Maria /Renato Petronio
| Town/City | Newcastle |
|---|---|
| First name | Maria /Renato |
| Last name | Petronio |
| Country of Origin | Italy |
| Date of Birth | 23/2 24 18/1/26 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1956 |
| Submitted by | Sonia Matas |
Story
Reason for leaving homeland – poverty after the war
About the Journey – shocking conditions, poor amenities on the old ship Toscana having to go through monsoon areas.
Impressions on Arrival – Arrived at Bonegilla where we had to live in little huts with no heating in June. Just a few army blankets. Food that no-one was accustomed to. Nobody to help bridge the language barrier but we soon learnt the meaning of dago. There were very few belongings as the amount which could be brought over here was very limited. At the moment I am writing a book mainly to capture the feeling of the children of immigrants. I feel they suffered more than the parents because they were caught between two cultures.