IHS Journal Are Those of the Contributors and Do Not Necessarily Reflect Those of the Italian Historical Society
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•' ITALIANHISTORICAL SOCIETY JOURNAL VOLUME11 , NO.2 JULY-DECEMBER2003 ISSN1321-3881 The editorial sub -committee for this edition was: Joan Campbell, Doug Campbell , Lorenzo Iozzi, Laura Mecca, Elsa Paulin The Italian Historical Society Journal aims to provide, to those interested in the history of Australian-Italian communities, an outlet for the circu lation of news and reports, the exchange of information and the notification of future act ivities. We invite readers to contribute newsworthy artic les and short notes. Guidelines for contributors are available on applica tion. The views expressed in the IHS Journal are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Italian Historical Society. The illustrations not sourced are from the Italian Historical Society Collect ion. The Journal is published twice a year. Subscription is $30.00 annually (GST inclusive). This entitles you to membership of the Italian Historical Society. The Society is part of Co.As.I t (Italian Assistance Association) and is governed by the rules and regu lations of Co.As.It. Subscr iptions may be sent to: ITALIANHISTORICAL SOCIETY - CO.AS.IT 1ST FLOOR , 189FARADAY STREET , CARLTON , 3053 VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA TEL:(03) 9349 9000 FAX (03) 93491063 E-MAIL:IHS @COASIT.COM.AU Readers of the IHS Journal wil l notice that recent issues of the journal have undergone a change in design and, to some degree, in content. It will also be apparent that the publication of this latest issue has been late due in large part to these changes, which we are implementing so that we continue to produce as high a standard as possible while work ing within the available means . We would appreciate any feedback regarding this publicat ion. Suggestions and comments can be forwarded to the editor. FRONTCOVER: A still from the film Love's Brother showing Ame lia Warner in the role of Rosetta who is about to embark on a long voyage. (See article by Jan Sardi, the director of the film, on page 33). © COPYRIGHT2003 The text material in this Journal is copyright and remains the property of the individual authors. Where the author is not stated. copyright inquiries should be directed to the Italian Historical Society - Co.As.It. The photographs are copyright of the Italian Historical Society - Co.As.It unless otherwise stated. from 'terrone' to 'wog ': 'post ' colon ial contents perspectives on italian immigration into australia Dr Gerardo Papalia 2 introduction and background context to the italian diplomatic archives held at the italian historical society, melbourne Louis Green 12 building blocks of settlement: italians in the riverland, south australia Sara King and Desmond O'Conno r 24 Rolani Guido : a prisoner of war in gippsland Marian Scarlett 30 growing up italian and making movies Jan Sardi 33 from our archives: the origin of the italian language 38 italian historical society news 39 recent acquisitions 40 publications received 42 see back pages for guidelines for contributors & acknowledgements from 'terrone'to 'wog': 'post' colonialperspectives on italian immigrationinto australia GERARDOPAPALIA WAS BORN IN AUSTRALIAhis 'liberation' of the South had been with OF ITALIANPARENTS WHO MIGRATEDIN It~ substantia l political, military and financial THE 1950S. IN 1994 HE WON AN ITALIAN support. British interests played a leading role in Italian unification seen as a counterweight GOVERNMENTSCHOLARSHIP TOSTUDY AT THE to French designs in the Mediterranean. The UNIVERSITYOFPAVIA WHERE HE IS PRESENTLYdenigration of the Bourbon regime in the TEACHINGENGLISH . IN 1996HE WORKED FOR dominant media of the time provided the THE ITALIANHISTORICAL SOCIETY INDEXING necessary ethical support for Garibaldi's mission and constituted the founding justification of AND TRANSLATINGDOCUMENTS FROM THE 2 ITALIANDIPLOMATIC ARCHIVE COL LECTION.IN 'Italian' unification. 2003 HE RECEIVEDHIS PHDFROM LA TROBE In reality, despite the difficult cond itions of its poor, UNIVERSITY.THE TITLE OF HIS RESEARCH WAS the Bourbon regime was neither irredeemably RELATIONSBETWEEN ITALY AND AUSTRALIAcorrupt nor impenetrable to progress. Under its DURINGTHE ITALO-ETHIOPIAN CONFLICT 1935- policies, a modest start towards industrialisation 1936.CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS INCLUDE had already occurred, and few know that it was the first Italian state to construct a railway line POST-COLONIALTHEORY AS APPLIED TO ITALIAN (Naples-Portici). It expressed a florid intellectual HISTORYAND EMIGRATION, ITALO-AUSTRALIAN and political life in spite of setbacks resulting from LITERATUREAND WORKSBOTH FICTION ANO Bourbon repression after the 1848 revolution. by NON-FICTIONWRITTEN IN ENGLISHON ITALY. Its economy was stable and product ive and its DR GERARDOGERARDO MAY BE CONTACTEDBY E-MAILON finances sound. 