THE GNATA FAMILY PART ONE - VIRGILIO GNATA

Virgilio Gnata came to Australia in 1950, arriving on the General Blatchford, February 18 with his wife Saveria and their three children, Maria, Alberto and Alfredo. They stayed at the Migrant hostel in Bathurst, NSW. It was a new beginning for Virgilio and his family, especially after having lost a child to hunger during the Second World War.

Virgilio travelled by train down the South Coast. It is believed that he was on his way to Wollongong to secure a job that he had been promised. He fell asleep on the train and woke near Stanwell Park. He immediately fell in love with the area. It reminded him of his home in Fiume, with the ocean and mountains so close together. Virgilio decided that this was the place for him and his family.

He found a small cottage close to the ocean at Coalcliff in the northern suburbs of the Illawarra. Two years later he purchased three blocks of land near Wombarra Cemetery, at 599-603 Lawrence Hargrave Drive. One block had a small miner's cottage on it and the family moved in. While they lived in the cottage, Virgilio set about building a larger family home on one of the vacant lots. With the help of his two sons he built a large red-brick, purpose-built three-bedroom home at 603, with a large workshop underneath for his wine-making and creative activities.

He worked at the steelworks as a labourer until retirement, although it was not the work he had expected to do in Australia. In Italy, Virgilio had been a draftsman and designed torpedoes for the Whitehead company, which manufactured torpedoes for the military. He had been promised work as a draftsman in Australia, but that did not eventuate. Having arrived in Australia at the age of 41, he already had a wealth of experience behind him.

Virgilio was a man of many talents and accomplishments. In Italy he was also a gifted athlete, playing soccer in Fiume, boxing at amateur level and becoming an accomplished diver and snow skier. His sporting ability reflected another side of his character, discipline, physical courage, determination and a willingness to challenge himself. Yet his talents extended well beyond sport. Virgilio also came from a family of artists and artisans, beginning another remarkable thread in the family's story. His father, Umberto, was an artist whose works have been displayed in art museums in Italy and Croatia. Most of his paintings were sold at auction. One of his last works was completed in 1949, yet his paintings have continued to appear at auction as recently as 2023.

Umberto, who was also a general in the military, wrote poetry and even scripts for movies. Virgilio's grandfather Francesco was an award-winning pastry chef specialising in focaccia. His focaccia received recognition for its excellence at the Italian Industrial Exhibition held in Rome in 1881. Virgilio's brother Francesco was also an artist and created unique mosaic pictures from seashells.

Virgilio, like his father Umberto, had a love for painting and completed a number of paintings in Italy before coming to Australia. He continued painting once he had his own home and soon Wollongong would have the opportunity to see his work.

In 1956 West Wollongong TAFE held an Italian exhibition featuring artists and artisans from the Wollongong region. There were displays by furniture designers, tailors, shoemakers, metal artisans and painters. Virgilio's paintings were displayed during the exhibition, which was held over several days. Some of his works were painted in Fiume, while others were created in Australia.

Virgilio was well known among the Italian community of Wollongong and often acted as MC at weddings during the 1970s. By this time he had retired from work. Virgilio was a writer, just like his father Umberto. He received a diploma in Poetry from Sydney University and became a member of the IAWA (Italo-Australian Writers Association). Virgilio wrote poetry, and one of his poems was published in the Association's anthology Italo-Australian Poetry in the 80s.

Virgilio's paintings and poetry were often gifted to family and friends. He never wanted money for them; he simply wanted to share his creations. His granddaughter Jessica remembers singing songs as a young girl that Virgilio had written. She also recalls how particular and precise he was in everything he did. A skilled and passionate chess player, Virgilio would often spend two or three hours at the chessboard with his son Alfredo, both men sharing the patience, concentration and strategic thinking the game demanded. Virgilio was fiercely competitive and did not particularly enjoy being beaten by his son, making their long games together another fondly remembered part of family life.

