FRANCES FAZZARI (VUMBACA) - CASE DI MIELE

Frances Fazzari came to Australia in 1962 with her mother Antonia and her brother Giuseppe. Frances was four years old at the time and her bother was six. They travelled on the ship Roma arriving January 9. Their father Antonio was already in Australia and had been since 1960. He arrived May 20 on the ship Sydney and stayed with his brother Ilario in Newtown.
 

Arriving in August 1962, six months after Frances was (Maria) Caterina Vumbaca along with her children. Unbeknown to Frances she would be her future mother in-law.

Frances grew up in Sydney and her father Antonio worked for the Department of Main Roads. The family lived in Newtown before moving to Alexandria and then settling in Leppington.  Frances finished high school in year 10 and worked in retail. She met her husband Cosimo Vumbaca (known to everyone as Frank) and they were married in 1979, she was 20. Her mother in-law lived with them.

Frances got to know Caterina who made Italian Mustazzoli Honey and Gingerbread and sold it at Italian religious and cultural festivals throughout the Sydney area. Caterina did this also in Italy prior to coming to Australia. The recipe originated in the 16th century. The recipe has been handed down in the family. Caterina handed down the recipe to her children.  Here in Australia Caterina`s sisters also sold these sweets. As well as many festivals in Sydney the Vumbaca family came to Wollongong and had a stall set up at the first San Giovanni Battista Festival that began in the late 60`s. They continued until the festival finished in 1969.  

When the second iteration of the San Giovanni Battista Festival began in 1981, Francesca was there with Caterina helping her to make the products and run the stall. They did this for consecutive years. Typically they would arrive around 10am to set up the stall and prepare their products. With the festival commencing around 3pm they worked throughout the afternoon and night till the festival finished. They had lots of happy customers and for so many of them these sweets were something they grew up with. Not many people were making such items. It really was a treat.

The range of products they sold were two types of breads, one being the harder version and the other being a softer version. They also made a almond and a peanut honey brittle as well as roasted Chick peas ( Gaglia). These were the only products they made for several years. It was usually just two, sometimes three people running the stall.

In September 1987 Caterina Vumbaca passed away. She was 79. Caterina had been making these sweets well into her 70`s. Francesca then continued making the products and running the stalls with her husband Frank, who also was working full time. Around  this time Francesca created her own recipe of various types of nougat. It became extremely popular. Made with all natural ingredients (as with all the recipes) the nougat also had a long shelf life. It was a great addition to their product line. 

When it comes to making the sweets much thought goes into the process.  At least 2 weeks before an event/stall the nougat is prepared first then the other sweets are made. This is very hard work as they are all made by hand. They have always been done this way. Once made they are stored in air tight containers. 



I spoke to Frances about where she operates from and she told me they live on a property with two houses. One of the houses is dedicated just to the making and processing of their sweets. I also asked her how much honey she uses in a year. Her answer was 40 x 15 kilo buckets = 600 kilos of honey per year. Her honey is supplied by a local bee keeper who supplies her with all-natural honey. He has been supplying her since 1980. 

Frances started using Facebook, social media and trading places to advertise and spread the word about her business. . The Facebook page they created is https://www.facebook.com/CasaDiMieleItalianHoneybreadGingerbread. It helped to create her presence and consequently her business grew.  Frances has also expanded her range now that includes cream filled centres of gingerbread with Nutella and Pistachio.

Around 2010 she branded herself and created her business name called Casa Di Miele (The House of Honey). The continue to travel throughout the Sydney region to various festivals and events. They also do pop up stalls in shopping centres at specific times such as Easter, Christmas and Fathers` day. 

Casa Di Miele have 9 recipe lines that they have created with a variety of shapes, sizes and package combinations to suit everyone. They have also introduced a gluten free version of the honey bread, as well as a spiced honey bread. Products that are egg and dairy free.  They also offer platters at their Christmas stalls and egg and bunny shapes for Easter. Around 2015 Casa Di Miele started making bomboniere with their honey breads. Small party favours that are a delight. 

