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| Tony and Angela in Italy with children, Nat, Benny, Tino, Irma and Rina. |
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| Teresina Bolzan |
After Irma, a daughter, Gentile, was born, but died in infancy.
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| Angela as a young woman |
The first to leave was the eldest son Giovanni (Jack) in 1927. His father Antonio followed in 1929.
Together they built a house on land rented for their banana plantation at Coffee Camp near Lismore in northern NSW. All material was transported by horse and slide across a creek and up a steep hill as there was no access road.
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| Passport photo of Angelina Bolzan, (nee Salezze) of San Gaicomo, P. Treviso, Italy with Irma 15 yrs, Beniamina 11 yrs, Severina 4 yrs, Natale 6 yrs and behind, Constanino 11 yrs. |
The fruit they grew was transported by spring cart to a flying-fox and sent on to Sydney markets.
Tony's wife Angela arrived at Fremantle on the "Ormonde" in 1931 with their other children Irma, Costantino (Con/Tino), Beniamina (Benny), Natale (Nat) and Severina (Rina). During the voyage Nat celebrated his sixth Birthday and Rina her third Birthday.
They remained on the ship and sailed onto Brisbane. There they were met by Giovanni and taken to their new home at Coffee Camp near Lismore.
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| Angela Amidst the Bananas |
The children collected the mail and bread after school and sometimes got a ride in the cart. The family had a horse named Silver which was often ridden by Beni.
They owned a car but only went to church at Easter and Christmas. Once Angela fainted in church as in those days you were not allowed to eat or drink anything from midnight if you wanted to have communion.
The family later bought a Banana Plantation at Jiggi near Lismore. Only Nat and Rina attended school at Jiggi, Beni had started school at Coffee Camp aged nine and a half years but left at age eleven and a half. The Bolzans were the only Italian family at Jiggi and they did not really socialise with the Australian families who were dairy farmers.
The children all helped on the plantation, cutting and packing bananas, making wooden packing cases and chipping weeds. Meanwhile, Angela used the primitive facilities to to look after and provide for her family, making butter, cheese and ricotta, as well as dressmaking for others.
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| Irma, Rina (behind), Angela, Beni, Nat and Tino at Coffee Camp c1932. |
Some years later...
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| Nat, Benny, Jack, Irma, Tino and Rina c1950 |
Giovanni (Jack) travelled to Italy to marry Anelinda (Linda) Bolognine in 1935 and they returned to the farm in Lismore. They had four children and Jack remained on the farm all his life.
Irma married Octavio (Tabi) Feletti and also went to live on a Banana Plantation and they had two children.
Beniamia (Beni) married Antonio (Toni)Mares in 1941 in Lismore and went to live on a Banana Plantation at Georgica. They had two daughters.
Constantino (Tino) left for Sydney to make his fortune. He later married Teresina Statico in Sydney and had two children.
Natale (Nat) also left for Sydney to join brother Tino and they bought a Fruit Shop together in Paddington. Nat married Ami Bocci in Sydney and they had two children.
Severina (Rina) married Livio Antonio Perin in 1944 in Lismore and went to live on a Banana plantation with the Mares family at Geogica, near Jiggi. Later they moved to Terrania Creek where they had two children.
Photographs from many years later...
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| Angela on her 90th birthday |
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| Benny, Tino and Rina at Angela's birthday |
The Bolzan and Perin names have been added to the Welcome Wall at the Maritime Museum in Sydney which pays tribute to the migrants who have travelled the world to call Australia home.
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| Welcome Wall at the, Maritime Museum, Sydney |
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| Bolzan and Perin entries on the Welcome Wall |