Virgilio also had a metal lathe in the workshop beneath his house and often taught his two sons how to operate it. His son Alfredo, Jessica's father, carried forward the family's creativity in his own distinctive way. Alfredo inherited a love of painting, but his abilities extended well beyond the canvas. A skilled fitter and turner at Coalcliff Colliery, he was exceptionally gifted with his hands and could transform raw materials into finely crafted objects. Using his father's lathe, Alfredo created a remarkable sculptural shark from a solid piece of brass. Its carefully formed body, fins and polished surface demonstrate both the precision of a skilled tradesman and the eye of an artist. In Alfredo, the family's creative tradition found another expression - through painting, craftsmanship and the ability to make something beautiful with his own hands.

Virgilio painted a stunning piece called The Lovers. It was inspired by Antonio Canova's sculpture Amore e Psiche. Virgilio painted his version many years after retirement, when he was in his 80s. It hung in his lounge room, but he softened the image by covering it with a sheer curtain because the woman was partially naked, as in the original sculpture.
 

Other activities he continued into his 80s included fishing and diving. He loved living near the ocean. Another pastime he enjoyed was playing pool at The Fraternity Club in Fairy Meadow. He kept himself occupied and remained of sound mind.

Virgilio passed away on 19 January 1999 at 90 years of age. His wife Saveria passed away on 31 December 2006 at the age of 92. Virgilio and Saveria had five granddaughters, although sadly their granddaughter Tanya predeceased them in 1985. Their family continued through the generations, with four surviving granddaughters, ten great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

 

Virgilio`s granddaughter Jessica was very athletic at school, representing it many times. His great grandson Jalal was an under 18’s player for the State of Origin and Australian School Boy’s representative of NRL football in the UK. Great granddaughter Eve has outstanding achievements in visual arts and accomplished in studying Musicology at Sydney Conservatorium of Music, a talent that stems from her great grandfather Rolandi. With the next generations of the Gnata family there`s no shortage of talent.

 

 

 

One of Vigilio`s lovely paintings. 

This painting was part of the exhibition at the West Wollongong Tafe in 1956.

 

 Virgilio was a gifted athlete. He competed in boxing, snow skiing and was

and accomplished diver.

 

 

 

 

All images from the collection belonging to Jessica Gnata.

GAVINO AND ROSA ARRU - GAVINO`S AND THE GREASY FORK RESTUARANTS

Gavino Arru arrived in Australia July 1st, 1955 on the ship Paolo Toscanelli. He was living with a family friend. He went back to Italy for a holiday in December 1962, returning to Australia in 1963. In 1964 he was living in Jutland Avenue, Wollongong and he became an Australian Citizen, acquiring Naturalisation.

In 1967 Gavino was living at 11 Auburn Street, Wollongong. It was boarding house business that he purchased, though his listed profession was `Truck Driver`. The boarding house was for men only. Up to 10 men were living there at any given time. Part of his role as boarding house proprietor was to provide meals for the boarders. He had a garage set up out the back that was used as a dedicated dining room where he provided the lodgers their dinners ect. 

Gavino would also have friends and other guests over for a meal and pretty soon he had a small makeshift restaurant/eatery happening at the garage of his house in Auburn Street. By 1972 it was functioning like a normal restaurant of the day, only without a liquor licence. He did however provide guests with complimentary red wine on the tables as part of the meal. The local council wanted to acquire his land for the use of a car park. Gavino accepted and was given 12 months grace of finding a suitable venue to relocate to.

Rosina Silveri, who everyone knew as Rosa, came to Australia in 1959 to marry her husband Giovanni, by proxy.  Giovanni had arrived in Australia in 1956 on the 27th of June by plane. A trip that took approximately three - four   days. He lived in Cringila and got a job at the steel works.

