Travelling on the ship Sydney, Frank Castelli arrived in Australia on the 15th Feb, 1962. Along with his father Biagio, mother Eugenia and his 13 year old brother Alessandro, the Castelli family headed to Kemblawarra, where they stayed with Biagio`s brother, Angelo. Frank was 10 years old.
Within days of arriving, Biagio began working at the coke ovens at the Port Kembla Steel Works. Alessandro enrolled into Port Kembla High and Frank to Kemblawarra Primary School. Alessandro took an early interest in music and learnt to play the bass guitar, and later he would to play lead and rhythm. His teacher was Bob Goodger from the Tornadoes. The Tornadoes were a local rock and roll band originally consisting of four brothers. They were extremely popular and well known playing at many local dances and clubs and would achieve world wide acclaim. Alessandro Castelli was not the only musician in the family. His Uncle and his Grandfather both played the Piano Accordion and soon brother Frank would become interested in music too!
When Frank was 15, he began guitar lessons but that only lasted a few months. Frank would watch his brother Alessandro rehearsing with his band at the family home. Frank was fixated with the drummer and soon he began drum lessons. Alessandro bought Frank his first set of drums.
Frank had only been playing for three weeks when he was thrust into a gig, filling in for a musician who couldn’t make it. It was a paid, one off gig in a pub!
Frank kept having lessons and got a position with a band called The Playboys. The Playboys had gigs here and there and Frank stayed with them for approximately 12 months. In 1967 he then joined his brother Alessandro with his band and became their drummer. They played a gig at the Capri Restaurant in Port Kembla on a Friday and Saturday night. The band usually started at 9.30pm and would often finish between 3-4 in the morning, as other venues finished their dances around 12.30pm, many people headed to the Capri to dance the night away.
The Capri began slowing down and so the band finished up their weekend gigs. Alessandro, Frank and others formed a band and played for wedding receptions at Bruno`s Tarrawanna. With a variety of lineups with Alessandro`s band over the course of 3 years, Frank left to start his own band.
Frank formed a rock band called Talus Cree. A five piece band that consisted of two guitar players, one drummer, one keyboard player and a singer. They soon began to get some work. Around Christmas time in 1973, the band did a whole lot of gigs down the South Coast, from Sussex Inlet to Bega. Over the coarse of two years, the band played at several different venues. Soon after that the band broke up.
Frank went back to playing with his brother in a newly formed band called Orpheus. They were a four piece band and played at the Wool Shed at Piccadilly, that was situated above the Motel in Crown Street, Wollongong. They were quite successful and got a lot of work. They even cut a record! They worked at the Wool Shed during the evening, from Wed - Sat. Orpheus played from 1974 - 1975.
Orpheus had band uniforms, but they felt they needed a more professional look. Frank was good friends with Vittorio Guida. Vittorio Guida was featured in part three of our Tailors of Wollongong story. Frank asked Vittorio to make them some new band attire and Vittorio fitted them out with some really funky and cool, well made clothes.
The band soon began working at Berkeley Sports and Social club every Friday night and at Nowra Ex-Servicemans Club every Saturday night. They did this for 2 1/2 years. They then expanded the band from a four piece to a six piece. With a lead singer and a saxophone player, it took the band to the next level. They played many gigs at both the Windang and Warilla Bowling Clubs. In 1979, Frank went overseas for five years on a working holiday.
In 1984, Frank returned from Italy. About 5 years later an opportunity came up to join Alessandro’s band who were already playing at the Portofino Lounge. After being away from bands for a total of 10 years, Frank joined his brother once again to play the drums. It was another four piece band with an accordion player, drummer, bass and lead guitar. They would play occasional gigs for weddings at The Portofino Lounge and Centro wedding reception centres in Wollongong.
Work began to slow up, meanwhile the band`s bass player was doing gigs with another accordion player and had asked Frank to play drums for them. Sometimes they played casual gigs at the Polish Club that was also in Wollongong and The German Club, situated at Berkeley.
Frank was working full time in Sydney and had to juggle working life with the band. The band was bringing in extra money, but it was still hard to balance the two. Frank played his last gig just before 2000 at The German club. Frank’s brother Alessandro still plays occasionally, everything from latin, current pop and covers. Frank Castelli played for 25 years over a 33 year period from 1966- 1999.
Biagio Castelli passed away June 25, 2007. He was 84 years old. Eugenia Castelli passed away August 2, 2019. Eugenia was 93 years. They are both survived by their 7 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Alessandro`s two sons played guitar in bands and two of Frank’s grandchildren learnt drums for a short while. Musicians over three generations.
The house where Frank grew up in Italy. The family lived in an upstairs apartment. His Uncles lived with their families in other apartments upstairs. Down stairs there was a stable for the dairy cows, a store room and two school rooms where Frank began his primary school education.
The Castelli family soon after arriving in Australia at Kemblawarra in front of Angelo Castelli`s house.
Frank at 16. Practicing his drums underneath the family home.
All images from the collection belonging to Frank Castelli
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