Speaking with Francesca she mentioned that the harder honey bread was more popular with the Italians and the softer gingerbread style bread was more popular with the Australians. At the Italian Ferragosto festival in Five Dock they had 6 people running their stall, taking turns to stop and rest. They have travelled extensively throughout NSW and also Canberra for a number of years at the Multi Cultural Festival.

Frances is the chief cook and when she has a stall to cater for her day typically starts at 5am and finishes at 2pm. Her son George works with her in the kitchen.  George has been working with Frances for the past 15 years. George took over the role of her husband Frank in the kitchen and stalls (though you may still see Frank helping out on the day). George loves what they do and wants to continue the tradition of his Grandparents artisan products. The products are so unique  that they were requested by the Australian Museum to be exhibited for their event “Italian immigrants contribution to Australia” The business has grown over the years.  They currently supply one bakery in Haberfield with their products and are considering doing more. In October this year they are headed to Melbourne for the first time to sell their sweets.
 

The Wollongong Connection 

Frances had been part of the San Giovanni Battista Festival from 1981 till it ended in 2014. For 33 years Wollongong got to sample and taste her delicious honey sweets.  Not only the San Giovanni Festival, they were part of the Spring into Corrimal festival, Australia Day Festival, Fairy Meadow Street Fair, Italian Republic Day and of course the Castagne Day at the Fraternity Bowling Club, in Fairy Meadow, where Casa Di Miele continue running their stall annually. They are so much a part of Wollongong and have contributed greatly. Wollongong people know them only too well. Frances commented that many people have said to her that her sweets taste better than the ones in Italy. Quite the compliment indeed!

 

 

 

 

From humble beginnings in Italy Circa late 1960`s.

This is Frances` brother in-law selling the Mustazolli (honey bread).

 

  

Staples you will find at the Casa Di Miele stall. 

  

 

 All images from the collection belonging to Frances Vumbaca

 

 

THE MENEGAZZO FAMILY PART THREE - PIETRO

Singer extraordinaire!

Pietro discovered that he had quite a good voice and by his teens he was singing all the time. It would sometimes annoy his parents so they would send him outside on their farm to sing to the cows! He never had any formal training but he was certainly gifted with the most beautiful voice. Pietro collected records of his favourite artists, particularly Mario Lanza and other opera singers. He would also fall in love with Irish and Scottish folk music. His wife Nellie, was Irish and played the piano accordion. Nellie’s mother, was quite the musician herself. She also played the accordion along with many other instruments. As young man Pietro also played guitar.

When Pietro first met Nellie Harriott in 1949, it was at a picnic day at Lake Illawarra. She was playing the accordion and so he decided to approach her and sing along. He informed her that she was playing it incorrectly. This wasn’t well received from Nellie and in fact she didn’t like him at all and she felt he was a bit of a show off.  But over time their friendship grew and so did Pietro`s love of Irish music. He loved music and he loved to sing. He often sang solo, or with other theatre performers. You would always find him singing in the church choir regularly. Pietro also sang at the weddings of family and friends.  Pietro was made an honorary Alpini choir member. The Alpini were a specialised military corps and their choirs were taken very seriously. They developed a friendship with Pietro and he sang with them on many occasions.

By 1943 Pietro was well into singing and regularly performed when he could. He had performed with various groups and even recorded himself on vinyl disc. Peter also had a varied music collection. Music inspired him and he loved to sing different styles. Opera was a big love for him but he also loved classic ballads and Irish folk music. 
 

1943 Australian Comforts Fund for returned soldiers

 

Friday June 11, 1943 a show was held at the Crown Theatre, Keira Street, Wollongong. The show was to raise funds for the Australian soldiers during the war, in particular the men of the 34th Battalion (Illawarra Regiment).

Australian Comforts Fund was an organisation that through fundraising purchased care items for soldiers during the war, items that were not  normally supplied to the servicemen. The lineup of artists for the June show was quite impressive for the time. Wilfred Thomas and Bebe Scott, radio stars from 2FC (that would later become ABC Radio), Impersonator Dave Arthur, Sydney soprano Phyllis Rogers, artists from the Capital Theatre in Sydney and local artists including Peter (Pietro) Menegazzo. 

