Giovanna Sieminski
| Town/City | Melbourne |
|---|---|
| First name | Giovanna |
| Last name | Sieminski |
| Country of Origin | Italy (via Argentina) |
| Date of Birth | 13/01/27 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1964 |
| Submitted by | Elena Sieminski |
Story
Giovanna Catania Sieminski\’s mother, Orazia Sivillica, died in Mineo, Sicily when Giovanna was 5 years old. Her father Pietro Catania remarried but Giovanna and her brother Frank were brought up by her widowed grandmother Rosa Melone Costanza. Rosa sold her farm and house in Mineo to enable them to immigrate and join Rosa’s step brother in Argentina in 1948.
Giovanna learnt Spanish very quickly while working in Buenos Aires making Alpargatas canvas shoes. She met and married Stanislaw Sieminski in 1951. They built a new house and had 2 children (Elena in 1955 and Robert in 1960). Giovanna and Stanislaw then started a toy manufacturing business.
However, the promise of a peaceful, democratic Australia led them to decide to immigrate in 1964. They self-funded their immigration to Australia by selling their house and assets. Giovanna had to leave many relatives behind, including her brother Frank and his family, and, in their care, her dear grandmother, who was too frail to make the journey to Australia. This was quite painful, as was the realisation that she would have to start again from scratch working in a new land and learning yet another language.
The trip to Italy with the Salta passenger ship was quite turbulent and Giovanna was sometimes seasick. However, a highlight was that she was able to visit her father and step brothers and sisters in Italy before continuing on a smoother journey to Australia from Italy on the ship Galileo Galilei.
Upon arrival, she was impressed by the quiet, peaceful suburbs of Melbourne and excellent roads and services. However, it would be a few years before a cosmopolitan lifestyle developed in Melbourne and the shops were filled with the variety of international food Giovanna had known overseas. The family became Australian citizens in 1965.
Giovanna has dedicated her life to building a new home in Melbourne and ensuring a successful future for her children after Stanislaw’s untimely death in 1978. She became an active environmentalist and gardener and instilled these values in her children.