Around 1962 Rosa was looking for work. She and her husband Giovanni now had a small child and Giovanni was injured in a work place accident. With no money coming in Rosa needed to become the breadwinner. Rosa, who spoke no English, approached Lola Comelli, who was part owner of the Capri Restaurant in Wentworth Street, Port Kembla. Lola employed Rosa to work in the kitchen. Her role at the Capri was helping with the food preparation as well as dishwashing.  A role she did full time.

Rosa was working extremely hard trying to balance life as a mother of a toddler whilst working full time with a husband at home who was not well. She would also take restaurant linen home and at night she would wash, bleach and press the linen for use on a daily basis. She had a lot on her plate.

The Capri Restaurant ( Taverna Capri) opened around 1958. It was previously a cafe/trattoria style eatery owned by Lidia Lebrocchi. It was purchased in a joint partnership by Giovanni Comelli and Domenico Sardella. They changed the whole dynamic of the restaurant which included a bar and a stage for a band with dancing at the restaurant on the weekends. It became an extremely busy place opening for both lunch and dinner with a diverse clientele as many people who worked at the steelworks would also come for lunch whilst others would dine at night such as couples and families.

Some years later the Capri Restaurant was sold and the Comelli family opened another restaurant in Crown Street, Wollongong called Frascati. At Frascati it was busy and largely patrionised by the Italian community. Many functions happened there as well such as christenings, engagements ect. Rosa stayed on at the Capri for a short while before eventually joining Lola at the Frascati restaurant. Rosa was back in the kitchen but sometimes would work front of house on the floor and behind the bar, eventually moving to front of house.  Rosa spent a total of six years at the Capri.

Gavino Arru often frequented the Frascati and noticed the work that Rosa was doing.  Rosa was still working full time as her husband was still unwell at home. Their son was now 12 years old and it was 1972. Gavino approached Rosa asking her if she would like to work for him at his restaurant in Auburn Street. He offered Rosa more money and because she was the only one working she took up his offer.

Soon Rosa began working with Gavino, but this time she was back in the kitchen, along with another woman. Gavino was the sauce maker and would also be in charge of cooking the roasts of pork and veal. He often served on the floor as well. Over time Rosa`s mother Bice would work in the kitchen too. Bice came to Australia in 1963, Feb 9, with her two sons Domenico and Adamo. She joined her husband Gino who arrived around 1961. There were two other women working in various roles along with another waitress. Four women in total were in the kitchen. 

The restaurant could seat over 100 people opening everyday lunch and dinner. They ran small functions including weddings and christenings and some private parties. Eventually, they would close one day per week.

Gavino`s restaurant at his Auburn Street home didn`t have a registered name but people knew of it all the same. Locals dined there along with many community service people such as council staff, policemen, hospital workers and the general public who just loved the food. Typical Italian pasta dishes were available, meats and sides. The Auburn Street restaurant was a fun place to be. They even had a jukebox!

In those days the restaurant was very basic in its style with good food and a great atmosphere, they were always filling the tables. They often served more than one course but they didn`t change the cutlery, it wasn`t a thing they did back then. One of their regular customers remarked how they had to eat with a greasy fork for their next course. That remark would later come to serve Gavino. He would register the name Greasy Fork as a restaurant name. The name started in Auburn St. At the beginning there was no written menu, whatever was the special of the day, was the menu they served.

With the Auburn Street property now sold to the council Gavino along with three other staff members purchased a property in Kenny Street, Wollongong. The property consisted of two houses side by side. Gavino purchased one of the houses to live in. The other he purchased along with three other staff members to be the new restaurant. The new restaurant was called Gavino`s. It was a complete change from the Auburn Street eatery. It had a bar, a dance floor complete with stage for the band. Gavino also hired a head chef and Rosa was front of house and on the bar.

Everything was ready as they planned their opening and because of the move, they really weren`t expecting many people but what they were not prepared for was the amount of people who actually did show up! The opening didn`t go well at all! They were understaffed on the day and the customers were unhappy as they were waiting and the service was not up to par. Gavino struggled with what to do, so he up and left and went to the beach leaving the whole service up to two people on the floor, Rosa and another waitress as well as three in the kitchen. It just so happened that a friend of Gavino`s (who was a Policeman) also came to the restaurant. Seeing what was happening he spoke to the unhappy customers and explained the situation and managed to calm them down. The restaurant staff managed to push through with Gavino eventually returning to help out. It was a long day indeed. 