3 PAPALIA [email protected] The hopes raised by Garibaldi's campaign among the southern peasantry for land The Italian presence in Australia has been owners hip were quickly destroyed. In seen in a wide variety of ways, but rarely from constitu tional, lega l, administrative and military the point of view of post-co lonial discourse. As terms Italy had not really been 'unified' , Italian unification in 1861 represents the starting but rather had been ·occupied' by an all point for Italian mass emigration, the best way to central ising Piedmontese state. Not surpr isingly, approach the issue is to beg in by reconstructing the overriding prior ities of the new Italian traditional views of Italian history and culture. government were principa lly to industria lise the northern Italian economy. According ly, the new Italian unificatio n has generally been hailed regime quickly stipulated agreements with the as a positive step towards nationhood by large southern landowners (latifond isti), thereby a country which had hitherto been simply frustrat ing peasant asp irations. This , together described as a 'geographica l expression'. The with increases in taxation, not to mention the standard narrative traces Garibaldi's steps forced de-industria lisation of the southern from the embarkation of the 'One Thousand' at economy, led to a general armed insurrection Quarto in Liguria and his landing in Marsala, which went under the name 'Brigantagg io.' Sicily to 'liberate' the South. His campaign is To quell it, martial law was declared and the as celebrated as the man himself, described Piedmontese army sent to the South ended up as the 'Hero of Two Worlds'. Indeed, he is one number ing 120,000. It resorted to notorious of the few Italian political and military figures 'co unterinsurgency' tactics similar to those of the in modern history that the English speak ing United States in Vietnam. The death toll, almost world can relate to, not least because of his exclusively among civilians , was to reach almost penchant for things British, like the red shirts his 270,000 . While the military's losses were much men famously sported. The existing Bourbon lower - abo ut 23,000 - this was still more than all regime he so deftly helped to bring down had casualties sustained by the Piedmontese army in been described by none other than British P.M. the wars for the unificat ion of Italy. The def initive Gladstone himse lf, as 'the negation of God repression of brigandry was to confirm the large erected into a system of government.' 1 landowners as the ruling class of the south in alliance with northern industria l interests. 4 In fact , unification really meant the military occupat ion of the rest of Italy by the Kingdom The industrialisation of the North could not occur of Savoy (Piedmont) . Until his departure for without 'squeezing' the only productive sector of Marsala, Garibaldi had basically served his the economy, agriculture. In southern Italy this 'revolutionary' career at the service of the was the principa l source of income and export British governmen t in South America. Moreover, earnings. Taxation was increased particularly on 1 Gladstone , W.E .. Letter to the Earl of Aberdeen on the State of Naples, 1851. 2 See: McLean , David, ·Garibaldi in Uruguay: a reputation reconsidered ' English Historical Rev iew, April 1998. Also: Various Authors, La Storia proibita: Quando i Piemontesi invasero ii Sud, Controcorrente, Naples , 2001, British strategic interests , pp. 129-152. 3 Petrusewicz, M., 'Before the Southern Question: Native ideas on Backwardness and Remedies in the Kingdom of Two ITALIAN Sicilies, 1815-1849' in Schneider, J. (ed) Italy's Southern Question. Orientalism in One Country , Berg, 1998 , New York. pp . i HISTORICAL 27-49 . Alianeflo, C. , La conquista de/ Sud. II Risorgimento nelf'ftalia meridionale, Rusconi Editore Milan, 1972 .. p.109 . i SOCIETY 4 La Stor,a Proibita. pp. 153-166: Villari, R .. Storia Contemporanea, Vol. 3, Laterza, Bari 1982. pp.241-242 , Procacci, G., 21JOURNAL Storia degli ltaliani, Vol. 2 Laterza Bari 1998.pp.391-2. FROM 'TERRONE' TO 'WOG': 'POST' COLONIAL PERSPECTIVESON ITALIAN IMMIGRAllON INTO AUSTRALIA domestic consumption (for example the infamous and the South. Initially emig ration was opposed Mill Tax was introduced in 1869), and after a by governments to keep rural labour costs low period of trade liberalisation, heavy protectionism in favour of southern landowners . However, was adopted (1878). Before unification, the the situation rapidly became exp losive. Policy southern Italian economy had been the most was forced to change, emigration began to be viable in Italy in export terms: it had the biggest seen as a positive solution to social problems merchant marine fleet in the Mediterranean after arising particula rly in the South. Crime would be the British with its agricu ltural products being sold reduced and emigrants would send back much throughout Europe and as far afield as Russia and needed foreign cash to help their fami lies left at the United States. Reaction to Italian protectionism home. This money helped to redress the trade by importing countries meant that southern Italian imbala nce due to protectionism , buoyed the products were no longer welcome. Under these interna l market and ended up in banks which pressures and unfavourable world markets, the financed industrialisation.