Marcello Maggiolo
| First name | Marcello |
|---|---|
| Last name | Maggiolo |
| Country of Origin | Italy |
| Date of Birth | 02.10.31 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1951 |
| Submitted by | Teresa Cazzulino |
Story
Marcello was born in a small rural community close to Venice, Pezzan d’Istrana. He was the eldest of ten children.
His father farmed leased land in this area and struggled to make ends meet. To escape this poverty and to help support his family Marcello started work at a young age. However, as he grew older the jobs became scarcer and he decided to find work in other countries. He was too young to work in the mines of Belgium and he had no close relatives in either Argentina or the United States so he was unable to emigrate there. His parents, although not happy to be losing a son, supported his decision as Marcello intended to return after five years.
To emigrate to Australia one needed to be sponsored. Such sponsorship guaranteed the government that the new Australian would have paid employment for two years. Marcello was sponsored to Australia by Augusto Vedelago of Stanthorpe, Qld. The voyage however, cost 152 pounds, which he didn’t have. Alfonso Vedelago put up this payment.
In late January 1951 Marcello left Pezzan with 9000 lire. This had to cover his fare to Istrana and then on to Genoa as well. He left Genoa on 22nd January 1951 on board the Napoli. For a 19 year old the 37 day journey was an adventure. Despite being tedious and not having much to do Marcello formed some lifelong friendships.
He arrived in Sydney on the 28th February with sixpence in his pocket. He travelled to Brisbane by train (part of his fare) and then onto Stanthorpe on the back of a truck. He stayed on Alfonso’s farm and farmed fruit and vegetables until he had repaid his debt. All thoughts of leaving after 5 years disappeared as he loved Australia and all it had to offer.
Marcello moved to Innisfail, Nth Qld and cut cane before eventually buying his own farm. He realized early on that he would have to work hard to make it in this new country as well as to support his family in Italy. He was prepared to do this and continued to do so even after marrying Oriente Bianchi in 1957. He went on to have four children, moving from cane farming to breeding stud cattle.
Marcello prospered in Australia and became a proud citizen in 1957. He has never regretted the decision he made in 1951.