by Susan Toscan
He ran to find the lifeless body of Savina’s brother at the base of the gorge, the motorbike lying a short distance away. It was obvious that Giovanni had sustained a severe head injury, and it looked very much like he had broken his neck. Alessandro fell down beside the crumpled body and cried. He cried for a young life lost senselessly. He had seen so much death during the war and he had hoped never to witness it again, but here was another life gone. He held the body of the boy whom he had grown to love as his own brother. The pain of his sadness was unbearable.
Someone had gone to find Antonio, and as Giovanni’s father approached, he saw Alessandro sitting and holding his son’s body. He was beyond the depths of despair and sorrow. He did not know how to take the next step, let alone get his son home and deal with his wife and daughters’ anguish. Alessandro saw Antonio and moved to let him take his son, but the devastated man collapsed onto the ground. The closest men rushed forward to assist him, but his sobs shattered their resolve, and they joined him in his grief for this lost boy.
Giovanni’s funeral was held within a few days of the accident. It was a short service in the ancient church in the village square, the same church where Giovanni had been baptised and where Alessandro and Savina were to be married in a few months’ time.
The funeral seemed to give the whole community a renewed channel for their collective grief. They grieved for Giovanni, of course, but they also grieved for all of the loved ones they had lost. They grieved for their country and the toll it had suffered as a result of the war.
One month after the funeral, the family attended a special mass for Giovanni. This was a custom of the Italian people. Their anguish was still raw, but acceptance of his death had slowly begun the healing process, and they were at least able to move forward in the knowledge that this free-spirited young man was at peace.
Italy: “Good luck with
your new life …”
The wedding day arrived on 25 September 1949. It was a beautiful autumn day, and a crystal-clear sky reflected the shadows of the mountains. Savina gazed up at the peaks that she had seen every day of her life. She remembered how her brother had loved them. She did not. She appreciated their beauty, but she would not miss them towering over her; she would not miss the fear and tragedy that they had come to represent for her.
She looked up and said a silent goodbye and felt all her fears put to rest.
Savina would not be leaving Cavaso until November, but tonight she would not return to her family; tonight she would be going with her husband to his home, which he shared with his brother’s family on the other side of the village. The couple would stay there until their departure for Australia.
The following day would be an adventure. She and Alessandro would go to Venice to get their travel papers, passports and visas. They would stay one night and see some of the historical sites that the city offered. Savina was not all that interested in the history of her country, but knowing that she might never have the opportunity to see Venice again, she wanted a memory of this city to take away with her, possibly forever.
For her marriage to Alessandro, Savina wore a sensible but very elegant caramel-coloured suit with an A-line skirt that fell below the knee. She had a lovely figure, and the suit jacket was fitted to her tiny waist. Her sisters had found a pair of silk stockings for her to wear, and she felt very sophisticated. Her shoes were well worn but practical as new shoes were not an option. She had spent a lot of time polishing them, and they certainly did not detract from her overall elegance. A small hat sat at an angle on her hair and completed the outfit. She felt like a bride. Her family did their best to make a fuss of her. Even Savina’s stepmother Paula gave her a hug and told her that she was proud of her and wished her well. “Bella sposa.”
Olga and Gigetta had given Savina a bouquet that they had made with flowers picked from the garden. It consisted mostly of greenery as there were not many flowers at that time of the year, but the girls had managed to find some ribbon and make the little posy look very pretty. Savina was touched by the effort they had gone to. As she hugged them, she wondered how she would cope when it came time to leave them.
Savina and her family set out together for the church. It was a 10-minute walk, and Savina took the time to look carefully at these people who until now had been her whole world. She knew that Olga was seeing a lovely boy from the village and that they too wanted to get married—but Antonio would not consider this as Olga was only 18. Her boyfriend, Louie, was a few years younger than Alessandro, and like Savina and her soon-to-be-husband, Olga and Louie had known each other since they were children.
Olga’s sweetheart Louie had not gone to war as he had been too young. His family had managed to keep him well hidden from the German soldiers. Now that he was older, he had his heart set on some adventure and excitement in his life. Louie had talked a lot to Alessandro as he too wanted to migrate to Australia. He was interested in applying for work on an amazing new endeavour that was being undertaken in a mountainous area of New South Wales. It was a project to build a new hydroelectric power station—the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme.
The Australian government had been advertising for men to fill the many positions required to build this massive construction, which would expand the region’s capability for providing water for various irrigation schemes and generate electricity to a large area by combining the power and watercourses of three large rivers.
Various politicians were still working through the plans, but it was clear that the greatest engineering scheme in Australian history was taking shape, and Louie wanted to be part of that. The advertisements had appeared in newspapers in Italy and elsewhere in Europe as the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority was trying to recruit strong young men from abroad. The necessary manpower was not available from within Australia itself, partly due to wartime casualties but also because of the relatively small population. The authority needed experts from Europe as well as strong men to undertake the heavy work that this construction would create. The scheme and eventually the finished hydroelectric plant were going to provide hundreds if not thousands of jobs over a very long period of time.
