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.
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