Journalist Luigi Jorio seeks his Ticinese pot of gold in the state of Victoria.
From Barb Mullen, Australia
Over the last year and a half I have produced monthly newsletters on the Mattei family in Australia, spanning the years 1850 to 1950 primarily. The newsletters, Mattei Matters, covered the lives and families of the original Alessandro and Catherine Mattei nee Mulcahy and their 12 children. Continue reading
From Marilyn Longinotti Geary, United States
Carlo Martinoia arrived in San Francisco via the Isthmus of Panama on June 15, 1852. Born in 1829 to a poor family in Cevio in the Valle Maggia, Martinoia began working at the age of 15 as a mason’s helper, first in France, then in Africa.
From Jody Cabalzar, Australia
I’m seeking some feedback on the emmigration route my x3 great grand father would have taken from Graubunden on his way to Australia in 1863. Continue reading
From Mark Lesina, United States
I found a link online (http://vuir.vu.edu.au/15416/1/Carlson_1997compressed.pdf) and have started reading it, and it seems really interesting. It is a book that has been scanned and placed on line by University of Victoria – Melbourne in Australia. Continue reading
From Carla Rezzonico, Switzerland
I am looking for information on Giuseppe and Paolo Scettrini from Vogorno, sons of Giulio and Angiolina née Gamboni, who left for America at the beginning of the 1900s. Continue reading
From Barb Mullen, Australia
My great aunt was known as Auntie Easie, she was also called Anesia by some, Ann by others. It has been a puzzle to us for some time where the name Anesia has come from. Does anyone know if the name has connections with Ticino or more precisely, Cevio?
From Mark McLaughlan, Australia
My great grandfather and great great grandfather were both named Carlo Traversi and according to the records were born in Cevio which was known as “Swiss-Italian” in our history. Continue reading
From Lee Chiappalone, Australia
Moretti and Filippini: Both families emigrated from Cevio and Coglio Ticino to Australia in the late 1800’s. Family folklore has it they were related but there were no marriages between the families in this country.
Were there marriages back in Ticino? My GG grandfather was Ferdinand Moretti son of Johannes Moretti and Ivania Maria Mautero (not sure if those names are spelt right). Any information most welcome.
by Barb Mullen, Australia
In 1922, Peter, Elsie and Kenneth moved to Creswick to run the British Hotel. It was at this grand hotel some hundreds of miles from where most of the family were living, that fractures in the relationship between Peter and Elsie were visible. Continue reading
From Marilyn Longinotti Geary, United States
I am searching for information on the Rotanzi Family of Peccia. Three sons of father Luigi Rotanzi left in the mid-19th century. Francesco went to Australia in 1855 and became a manager of a gold mining operation. Continue reading
by Barb Mullen, Australia
When Peter Mattei was about 5 years old, the family fortunes changed for the better. What was to become the family home, ‘Rovanna’ was a house on many acres of land where the family had fruit trees such as apple, pear, plum, peach and cherry trees. The chestnut so important as a food source in Cevio, especially in times of hunger, was also grown here and two trees stand today on the property in Green Hills, near Blackwood. Continue reading
By Barb Mullen, Australia
The story of the Mattei family of Australia continues. Alessandro Mattei migrated to Victoria, Australia in 1855. This is the story of his fourth son. Continue reading
Alison, from Australia
My grandmother’s father was Battista Pedroia or something similar-maybe Pedrojo as he himself signed. He came to Australia from Prato in Switzerland via Dieppe with his brother Pasquale on the Lucie in 1855 in his early 20’s. Continue reading
And what has Amy Lacy discovered about her father’s upbringing?
I had the opportunity of visiting Ticino in August where I tried to answer these questions and a few more.
by Barb Mullen, Australia
A story is told of Vene that when he had to stay in Melbourne for a short while, he didn’t want to stay with family in Clifton Hill, a suburb of Melbourne, because it was near the slums of Collingwood. That was Vene, a man persuaded of his self worth. Another story tells of him stopping a tram in between stops, because as he explained, he had an important meeting to attend in the city. Continue reading
by Barb Mullen, Australia
Meanwhile, back in VictoriaVene Monighetti was a confident, genial and charming man to many, the ideal type to run a hotel. He had a sharp business mind and had spent a good deal of time learning the tricks of the trade from his mother. He was without question, Kit’s favourite, a man on whom she could draw strength. Continue reading
by Barb Mullen, Australia
The Monighetti family story continues and here we explore aspects of the adult lives of Kit and Carlo Monighetti’s children. Every parent wants their children to have a life that is an improvement on theirs. Continue reading
By Barb Mullen, Australia
It was in December of 1910, not long after becoming a widow, that Kit was operating what was called a ‘two gallon license business’ at the Dudley Store (we would call it a sly grog shop, an unlicensed place where you could buy alcohol). Dudley is a small township close by Wonthaggi. Kit was called to the Police Court in February 1911, to account for her breach of the licensing laws. The court took sympathy on Kit and returned the liquor to her. Continue reading
By Barb Mullen, Australia
Kit’s father would have been proud of his daughter. She had married a Swiss Italian ‘with prospects’ and the wider family were all working together to ensure each other’s prosperity. When he died in 1905, he would have felt he had done his best. Continue reading
By Barb Mullen, Australia
Kit was probably born on 4 September in 1875, at the Band of Hope Mill. Neither her birth certificate or registration of baptism have yet been found and many documents have contradictory information in this regard. Continue reading
