As I wrote more stories, Luccarda`s was mentioned many times from not only people who worked there but those who had their wedding receptions there. It certainly was well known. I was extremely fortunate to have contacted Rosalie Pirlo who is Luigi Luccarda`s niece. Her father Arduino was Luigi’s brother. Rosalie provided me with the most amazing photos of years gone by and each photo almost told it’s own story. Once I was able to put all the images together and write the story it then set the tone for the stories that followed.
Months had gone by and I received a call one day from Rosalie who had found an old certificate amongst some photos. She had no idea what it was for but she felt the need to ring to let me know. As soon as I saw the certificate I was very surprised. I wondered about the title and was extremely curious to find out all that I could. Dated in 1955, I wondered what were the chances of learning about this information, if any, as a lot paperwork and articles from that time period were not kept!
So I began my research. I was able to put in a request to the Department of Fair Trading NSW to acquire information regarding the proposed Tarrawanna Italo-Australian Co-Operative Club Limited. I was then granted access to the information. All names and addresses of the members were redacted but all other information was granted with transparency.
In 1954 an application for the club was made and on 21st of March, 1955, it was certified that the Tarrawanna Italo-Australian Co-Operative Club Limited was incorporated as a `Community Advancement`.
There were seven directors of the proposed club. Five of them were from Tarrawanna, one from Balgownie and the other from Cringila. The date of appointment was January 15, 1955. There were 30 members of the club all paying one pound each. The annual fee for club membership was one pound and no member was able to have more than five shares.
The club was to be formed under a` Community Advancement Society` with its operations taking place at Payne`s Lane, Tarrawanna. It was to be a non sectarian, non political club that was open for everyone in the community.
In the STATEMENT OF FORMATION MEETING the following was stated:
“ This Society has, through persons acting as Trustees on its behalf entered into negotiations for the hire of the premises situated at Paynes Lane, Tarrawanna and it is proposed that the premises provide accommodation and recreational facilities to members which hitherto have been lacking in Tarrawanna”.
“The success of the Society is assured as a large number of persons have already formed an unincorporated club known as Tarrawanna Italo-Australian Club and its members have assured their support to the society”.
“The formation of the Society will provide badly needed club and recreational facilities at Tarrawanna”.
Further South from Luigi Luccarda`s home was a new club that had opened in Fairy Meadow called The South Coast Social & Fraternity Club, (now known as The Fraternity Club). It was a family club for Italians that in the beginning predominately traded on the weekends, opening in 1953. At the time there were no provisions at the club for meals and the legal age to drink was 21. For those who wished to have a drink at the club had to move to a room at the back to consume their alcohol. Saturday night there was usually a band of musicians playing and on a Sunday people came to play bocce. Luigi Luccarda was offering something different.
Prior to the registration of the club, Luccarda`s was recognised as an `Unincorportated Club`, which is basically the same as a charity, though it is unsure when this officially happened, but as an `Unincorporated Club`, this made perfect sense!
Luccarda`s was a place that evolved slowly over time. Remembering that Luigi arrived in 1922 and by 1930 he was living in his home at 90 Caldwell Avenue (previously known as Paynes Lane), Tarrawanna. Over time he made additions to his property. With the many migrants coming into the area Luigi provided them with a place to socialise as he built bocce courts at the back of his property. On top of that he also had friends and family living with him in his house as well as lodgers in his boarding house next door. There was always activity at the Luccarda place. Meals were provided, glasses of wine served from Luigi’s sprawling grapevines and the Italian community was growing its roots in the area. It was only natural that an expansion into a registered club would happen. Wedding receptions began to take place and would become one of the driving forces of the club. Luigi’s house and boarding house were at capacity and the bocce courts were frequented every weekend as a means for socialising and friendly gatherings. Slowly, over time Luigi removed some of the bocce courts to extend the dinning hall as they were outgrowing the space quickly. As the years went by they just got busier.
According to records from The Wollongong City Council, in 1966 Luccarda`s was officially registered as a Wedding Reception Centre. The Tarrawanna Italo-Australian Co-Operative Club Limited was now de-registered. The boarding house also continued and it would continue into the next two decades with the next two owners of the establishment.
In 1969 an application was put into council to add a restaurant to the already functioning reception centre. Application had to be made for a liquor licence as well and the property needed to be tidied and presentable for the neighbourhood. The car park had to accommodate space for no less than 43 cars with line marking, paving and drainage. Fences needed to be erected, leveling and sealing of the driveway, establishment of lawns and ornamental shrubs across the front, removal of some of the grapevines, all to council requirements. These requirements had to met within twelve months of the date of council`s approval. In 1971 Luigi sold the premises.
Luigi, who was born in 1899 was now 71 years old. He passed away eight years later in 1979. He was the oldest brother and both of his younger brothers had passed away before him. His sister Ida, the last Luccarda sibling living in Australia, passed away in 1993. What a legacy they all left behind!
The Luccarda family created what many would call `Little Italy`, in the Wollongong area. They provided a home away from home for so many immigrants who came to Australia to build their new life. The celebrations of the many weddings at the club, the bocce players who gathered every weekend to socialise with their friends and buried beneath the Tarrawanna soil are the countless memories they all left behind.
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Above is the list of all seven directors. The names were redacted
List of the members, 30 in total all paying 1 pound each. Members were not allowed to have any more than five shares each and there were to be no more than 250 members of the club.
Objectives of the club above and the declaration below
Certificate of Incorporation
Image from the collection belonging to Rosalie Pirlo
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