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 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.
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.
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.
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`!
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and tips. She was and still is known locally as the `Mamma Di Corrimal`!
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Miranda and her mother in Italy.
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All images from the collection belonging to Miranda Berzanti.
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