The Australian government had introduced immigration schemes to increase its population. The advertisements offered assisted passage to Australia, and like Alessandro and Savina, Louie recognised that it was too good an opportunity to pass up. He knew that Olga would not be able to go with him, but he was prepared to go alone. Louie would work hard for the next few years and hope that Olga’s father would eventually allow her to join him in Australia—and then they could be married.
Savina’s father took her arm and asked if she was sure that she wanted to get married. She smiled at him; she knew he was teasing her and trying to lighten the moment. “Papa, vi posso assicurare che non sono mai stato così sicuro nella mia vita.”—Papa, I can assure you that I have never been so sure of anything in my life.
A very proud father walked with his daughter towards the man she loved. Antonio was happy in the knowledge that this young couple would have a good life together. As Savina walked down the aisle towards Alessandro, she saw the look on his face—and the tears in his eyes—and she knew that he too was anxious to start their shared future as husband and wife.
The little wedding party returned to Antonio and Paula’s house for a simple meal that had been prepared earlier. Some pasta dishes as well as some lovely prosciutto and a selection of olives, eggplant and radicchio were set out on the table. It was a feast. Lots of homemade wine was served, and the family laughed together for the first time since Giovanni’s death. It was strange that he was not with them, and each family member held him close in their hearts, loving and missing him but not wanting to spoil the joy of this day.
As the newlyweds set out to walk to Alessandro’s home across the village, they first stopped to visit the small village cemetery. Savina placed her bouquet of flowers on Giovanni’s grave and tearfully said goodbye to her little brother; as
she turned to walk back towards her husband, she was sure she heard her brother say, “Sorella buona fortuna per la tua nuova vita.”—Good luck with your new life, sister.
Italy: No regret for the past
Packing was not too hard as Savina and Alessandro could only take one trunk and a suitcase each. Savina’s trunk was filled to the brim with special things to help them set up their home in Australia, including beautiful handmade tablecloths and a set of cotton sheets made from the finest quality cotton. These things had belonged to her mother, and her father had surprised her by giving them to her after the wedding. “Savina, I’ve kept these few things aside from your mother’s possessions. She would have wanted you to have them.”
Savina was very touched and pleased that her father had been so sensitive. “Thank you, Papa,” she said. “These are so beautiful, and I appreciate that you kept them for me for so long. I will treasure them.” Savina had also packed some basic cooking utensils as well as a few treasures that she could not bear to leave behind. She was very practical, but she still wanted to have some reminders of home with her.
She had been told that life on the ship would be very basic; she had to take food to supplement the meagre rations that were included in the cost of their passage. They would have use of cooking facilities and hot water, but as no refrigeration was available, she was very limited in what supplies she could take. She decided that it was best to pack preserved meats and as much fruit and vegetables as it was practical to carry. The ship would make a couple of port stops to refuel, and Savina would be able to re-stock at least twice to the best of her knowledge.
Washing clothes would also be a challenge, but again, Savina felt that she could put up with anything knowing that she and her husband were going to a better life in Australia.
Savina and Alessandro were told that they would be sharing their cabins with others as there would be 1200 passengers on the ship. Savina would be with the women, and Alessandro would sleep in the ‘men only’ cabin. This prospect did not thrill them, but as they had never been on a ship before, they thought that it must be normal.
On the day they were to leave, Savina was packed and ready. She and Alessandro were to attend mass, and then they would spend the morning with family and friends. That afternoon they would be on the train to Genoa. A neighbour had offered to take them to the railway station in his car as it was only a short trip. The following day they would board the ship. Savina was in a bit of a daze; she could not quite believe that it was all actually happening.
Before she knew it, a whole day and a night had flown by, and she and Alessandro—surrounded by their families—were preparing to leave. Savina’s father held her close to him. “Your own mother and I let you go with all our love. She would have been very proud of the woman you are. Be happy, my daughter.” He struggled to control his emotions.
Her sisters were also having a hard time. Savina’s heart was very heavy. Apart from her husband, she loved her father, Olga and Gigetta more than words could say. Living so far away from them was indeed the most difficult thing she would ever have to do.
When they had first discussed the possibility of migrating to Australia, Savina and Alessandro could only focus on what they wanted for their future. They had considered their families and how very difficult the leaving process would actually be, but now that the time to depart was imminent, it was almost unbearably hard to drive away not knowing when or if they would ever see their loved ones again.
It took all of their strength to leave their familiar little village with their friends and family waving to them. They felt very alone, and all of a sudden—but only for a fleeting moment—they were unsure of their decision.
Alessandro was also feeling emotional at leaving his family. He held Savina’s hand as they climbed into the car. They waved and smiled through their tears as the car pulled away. They felt very special being taken to the station in a car. There were only a few cars in the village, and it was exciting to be travelling in such style.
