Tony (Antonio) Reginato
| Town/City | Griffith |
|---|---|
| First name | Tony (Antonio) |
| Last name | Reginato |
| Country of Origin | Italy |
| Date of Birth | 24/01/35 |
| Year of Arrival in Australia | 1955 |
| Submitted by | Eddie Reginato |
Story
Like many young men in post World War 2 Northern Italy, Antonio knew that opportunity and a better life would not be found in his village of Paderno del Grappa, Treviso. The year was 1955, Antonio was 20 years old and about to leave his parents and a younger brother, to start an adventure in a country with different customs and a different language. Funnily enough in those days it all depended which visa application came back first- USA, Canada or Australia. Australia became the lucky country for him.
He also left behind a blossoming romance with a dark haired 16 years old, Teresa Cremasco. A promise was made and kept with Teresa. When the time was right he would call her to join him in that far away land.
A boat trip of one month later and Antonio landed on the Woolloomooloo wharves in Sydney, greeted by his first cousin\’s husband. They took a taxi to Central Station where they boarded the train to Griffith NSW, 600 kilometres west and for Antonio the middle of nowhere.
His Aunty Perina lived there. She could use another pair of strong hands on the carrot farm, after the death of her husband. Tony a qualified bricklayer, had to adapt to the heat and farm dust. Here no one knew of brick homes yet, everyone lived in fibro-sheeted houses. So Antonio became Tony, driven by the dream of owning his own place. One day he would make enough money to bring Teresa.
Four years later and after many love letters, Teresa arrived. Tony greeted her at the docks and they spent her first night in Australia, in separate rooms at Salvation Army\’s People\’s Palace in Sydney.
A couple of days later after the long drive back to Griffith, they married in the local Catholic Church of St Mary\’s, Yoogali. Tony and Teresa settled into the first home, a two bed-roomed cottage on a farm near the township.
Tony immersed himself into his adopted community, eventually finding work at the local entertainment club. Over the years Tony and Teresa grew their family with two sons and a daughter.
In December of 1962, tragedy struck with the loss of his brother\’s life in a motorbike accident. Almost a year after their second son\’s passing, Tony\’s parents made the decision to go settle in Australia with their son. In November of 1963 Tony returned to Italy with his young family, to help his parents settle their affairs.
In the following year, they embarked (again) for that trip across the oceans. He was able to get his old job back at Yoogali Club, and ended up working there for thirty-three years.
Never losing his bond with the home country he is a member of the local chapter of the Trevisani Association and the Griffith parish choir. He still works, now a grandfather, at the Griffith Scalibrini Village as their maintenance man.