Susanna Munaretto
| First name | Susanna |
|---|---|
| Last name | Munaretto |
| Country of Origin | Italy |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1972 |
| Submitted by | Susanna Boekel |
Story
I was born near Venice, Italy. This area of northern Italy was greatly affected during World Wars I & II, as it borders Austria, and is close to Germany. My father was born in 1935 and when WWII ended in 1945 so did his education. As he was one of eight children, he had to go to work to help support his large family. In the 50\’s he worked in Australia for a few years in the sugar cane regions of Queensland. My mother was born in the middle of WWII and was traumatised by the sound of bombs and became a bed wetter as a child. My mother tells of German soldiers going through their family village and taking all gold jewellery and anything else of value.
I migrated to Australia as a child with my parents and younger sister. We left before Christmas 1971. We travelled on the MS Angelina Lauro, stopping in the Canary Islands, Cape Town South Africa, Perth and finally stopping in Melbourne in February 1972. We were heading to Adelaide where we had relatives but settled in Ballarat where my brother was born in 1973.
In 1972 Australia was different to what it is today. No-one knew what risotto, polenta, focaccia or prosciutto was. Nutella and Toblerone were sent to us from relatives in Italy and Switzerland. Life at school was difficult academically and socially for me. I started school part way through Grade 1 with no English at all. There was no English as a second language (ESL) or other assistance. Having suffered from chronic middle ear infections from an early age I was taken to an ENT (ear, nose & throat) specialist soon after arriving in Australia. Through an interpreter, he declared that I was a deaf-mute and needed to be placed in ‘a home’. Fortunately, my mother protested, and took me to see someone else who made the correct diagnosis. I went on to University, where I met my husband and then graduated with science and commerce degrees. My husband\’s parents are also immigrants Ð a Dutch father and British mother. We have three lovely children with a diverse cultural background.