Carlo Sartor
| Town/City | Balgownie, NSW |
|---|---|
| First name | Carlo |
| Last name | Sartor |
| Country of Origin | Cavaso del Tomba, Italy |
| Date of Birth | 27/01/27 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1955 |
| Submitted by | Marcello Sartor |
Story
My Father, Carlo Sartor, left our home town of Cavaso del Tomba in Northern Italy on 7 November 1955, travelling by sea to Australia. He arrived in Sydney one month later, on 7 December. His ship was the Achille Lauro Line vessel named “Sydney”.
Dad settled in Balgownie, a suburb of Wollongong in NSW and 18 months later he sent for my Mother, Maria Concetta, my brother Luciano, and me, Marcello. To the best of my knowledge, our ship called the “Oceania” of the Lloyd Triestina Line was the first passenger ship to come to Australia through the Suez Canal after its reopening to passenger ships. We arrived in Sydney on 5 May, 1957.
Meanwhile, Dad had two sisters who lived at Balgownie, and he stayed with one of them while he established himself. Dad was a hard-working man and was in the Alpino Corp of the Italian Army before his departure. After arriving in Wollongong he quickly found work so that he could buy land and build the family home.
Dad loved his new country, his family and a glass of red wine more than anything else. He always had a very happy nature. Unfortunately Dad was cut down in his prime, dying of cancer at the age of 49 while working a the BHP Steelworks at Port Kembla. Mum never remarried and lived at Balgownie in the home they built together. Mum passed away peacefully on June 10, 2010 surrounded by her loving family – reunited with beloved husband Carlo.
I, Marcello, and my wife of 35 years, Rina, have two children, Adrian and Louise. Louise recently married Michael in November 2008, and on the 30August 2011 they became proud parents to their beautiful baby girl Genova Mia – an event which has brought so much joy and happiness to their lives. Becoming grandparents for the first time has been such a wonderful experience. We love our little granddaughter so much and we are very proud of the mother and woman our daughter has become.
I am currently employed with the NSW Public Service at the Roads and Traffic Authority of NSW (now Roads and Maritime Services) where I have worked for the last 43 years, and will be retiring on the 27th October 2012.
I love life in Australia and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
Marcello Sartor