Harmony Recordings - Direct to Disc

 

Harmony Recording was the record label from Harmony House. Harmony House was a music store that was operated by John Cohen.  In 1940 John`s son Ron set up a commercial recording studio behind the store . It was a recording studio made available for anyone who wished to record their voice, `Direct to Disc` under the `Harmony Recording` label. The artist would record their voice onto the disc and it was given to them once the recording was done. This was the master copy.  It was also very cheap, making it affordable for the masses. Some famous artists who recorded their voices there were Dame Joan Sutherland and Frank Ifield. Between 1943 - 1948 Pietro did a series of recordings at Harmony House. He sang anything from Opera to Irish Ballads. 

Pietro`s Zia Maria on his maternal side also had a beautiful singing voice, as did his daughter Delora and his grandson Matthew, though none of them pursued it further. Pietro`s wonderful record collection is safe in the hands of his granddaughter Amy.  Unfortunately there is no footage of Pietro singing, but those direct to disc recordings from Harmony House are just priceless. Pietro Menegazzo was so humble about his creativity and was happy to share his talents. We were ever so blessed by his work and contribution in the community. He is still talked about with such praise.

Speaking with Pietro`s son Paul and his daughter Amy, they recollect how Pietro would always play music in the house on his record player. Sundays he would invite neighbors and friends over to the house to listen to the many records from his collection. It was a time for gathering with friends and enjoying the music. I asked them both some questions about what that time was like. Amy spoke candidly about her grandfather. Following are her words. 
 

“Yes he did sing when he worked and had his friends and neighbours over to listen to music. Growing up I would spend most of my weekends with my grandparents (the joys of living on the same street). Particularly on a Sunday I would make Sunday lunch risotto and grandad would have music playing when I got there and as soon as I walked through the door he would ask me to guess the singer. He and I would sing along and we would sometimes sing in the workshop when I would watch him make a lot of the woodwork. Our love of Music and of everything Italian was part of our special bond.”

 

 

 

 

Pietro played the guitar as a young man in his 20`s.  He would

go on to record his extraordinary voice throughout the 1940`s.

 

 

 This video shows some of the recordings that 

Pietro did between 1943 - 1948.  It is him

singing in the background. 

All images from the collection belonging to the Menegazzo family.

 

THE MENEGAZZO FAMILY PART TWO - PIETRO

As we come into the second part of the Menegazzo story we pick up from the early 1950`s where Pietro`s business, Illawarra Gate Manufacturers, were busy with orders for gates and wrought iron designs. With several staff members, business was constant and Illawarra Gates had large orders, in particular multiple sets of gates for the then Housing Department. Even with the loss of his father Marcello in 1953, Pietro was extremely busy with work and with his family. He was already married and had a two year old daughter Delora. The following year in 1954 son Mark was born and 4 years later another son Paul was born. 

In the early 1950`s St John Vianney Catholic Church, Fairy Meadow was built. In 1957 Pietro was asked to make several items for the church. The first one being the communion rails. He was apprehensive at first. He had never done this type of thing before. But Pietro soon realised that he knew what to do and the railings turned out wonderful. He was also asked to make the baptismal font and the cross that sits upon the apex on the roof of the church. Further south in Wollongong the St Francis Xavier Cathedral also has one of Pietro`s designs which is a crucifix above its eastern entry door that sits in the window.

Pietro also designed and built the hand rails and school crest for the St John Vianney Catholic School and he went on to do several school crests and gates including various public and secondary schools. St Pius at Unanderra and St Mary`s College in Wollongong also had Pietro`s work.

In 1967 Pietro was commissioned to build a statue of Jesus that would sit on the outside wall of the St Therese Little Flower Catholic Church at West Wollongong.  It was based on the statue Christ the Redeemer that sits on the  Corcovado mountain top in Rio De Janiero, Brazil. It is spectacular to say the least . It took Pietro 700 hundred hours to complete, all in his spare time. It was built in his back shed and with only small tools. It was finished in 1968.

