Kevin Hogan (Page, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On 12 April, I will be at New Italy to celebrate Carnevale Italiano. There is an amazing story of resilience behind this annual celebration. In 1880, 50 Italian families, 340 people, left poverty and desperate economic and social conditions in northern Italy to seek a new life. They spent their life savings on an enticing plan organised by a French nobleman, the Marquis de Rays, to sail to a new land in the South Pacific called La Nouvelle France.

However, they were misled, and many died on the frightful journey from Barcelona in the SS India. When they arrived after months at sea at a harsh and untamed remote part of New Ireland called Port Breton, east of Papua New Guinea, they faced inadequate and rotting food, the tropical climate, sickness and many deaths and found themselves in greater hardship than they had left behind. More family members grew sick and died as they endured months under the harsh and remote circumstances at Port Breton.

Feeling no option but to risk the seas again in the SS India, they persuaded the captain to take them off the island. They wanted to go to Sydney, but as the ship was unsound the captain took them to Noumea, in New Caledonia, which at the time was a French governed penal settlement. Sickness and death continued on this voyage, and on arrival in Noumea the SS India was regrettably declared unseaworthy, and the families were stranded again.

Through the British consul in Noumea, news of the plight of the families reached Sir Henry Parkes, who was the Premier of New South Wales, who gave permission for the stranded Italian families to come to Sydney and sent the James Patersonfor their rescue. On 7 April 1881, destitute and in poor health, 217 survivors of the original 340 Italians sailed into Sydney Harbour. More than one in three family members had died on the Marquis de Rays's expedition and the pioneers' journey to Australia.

Within three months, all the families were given labouring jobs throughout the colony for 12 months, but they had a strong desire to reunite at the end of the 12 months. When they learned of land that was available in northern New South Wales near Lismore, they took steps to buy it and move there together. The land was of poor quality and had been rejected by other settlers. Through sheer determination, tenacity and hard work, the families made the parcel of sterile forest productive and recreated the social fabric of their country of origin. They built a school, a church, a wine shop and small industry. On family values, community and hard work, what became known as the settlement of New Italy was built.

As the original pioneers of New Italy began to die and the next generation of families moved to surrounding towns for work, most of the land of the original New Italy settlement was sold. In 1961, however, the New Italy Museum Incorporated was created under founding president Spencer Spinaze to establish a memorial tribute to the settlers. I know many descendants of these amazing pioneers who live in our community today. Many are community leaders in an array of fields. I pay tribute to the following families and their descendants for the richness they have added to our community in so many ways: the Antoniollis, the Battistuzzis, the Bazzos, the Bertolis, the Buoros, the Caminettis, the Capelins, the Gaurischis, the Gavas, the Marozins, the Martinuzzis, the Mazzers, the Mellares, the Morandinis, the Morandys, the Nardis, the Nicolis, the Palis, the Pedrinis, the Pellizers, the Pezzuttis, the Piccolles, the Roders, the Rosolens, the Sanettis, the Scarrabelottis, the Serones, the Spinazes, the Tedescos, the Tomas and the Zanninis.

I would also like to pay tribute to the organisers and the friends of the New Italy committee: John and Ellen Barnes, Sam and Margaret Robertson, Gail Williams, Peter and Pauline Blackwood, Charlie Tyler, Lois Randel, Leonie Lane, Julie de Nardi and Lester Cooke and to Americo Melqua and Alyson Kelly for her organisation. It is going to be an absolutely wonderful celebration, I know, on 12 April, and I encourage everyone in the community to come along and celebrate what is an amazing story.