Poggioreale in Sydney, Australia
How did Poggiorealese Descendants
get to Australia?
Italians have a long and proud history
of living in and contributing to Australian society and culture.
The Italian presence in Australia predates the First Fleet when Italians sailed with Spanish and
Portuguese explorers in the sixteenth century. It is documented that Italians were on
the Endeavor with Captain Cook. Italian immigrants began arriving in Australia in the mid-1800s;
many left their birthplace in search of new opportunities and a better life.
This story is very familiar to Americans of Italian descent who experienced the same challenges.
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to read about the arrival of Poggiorealesi who departed Sicily for Australia.
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The first Poggiorealese known to migrate to Australia was Nicolo Catalano. Born in 1872, he left Poggioreale to make a new beginning in Australia arriving in Sydney on 10 June 1890. Catalano was instrumental in encouraging family and "paesani" to make a new life in Sydney, and it is believed that he opened his home to them until they were able to support themselves.
During the 1920 to 1940's, a number of Poggiorealesi arrived in Australia. They worked hard establishing themselves as greengrocers, tailors, shoemakers, bakers, builders and market gardeners.
During WWII, many Italians were interned. Most Poggiorealesi living in Australia at the time were sent to camps while others were sent to work on farms, sugar cane fields, to build roads, railways or work in mines. Many years would pass before some of these men were reunited with their families.
The post War period saw the greatest influx of Italians in Australia's history. Motivated by the need for work and the depredations caused by war, poverty and natural disasters. Many left their birthplace in search of new opportunities and a better life. Most had only a few pounds in their pocket, but all had big dreams.
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The journey to Australia was long and arduous, often taking up to 8 weeks by ship via the Suez Canal. Most had never travelled outside their birthplace and all their possessions were usually in their wooden trunks.
Between 1950 to mid-1960;s, many Poggiorealesi migrated to Sydney. Work was already waiting for them, and they were quickly absorbed into local Italian communities. With little knowledge of the English language and unfamiliarity with their new country, they naturally sought security by congregating with other paesani, often living together with families or in boarding houses throughout the Inner West, North Shore, the Southern Suburbs and Greater Western Sydney. Many married paesani in Sydney, and in some cases enlisted the help of extended family or neighbors back in Poggioreale to vet potential spouses and negotiate a proxy marriage "procura."
The next significant surge of migration from Poggioreale was due to the Belice Valley Earthquake in 1968. With their homes destroyed, many travelled to Australia to be with their relatives.
From their humble beginnings, the Poggiorealesi resilience and determination enabled them to take advantage of the opportunities offered to them. Today the Poggiorealesi constitute the third largest regional group within the Italian migrant population.
NEW PIA BOOK AVAILABLE!
From Poggioreale to Australia
Girolamo Cangelosi was born in Poggioreale di Sicilia, in the province of Trapani, on November 18, 1940 to Donato Cangelosi and Vincenza Battiate. Until 1960, the date of his emigration to Australia, he lived in his native village of Poggioreale. He attended primary school, obtaining his elementary school diploma. But at the tender age of eleven, he took on the heavy burden of supporting the family alongside his father, an invalid, after his older brother left to work on another continent. At nineteen, he himself undertook the journey to the "new land" to find work and contribute further to his family back home. Throughout his life he continued to love Sicily and the village of his birth without bitterness. His brave story is an example of the historic emigration from the Sicilian island to the continent of Australia. His intimate, loving recollections of the life he lived during the first nineteen years of his life paints a beautiful but long forgotten picture of the Poggiiorealese people and their culture during the 1940s and 1950s. For genealogists and family history students who wish to study and understand their roots, this story is a rich and meaningful must-read to get in touch with our ancestors who lived before us.
Available on amazon.com
This beautiful booklet
tells a detailed story of the Poggiorealesi who immigrated to Australia. These peoplecred the Saint Anthony Association which is one of the biggest Italian/Australian committees in Sydney with over 300 members spanning three generations of Poggioreale ancestry. The Association has brought a community together through a range of religious and social events. It has enabled the traditions, customs and cultural practices of Poggioreale to be exposed and experienced by the immigrant Poggiorealesi children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
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Like most Sicilians who settled in Sydney, the Poggiorealesi are devoted to Saint Anthony, their patron saint. The worship of their protector is often practiced with particular intensity because of the difficulties the Poggiorealesi underwent in their journey to a new life.
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Thank you to Lina Maiorana of Sydney for permission to present her booklet here.
Former Mayor of Poggioreale, Giovanni Maniscalco, wrote
this book about "The Two Poggioreales" in 2004.
The book is out of print. We have preserved this book
by presenting a scanned copy here so you can enjoy it.
See link below photo.
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We are looking for someone who can read Italian to write a book
summary for us. Down the road, we would also like to have this
book translated. CAN YOU HELP US? Contact us as poggiorealeinamerica!@yahoo.com if you are willing to assist.
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