The menu consisted of freshly made Pasta dishes such as tagliatelle, gnocchi and lasagna, poultry, roast veal and pork and a selection of desserts. The restaurant was attended well over the course. It was also fully licensed.

Gavino`s restaurant was doing very well, busy with customers, functions, weddings and Saturday night dancing. The same ladies from the Auburn Street, restaurant were also working at Gavino`s. It was coming into the year`s end of 1973 and Rosa`s youngest brother Adamo passed away November 29. Adamo was only 23 years old. It was all too much for her mother Bice, who was still working in the kitchen at the time. She made the decision to no longer work after the passing of her son. 

Gavino decided to put the restaurant up for sale and in 1974 Camillo Sacco purchased Gavino`s restaurant. The restaurant was now called Don Camillo`s. It was also very successful. After the sale of the restaurant Gavino returned to Italy with the intention of staying. He wanted to open a restaurant in his home town, but the local council would not pass it. It was very upsetting for him. On October 22nd of that year, almost a year after the losing her brother, Rosa`s husband Giovanni passed away after a long illness. He was 40.

Around 1975 Rosa was working in a local Asian restaurant and Gavino came back to Australia. He decided to go into business again and found a new venture. He approached Bice to see if she was interested in working with him, she agreed. Together they purchased a boarding house that was situated in Gladstone Avenue, Wollongong. Bice would work in the kitchen providing the in-house meals for the boarders and they also had one lady who would help with the housekeeping. The boarding house would have up to 20 people at a time staying there. 

At the boarding house, on the lower floor, they joined two rooms to use as the dining area to provide meals for the lodgers. This worked out well, but as with the Auburn Street property this dining room somehow ended up welcoming friends, family and the many people Gavino knew who worked in the community. As more and more people wanted to dine there, organically it became a small eatery that Gavino found himself running. It prompted him to think about another restaurant. 

Underneath the boarding house was a huge carport with many of the rooms on the floor above. The carport was almost the length of the building. Gavino came up with an idea of enclosing it and building a large restaurant. With the current dining room on the same level, it could also be part of the restaurant. With the help of a good carpenter and council approval the Greasy Fork was born. The name that he heard years ago at his Auburn Street restaurant.

The Greasy Fork was a fun place to go to. It was well attended by so many in the Wollongong area. It could seat at least 150 people. The Greasy Fork was known for its great food but more importantly was the red wine on the tables with lemonade, part of the meal complimentary. It was one of the draw cards. So many functions and parties, end of year celebrations, couples, families and those who just wanted to enjoy the experience. It was a happy place. Rosa was back at the helm working on the floor and helping out in the kitchen if need be. Opening hours for the Greasy Fork was 7 days, lunch and dinner initially. Eventually Sunday and Monday`s the restaurant closed. The restaurant made their signature dishes that included classic pasta. Using kilos of flour every day to make fresh pasta with trays of Lasagna made weekly.

Their signature dessert were strawberries soaked in Rosso Antico (a classic red Italian Vermouth), Tia Maria (a coffee, vanilla and rum liqueur), with sugar and lemon juice. It was a hit and they sold a lot of it!  Desserts also included Italian gelato and cheese cake. All the while the boarding house was still operating.  In 1979 Rosa and Gavino were married.

Gavino sold The Greasy Fork in the mid 1980`s. He had a small break before opening another restaurant in Wentworth Street, Port Kembla. It was the site of a former bank. The restaurant was again called Gavino`s. Situated on the main street it had a mezzanine level as well. It was always busy opening for both lunch and dinner. Gavino`s staff came with him including Rosa`s son and his wife, who also worked at the restaurant. After approximately 4 years, Gavino sold his restaurant to head chef Benito. In 1990 Rosa`s mother Bice passed away on  March 30. She was 70. The following year Rosa`s father Gino passed away June 21. He was 75.