Pietro loved working with wrought iron and other metals. Every thing he did was hand beaten, no machinery used. By 1974 Ilawarra Gates began to wind down. Still on the same site as Illawarra Gates, Pietro and his son Mark, who was also a boiler maker did some pipe work for local businesses and companies. In 1978 son Paul (who was also a boiler maker) joined his father and brother with the business and they became PMP Pipe and General Fabrication. PMP supplied the mining industry with metal fabrication and pipe work. They also worked on methane gas drainage in the mines including design and development of those systems.  In 1987 Pietro sold his land and moved, still staying in Balgownie, and he also officially retired. PMP Pipe and General Fabrication relocated to Pringle Road, Fairy Meadow.  In 1988 the business was sold.

Pietro had worked hard all his life and he had some health issues. The years of working with his hands took its toll and Pietro experienced loss of sensation in his fingertips as well as arthritis. At his new home he had a double garage set up where he crafted items out of timber, as it was softer to work with. He made things like lace bobbins, spinning wheels, carved letter openers and even some furniture. He also made a harp. Nellie was a folk art painter and drawer. She used to paint some of the wood work that Pietro made.

Pietro passed away November 23, 2003. He was 81. Wife Nellie passed away September 9, 2017. She was 86. They are survived by their three children, seven grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Pietro Menegazzo was an incredible artisan. Creative, well known and well liked by so many.  He took great pride in all his creations. You can visit many places in the Wollongong area and they are still on display. There are remnants of Pietro all throughout the region with his wrought iron designs and works. His magnificent statue of Jesus that is graced at the St Therese Little Flower Church, West Wollongong, still stands there in all its glory and will do so for many years to come. 

 

 

Pietro working making gates and railings.

 

 

 Images of Pietro`s works scattered throughout

the Wollongong region

 

 

 

 

Images of Pietro`s creations in timber

and metal.  He did much of this

after he retired. 

 

All images from the collection belonging to

 the Menegazzo family 

THE MENEGAZZO FAMILY PART ONE - MARCELLO

Marcello Angelo Menegazzo was born in 1895 in Cavaso Del Tomba, Province of Treviso. He came to Australia in 1912 at the age of 17. Travelling on the ship Zieten he arrived December 7. He was the eldest of many siblings. It is said that he was one 20. Of those only 13 survived into adulthood. Marcello was listed as a labourer. He came from a farming background and was also a Goldsmith as was his father Pietro. Marcello went to Broken Hill where he stayed with two Uncles who came to Australia years before. At Broken Hill he worked in the mines for BHP.  Broken Hill had quite a few Italians at the time. Marcello was working hard and sending money back home to help the family. 

1915 saw the commencement of WW1 and Marcello along with his friends joined the first A.I.F. It took him to Italy where he was fighting in the north near his home town. At the end of the war Marcello went back home to Cavaso and got a job in a silk worm factory. It was there that he met a young woman named Giuseppina Bugno. They would soon marry. 

In 1922 their first child Pietro Giovanni was born, who was named after Marcello`s father. Post war Italy wasn’t prosperous so the family decided to immigrate to America or Australia. They applied to both countries and agreed whichever released the necessary papers first was where they would go. The paper work for Australia came through first and in 1922 Marcello returned to Australia on the Ormonde Oct 5. He settled in Tarrawanna where there was a growing Italian community. February 6, 1924 aboard the Ormuz, wife Giuseppina and son Pietro arrived to join Marcello.

Marcello found work as a wood machinist for W.Waters and Sons in Wollongong, as well as doing watch making and repairs on the side. After a short while Marcello purchased an old house and section of land on the corner of Short Street and Balmoral Street, Balgownie. (Short Street later became Foothills Road). Marcello and Giuseppina worked hard to make their house a home. They established fruit trees and a large vegetable garden. Marcello even grew his own tobacco. In 1924 they welcomed their second child Anna into their family. The Menegazzo family was well known in the area. 