Alessandro leaned over and whispered to his wife, “And now we start our adventure, my love. Our whole lives are ahead of us.” He was confident that they were going to a better life with opportunities that they could not yet imagine. He was ready for this change. He needed to start this new chapter of his life with hope for the future, not regret for the past.
The train trip to Genoa was very interesting for a young woman who had never travelled very far from the village of Cavaso with the exception of going to Venice for her honeymoon. Venice was only 60 kilometres from Cavaso, so travelling to the other side of Italy by train was a very different experience.
The train stopped at almost every town and village on the route. As it made its way across the country, the train was boarded by many people. Most of them were similar in age to Savina and Alessandro. Savina was relieved to see that there were other young married couples on the train and that they too were to board the ship at Genoa. A large number of young men were talking about going to work on the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme and were very keen to reach their destination. They were excited about being part of this new venture in a place that, until recently, they had never heard of.
These young Italians had no concept of the vastness of Australia or of the fact that New South Wales was a very large state. Much discussion went back and forth about what they could expect to see when they arrived. One fellow commented, “I can’t wait to see Bondi Beach! I’ve seen pictures of girls who wear bikinis. They all looked very beautiful!” All of the young men laughed nervously at the prospect of looking at half-naked women out in the open.
Another young man speculated, “What will it be like to swim in the surf and walk on those long beaches that they have in Australia? I’m looking forward to finding out.” They all agreed that they had to see this place before they headed to the mountains to start work.
Alessandro and Savina were not interested in staying in the city of Sydney any longer than necessary. They were keen to get to their final destination and meet Frank Messera and his family.
As the conversations continued to flow, the excitement in the voices of the passengers was contagious. Everyone seemed to be talking at once about what they wanted to do when they arrived. Many of the young men and women were especially concerned about seeing kangaroos hopping around the streets; they had seen photographs of these animals in magazines, and the kangaroos looked very large indeed.
Savina looked worried when she heard about the kangaroos, and she glanced across at Alessandro for reassurance. At first he teased her by telling her, “Yes, kangaroos are enormous, with huge tails that could knock a man over.” He smiled at the expression on her face. “Don’t worry, my love; those fellows are exaggerating. I’m pretty sure that the kangaroos mostly stay in the forest areas—I think it is called ‘the bush’—but we’ll soon find out, won’t we?”
Savina felt very shy among all these new faces, so she stayed close to her husband. It was very crowded on the train, but she knew that she had to get used to these conditions because the six-week voyage would also be very crowded.
Their ship would arrive in Sydney in early December. They knew that it would be summertime in Australia, another strange concept they all struggled to understand. The seasons were the opposite of what they had grown up with. It seemed very peculiar indeed to consider a Christmas with no snow, let alone having to celebrate it in extremely hot weather.
Alessandro listened to all of the talk and smiled to himself. He knew the way the young men were feeling; they were excited, just like children, at the prospect of this wonderful adventure. For the first time in a very long time, they had something to look forward to.
Savina was overcome with a case of nerves, however, and she felt quite ill; in fact, she had been feeling unwell for the last couple of weeks. She had put that down to being upset about leaving her family, but she was also aware that her period was very late. As she sat there on the train, her anxiety reached a new level wit
h the realisation that she could be pregnant already. And now that she had left her family behind, she did not have anyone she could ask to check if the symptoms she was suffering were those of pregnancy.
Savina suddenly felt very afraid. She did not want to say anything to Alessandro yet as she knew that he would worry even more about her, and she did not want that. She kept telling herself to be patient and wait. Time would reveal if they were going to have a baby sooner than they had anticipated. Savina thought that it was a good sign: they were very likely going to their new home as a family.
When the train finally arrived in Genoa, a friend of Savina’s father was there to meet the young couple. He took them to his home, where his wife had prepared a meal for them, and the hot food tasted wonderful. Savina was exhausted. It took a great deal of concentration for her to follow the conversation after dinner. As soon as it was polite to do so, she excused herself from the table and was shown to a small room at the back of the house. Some towels and a basin of hot water had been left there so she could wash. She wasted no time in getting into bed, and sleep came very quickly. She did not hear Alessandro come in; he had stayed up quite late playing cards.
The next morning, Alessandro and Savina were up early as they had to be on board, the Achille Lauro by 8.00 am. The dock was a short car trip from the house. When they arrived and saw the enormous ship they would be boarding, they were overwhelmed.
Italy and Australia:
Eucalyptus leaves
and fresh pasta
As he stood on the dock, Alessandro was suddenly overwhelmed by a deep unwillingness to step aboard the ship. He could feel his homeland refusing to give him up; the country he had fought and suffered for as well as the men and women he had fought alongside—many of whom he had lost—were all flooding into his mind and his heart as he stood ready to leave them for the other side of the world.