Gavino and Rosa had now both retired from the restaurant industry. They spent a lot of their time travelling. Quite often they would stay in Italy for six months at a time, enjoying their life.

Gavino Arru passed away Feb 4, 2009 at age 76. Rosa loves to spend time with family and friends and has 2 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren.

                                                   

                                                     Chef Benito at the Kenny Street restaurant.

 

 

Rosa and Bice working at the Greasy Fork, Coniston

Preparations for a large function at the Greasy Fork, Coniston.

All images from the collection belonging to Rosa Arru

MIRANDA FERA ( BERZANTI)

Miranda Berzanti arrived in Australia March 30, 1958 on board the ship Sydney, disembarking in Sydney NSW April 8.  Miranda is known to everyone as Orlanda, ever since she was a young girl.  She came to Park Road, East Corrimal where her husband Sergio was living. Miranda married Sergio by proxy, as did many young women back then. She was given a wedding dress from a friend and her father in-law stood in for Sergio for the proxy in Italy. Later, after arriving in Australia, Miranda and Sergio had another small wedding ceremony at St Columbkille`s Catholic Church in Corrimal, even borrowing clothes for the day.

Sergio came to Australia in 1952 arriving July 10 on the ship Napoli.  He was staying at the Fairy Meadow hostel.  After a short while he and another hostel resident headed to Bundaberg, Queensland to work in the cane fields. 

After approximately 12 months Sergio returned to Wollongong and applied for work at the Port Kembla Steel Works.  There were a lot of jobs on offer at the time.  Sergio rented a room from a friend and began working at the No: 2 blast furnace.  It was at the Steel Works that he met Carmine Fera (Miranda`s brother).  Sergio and Carmine became very good friends.

It wasn`t long after that Sergio purchased the home at Corrimal in Park Road.  It was a little cottage that needed a lot of work.  The house sat on land that was very flood prone and needed new work with irrigation and drainage for storm water.  Carmine was paying rent for his lodgings elsewhere so Sergio offered him a room at his house rent free to help him out. Carmine in return helped Sergio around his property.  This worked out very well. 

 

Sergio had a long conversation with Carmine expressing how he was ready to settle down and asked if he knew of any nice Italian girls.  Carmine said that he had sisters and cousins in Italy and that he would write to them and if they were interested to send him some photos.  Carmine received some photos, five in total.  Out of the five Sergio picked Miranda, not even knowing that it was Carmine`s sister.  Carmine said to Sergio, look over the photos one more time so that you are really sure.

By the time Miranda arrived, Carmine had moved out. Miranda and her husband both began working on fixing and repairing some of the infrastructure of their Park Road residence. It was quite old and had many issues, but they did what they could, a bit at a time, to make the place more comfortable. 

Sergio and Miranda had their first child at Park Road, a daughter Paola, who was born in 1959. Sergio was a hard worker and never said no to extra work.  He regularly worked three shifts, though sometimes it didn`t sit well with other workers (mainly Australians). Sergio experienced work place bullying because he always said yes to more work and as a consequence was always asked first if he wanted some extra shifts.  His coworkers felt that it made them look bad so it added some tension in the work place. 

Miranda, who was busy raising her children, was working at home in the garden and she was incredibly skilled at it.  She began her garden at the Park Road home and they were living almost self sufficiently. She would help others as well with their garden and was always sharing what she had.  Not only was she growing produce for the family meals, she was preserving jars of food such as tomato sauces and giardiniera. They even had a goat and Miranda was making cheese that included ricotta.  They made salami and each year Miranda would make her own soap with the left over pork fat.  Paola and her friend Domenica Barbaro (who`s family lived in the same street and were good friends) were often sent to the local butcher at Miranda`s request to get some more fat for soap making.

