Wollongong.  It was Regent House, in Keira Street. Filippe D`Auria operated out of different locations in the Wollongong area during the course of his career as a tailor.   Towards the end of the 50`s he traded from Wentworth Street, Port Kemba for a short time, before returning to Wollongong in the early 60`s.  He operated from two more locations, one in Crown Street, and the other in Smith Street, before retiring. 

I described to Filippe`s son Paul, my father`s black suit jacket that I believe his father made.  Paul still has two original D`Auria suit jackets, that were lined and had his father’s label on the inside.  Filippe D`Auria was sort out for his quality made suits locally, and also in Sydney, and he used specific fabrics that would hardly crease.  On many occasions he was offered work with other fashion houses.  If he wasn’t making suits, he was playing music with one of the bands that he was part of. He could play various instruments, but he has proficient on the the violin

P.H.D`auria was listed as a tailor right up to the 80`s where he finished out his career.  Filippe traded for nearly 30 years in the Wollongong area.  He passed away on December 24, 1990 at 78 years of age. 

This was the small newspaper advertisement that I found that showed Fillipe`s last name.

  

   Images from the collection belonging to Paul D`auria

PAOLO SCOTELLARO

On the 28th of April, 1952, aboard the ship Napoli, Paolo Scotellaro arrived in Australia.  Paolo was granted assistance to come to Australia provided he did two years of employment as part of the contractable agreement.  Once he had finished the two year contract, he was free to move on. He headed down to Port Kembla to work at the Steel Works and resided at the Migrant Hostel, Unanderra, near Wollongong.

During the time he was at the hostel, he started making suits, and doing alterations almost straight away.  He had a small set up in his room at the hostel.  Paolo also made thermal undergarments.  After he finished at the Steel Works, he began working on the Snowy Mountain scheme.  A huge undertaking that saw many migrant men employed for years to finish the project.  He would do several days work at a time on the scheme.  He would take measurements of individuals and when he had days off, would come back to Wollongong where he lived, make the clothing and when he went back to work on the scheme, he had everything at the ready.  After a short time, Paolo left the scheme ready to be a tailor full time.

Paolo had his tailoring business in several locations over the years.  He was first situated in the Fazzolare Building upstairs circa, 1954.

Paolo studied his trade in Italy.  His older brother Rocco was also a tailor and worked in the north of Italy.  Paolo did his apprenticeship with him. Paolo and Rocco were not the only artisans in the family.  Their father Michele, was a shoe maker with their brother Nino, a barber.  

He operated the small shop upstairs at 50 Crown Street, Wollongong.  It was an elegant store that not only sold and made suits, one could be fitted out with a new shirt, tie, belt and even shoes.  The whole package was available.  Paolo Scotellaro made many a wedding suit for young men from the mid 1950`s.

After a few years, he moved to a bigger location further up at 157 Crown Street.  He expanded his range selling a wider variety of mens clothing that included elegant, casual day wear.  He was also an agent for Ryan’s Dry Cleaners.  His brother Nino had arrived in Australia and was operating his barber business at the back of Paolo’s mens wear shop.  Paolo`s wife Ruth would also be instrumental in the running of the stores, along with Paolo.  In 1959 their son Paul was born.

By 1961 he had moved to 133 Wentworth Street, Port Kembla.  He stayed at this address until 1966.  After that, things had started to change and Paolo made the decision to close his tailoring and mens wear business. The department stores were becoming more and more popular to purchase from, as they were cheaper with a wider and on- trend variety. 

Around 1968 he got a job for a short time in Sydney, at Anthony Horden`s department store in the city, selling shoes.  He had the experience of selling and fitting them in his shop and also because of his father’s trade, he knew about shoes.  He would travel to Sydney everyday from Wollongong.

Anthony Horden`s, at one time, was the largest department store in the world.  It was through working at Anthony Horden`s that Paolo met and connected with John Hemmes, the founder of the Merrivale group of fashion houses.  Paolo would soon take up a new position with Merrivale as head designer, running their factory.  By the way, he was now making Women’s fashion. 

In 1969, the family moved to Bondi in Sydney and rented a small apartment.  Working for the Merrivale group gave Paolo access to A listers, high society, celebrity and influential people.  His skill was invaluable,  but not so much appreciated.  In the beginning he was sort after, but as time went by the expectation to exceed work loads made Paolo reassess his priorities. Paolo made the decision to leave Merrivale.  He and Ruth opened their own factory in Darlinghurst.

They began making women`s wear for both David Jones and Grace Bros in Melbourne and Sydney.   They were sold under the label PAUL & R SCOTT.  Fearing that an Italian name wouldn’t sell, they anglicised the name to sell their products.  The factory was a great success, and it was doing well, and due to that, the family went on an overseas holiday.  When they came back, they expanded the business and opened a women’s fashion store in Merrylands, shopping centre, Sydney, NSW.  Ruth was running the store.  In 1971 the Australian government dropped the import tariffs and almost overnight the manufacturing industry in this country died.  After three years Paolo closed the factory and left Australia with his family, returning to Italy to help run a family business.  His son Paul was 14 years old.  Fifteen years later he would come back to Australia with his wife Ruth.

Paolo did very little sewing in Italy and focussed on helping out with the family business.  As time went on the business was growing and he was quite driven, with Ruth being a large part of it.  

Whilst in Italy, son Paul met his wife Grazia, and they moved to Australia in 1980 and married in 1981. In 1986, after a few years apart and after the birth of two grandchildren Chiara and Paul Steven, Paolo and Ruth returned to Australia and were living with family members for a short time before moving into their home not far away from their son Paul and his young family.  By now Paolo Scotellaro had retired and no longer did any sewing.  His work was quality, bespoke clothing for men, and women.  His tailor shops were classic, and the focus was on elegant suits for his customers.  On the 29th of April, 2010, Paolo Scotellaro passed away.  He was 82 years old.

Paolo was tailoring, making suits almost from the moment he arrived.  Here he is at the hostel.

All above images from the collection belonging to Paul Scotellaro (son of Paolo)

RAIMONDO BRUGNERA

Raimondo Brugnera arrived in Australia on the 17th of April, 1956, aboard the ship Toscana.  He was a tailor by trade. He was sports minded too and in his spare time he loved to play tennis.

Around 1959 Raimondo opened his first Tailor shop in Wollongong.  His address just happened to be same address where Paolo Scotellaro had his first shop, upstairs in the Fazzolare Building.  Suite 1, 50 Crown Street, Wollongong.  Raimondo operated from this space for approximately 15 years before moving further up to 385 Crown Street, which was closer to the hospital. The shop in upper Crown Street operated out of an old house, where he also lived and he stayed there for approximately two years.  His brother Osiride, and sister in-law Anna, lived in Fairy Meadow with their family.  Osiride had a granny flat built on the back of his house so Raimondo could live with them and operate his business.  After a few years, he closed the business and began a regular job.

Raimondo Brugnera made quality suits, as did all the tailors. After he closed his Tailor shop, he then when to work at The Fraternity Club in Fairy Meadow, where he finished out his working life and retired.  However, he still made some suits from his home in Fairy Meadow, for some of his loyal customers.  Raimondo Brugnera was a tailor in Wollongong for over 20 years.  He passed away on 30th March, 2000.  Raimondo was 75 years old.  

Raimondo used this wardrobe in his shop
to hang suits and hold stock.  It was
made for him by his brother Osiride.

Raimondo Brugnera wearing one
of his suits with his phone listing below

Above images from the collection belonging to Adrian Brugnera