In 1927 Marcello applied for his citizenship and on December 22nd he received his naturalisation. Marcello spoke English quiet well and this also helped with his standing in the community. He was often called upon to help with disputes or misunderstandings if language was a barrier. Marcello also understood local laws and was able to help his local Italian community with legal matters.

In 1929 saw the beginning of the great depression and unfortunately Marcello was let go from his job as a machinist. Not one to sit and wait Marcello did what he knew best and farmed his land, not only for himself and his family but also for the community.

He started off selling some of his home grown produce. Marcello would often  peddle up and down the local streets with his son Pietro to sell and trade his fruits and vegetables. As the demand grew Marcello began to grow chickens and turned his property into a poultry farm.

Marcello and his wife Giuseppina now were running the poultry farm and added large sheds to accomodate. They not only sold poultry they also used the barter system as the times were hard for many. They grew more fruits and vegetables in their extensive garden that helped the community. Giuseppina was an excellent cook and they were self sufficient. They also had a cow on the property that produced milk and butter. The farm did well and serviced many, suppling many local businesses as well with eggs and chickens.

Marcello offered accommodation and meals for people who had no where to go. In return they would help out on the farm. Marcello converted some of the poultry sheds making them habitable and a safe place to stay. At the peak of the poultry farm Marcello had almost 2000 chickens.

At the end of the depression the timber yard re-opened and Marcello returned to his job as a wood machinist and was still running the poultry farm. Young Pietro (who was now 15 years old) was growing up and in 1937 he got an apprenticeship as a boiler maker. He worked for Garnock Engineering and David Brothers. With the onset of WW2 Pietro was completing his apprenticeship as a boiler maker. By the end of WW2 Pietro was working at B & W Steel, Fairy Meadow. 

After the war the economy began to recover and by this time Marcello slowly wound down the poultry farm. Pietro noticed a small fabrication business for sale. In 1947 Pietro purchased the plant and equipment and started a business on his father’s property called Illawarra Gate Manufacturers. With the existing sheds from the Poultry farm he converted them into work sheds and an administration office. They started producing gates, railings and small coal skips.

The business was doing well and soon Marcello was now a part of it. Marcello`s role was in administration. He was very good at it and he did a lot of the day to day operations while Pietro was busy creating the gates and railings. Pietro was very hands on and incredibly creative. They were very busy and they were constantly reconfiguring the sheds and buildings on the property to accomodate for their ever growing demand.

In 1949 daughter Anna married. She hadn’t been well for some time but was getting over her illness. Anna married Aurelio Spagnolo. Unfortunately, her illness returned and Anna was admitted into Balmain Hospital.  Anna passed away on June 13, 1950. She was only 24 years old.  It devastated the family and Marcello struggled to cope. This would also affect his health. He would be found at Anna`s grave site sitting for hours on end. This went on for quite some time. Pietro had to step in and bring him home as it was all too consuming for Marcello who was grief stricken and heart broken.

Marcello was a member of the RSL Wollongong and on the 28th of August 1953, he was nominated and gazetted as a Justice of the peace for his outstanding work in the community. It was a proud moment for him and his family, especially after the death of Anna. Sadly he never got to hold the position as he passed away October 9, 1953, before the offical notification came through. Marcello die from emphysema. Giuseppina passed away in 1980 on December 14. She was 78 years old. Aurelio Spagnolo, (who never remarried) passed away August 23, 2003. He was 80. 

Marcello Menegazzo was well known and respected in the community. Arriving in 1922 in Tarrawanna, the growing Italian population were making their mark in the area, including the surrounding suburbs of Balgownie and Fairy Meadow. We owe these Italians much credit for how they created their community through their businesses and contributions, hard work and the bonded friendships that helped them endure and sustain.

                                                                Walking down the street.

 

 

Well dressed.

 

 

 

 

 All images from the collection belonging to the Menegazzo Family