In 1961 they moved two streets away to Duff Parade, as well as keeping their Park Road property. Miranda gave birth to her second daughter Flaminia and in 1969 her son Luigi was born. When they came across to Duff Parade, they again cultivated their garden at the same time running their garden at Park Road. They would share their produce with family and friends. They were abundant. Sergio would make wine but the garden was Miranda`s domain. At one stage Miranda was running three gardens.

Miranda had come from an extremely poor family and was one of ten living siblings. Over the course of several years two of her brothers and two of her sisters came to Australia. She understood what poverty was and grew so much produce so she would never go without. Much of her garden produce was given away.  The whole neighbourhood knew of her and even other Europeans/migrants would find themselves being the recipients of Miranda`s home grown vegetables. Whenever someone came to visit, Miranda would make sure that they always went home with something.

In 1963 they built a forno (outdoor bread oven).  Once they fired the oven up the word got out. Friends, family and acquaintances all had their bread made in Miranda`s oven. For four days each week it became quite the social gathering.  They would purchase one 25 kilo bag of flour at a time and all hands were on deck to help with the process that would last for the day. Miranda was the chief bread maker and would make three styles of bread.  A soft focaccia style, a crusty loaf and a biscotto loaf.  The biscotto bread was left in the oven over night to dry out.  It would become extra hard and it was broken off into pieces and used as a cereal with hot coffee/milk and even in salads. Often Miranda would roast capsicums, eggplant, potatoes (all from her garden of course) for everyone to have for lunch after the morning of bread making. 

This gathering of women to make the bread carried on for decades and that is not an exaggeration!  Miranda stopped making bread in 2010 which is quite amazing as she was 75 at the time. She stopped because she had issues with her shoulders and needed operations, having one shoulder operated on in 2010 and the other in 2011.  Miranda`s daughter Paola recalls coming home from school for lunch and almost never finding the house empty.  There were always people in the house.  Miranda was always welcoming someone into the kitchen or the garden.

In the mid 1980`s Miranda did some part time work at Sonny`s Pizza in Railway Street, Corrimal. Sunday was her main day of work but she often would fill in on a Friday or Saturday night if they were short staffed.  In 1989 a family friend came to Australia because he was due to get married and was without a job.  Miranda gave up her job at the pizzeria for him, so he could provide for his future wife.  He loved his job and worked for many years in hospitality and even to this day.

Miranda was an incredibly resourceful woman. She had no schooling whatsoever but was very highly skilled.  She knew all about growing and preserving her own food, she also sewed very well and was handy around the house. Miranda (who taught herself) painted her house internally and that of her good friend Rachele Barbaro, as well as others.  She never refused to help anyone and would often look in on a neighbours house and yard if they were away. Miranda did all her chores early morning, often rising before dawn.  Usually by 7 or 8 am she would be finished and out the door to see who needed some help.  People had told her many times she worked `like a man` (a hardworker).  All those skills she learned as a young village girl in Italy.  It was how she was able to thrive and raise her family here in Australia.

Both Sergio and Miranda were part of the Federazione Cattolica, Alpini of Wollongong, Madonna del Rosario Association and the Illawarra Italian Pensioner Associate Inc, who did a lot fundraising through social events such as picnic days, bus trips and dinner dances ect. Miranda is 91 and still likes to get into the garden. She is not very mobile, but that doesn`t deter her. She gets help with the heavy work and her mind is very sharp. Husband Sergio passed away June 14, 2022.  He was 96.  Together they have four grandchildren and one great grandchild.

Miranda was very proud of her garden and showing people through it, giving advice on growing the produce. It really was her mission in life. People would come to her to learn about gardening, growing cops
and tips.  She was and still is known locally as the `Mamma Di Corrimal`!
`

Miranda and her mother in Italy.

 

 

Miranda, where she loves spending most of her time, in her garden.
 

All images from the collection belonging to Miranda Berzanti.