Tim Ayres (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

Tonight, on behalf of former senator Fierravanti-Wells, I pay tribute to a great figure within the Australian-Italian community, Cavaliere Giovanni Battista De Bellis OAM. Mr De Bellis lost his short battle with cancer late last year after a life devoted to his family, his work and his community. Former senator Fierravanti-Wells prepared this speech. Any errors are, of course, just in my delivery. She wanted me to acknowledge, in particular, De Bellis's children, Nick, Mary, Frank and Gianni; the president of the Co.As.It board, Lorenzo Fazzini; and the general manager, Thomas Camporeale; as well as Mr De Bellis's numerous friends and colleagues.

Mr De Bellis was born on 22 July 1938 in the town of Acquaviva delle Fonti in the province of Bari, Italy. Like many Italian migrants, he lived through World War II and experienced famine and hardship. Those early experiences taught him to value community, relationships and family. Quite unusually for the time, Mr De Bellis went on to graduate from technical college, having attained an accounting diploma in 1959.

In May 1961 he followed one of his brothers who had already made the decision to come to Australia. Although Mr De Bellis came to Australia with what he described as school English, he found it hard to make any sense of the Australian accent. He moved from job to job after initially settling in Marrickville in Sydney. In his second year, he commenced work with Sabemo, the building arm of the Transfield group of companies. He spent 34 years with that company, as accountant, group administration manager and, ultimately, group financial controller. He retained that role until his retirement in 1996.

In the early 1960s, Mr De Bellis, like many other young Italian migrants, would spend his Saturday nights at the Trocadero in Sydney or the town hall events at both Marrickville and Petersham. It was at the Italo-Australia Club in George Street that he first met the love of his life, Giustina, in 1962. He asked her to dance and, with the approval of her brother, she agreed. Before long a relationship blossomed, and they married the following year.

Mr De Bellis's devotion to Giustina was immense. They frequently attended Co.As.It events, including the gala balls. Elegantly attired, they were the envy of all on the dance floor with their dancing prowess. Sadly, Giustina suffered a brain aneurysm in 2001. Mr De Bellis devoted himself to her care, cooking, cleaning, feeding and supporting her in every way. She would sometimes get confused or agitated, and he had a way of calming her, sometimes with just a smile, at other times with a reassuring comment. They were inseparable, even as her cognition declined. He spoke about her with such fondness—about her mothering, her care for the family and her strength of character. He prioritised Giustina's needs and care above all else, and for a long time managed without any support at all. Ultimately, he allowed Co.As.It to bring in some care, first for Giustina and later for himself as well.

Despite his best efforts to visit her in aged care, COVID restrictions made that almost impossible for a large part of 2020 and 2021. This really affected him very deeply. His cancer diagnosis in October 2021 was a shock to everyone except Mr De Bellis himself. He rarely spoke about his prognosis. He just wanted to be at home, relaxing in his favourite armchair or smoking on his balcony like he always did. Despite a brief admission to hospital, he got his wish.

If Mr De Bellis's first love was Giustina, former senator Fierravanti-Wells says that his second love was Co.As.It, the peak Italian community organisation in New South Wales. Established in 1968 by the Italian Consul-General of the day, it has grown to lead the provision of care to people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Initially founded to maintain the Italian language for the children of migrants, Co.As.It. soon began providing immigration funded settlement services and community events. It's now a major provider of home care packages, Commonwealth home support services, mental health services, drug and alcohol services, problem gambling services, as well as youth and family services. With a staff of 230, 7,000 students and over 2,000 clients, Co.As.It. is a highly regarded entity in New South Wales indeed.

Mr De Bellis got involved with Co.As.It. in the early to mid 1970s. By 1978 he joined the board and served as its treasurer from 1983 until 2020, when he took on the role of assistant treasurer, and he was convener of the education subcommittee until it was disbanded in 2004. As convener he fought for maintenance of Italian language education programs in the primary school system in New South Wales. It is in large part thanks to his commitment that Italian is so widely taught in schools in New South Wales.

He served as a director of Co.As.It. for almost 50 years, as education subcommittee convener for 30 years, and as treasurer for 37 years—an immense commitment to public service and volunteer organisation indeed. His skills as an accountant ensured the financial stability and longevity of the company, but his business acumen ensured its continued growth and success. He was involved in every key decision the organisation made in almost 50 years, and it is a mainstay in New South Wales, particularly in Leichhardt in Sydney. He was involved in many key milestones, including the negotiations for the purchase of Casa d'Italia in Leichhardt, the establishment of the Italian Bilingual School and the purchase of the cultural centre at the Italian Forum—all of these, of course, in the Prime Minister's very own set of Grayndler.

In an interview in April 2018, Mr De Bellis was asked why he maintained his involvement with Co.As.It. for so many years. He answered by saying that he valued the maintenance of language and culture and the care of our older community. He said: 'There's got to be a passion; I wouldn't do it otherwise. In the early days I had a wife and four children at home. I would work all day and then go to a meeting at Co.As.It. and get home at 11 o'clock or midnight.' If that's not passion, I don't know what is.

For all of his efforts, Mr De Bellis was awarded the Order of Australian Medal in 2012, and the Order of Cavaliere by the president of the Italian Republic in 2019. Four days before his death, Mr De Bellis received a Co.As.It medal for his extraordinary contributions to that organisation and to the broader Italian-Australian community. He attended the end-of-year function with pride and received a medal that meant so much to him and that he was involved in establishing three decades earlier. Just a few weeks later, that medal sat on his coffin as an acknowledgement that Co.As.It stands so tall in large part because of Mr De Bellis and his family's contribution to the organisation.

Connie wanted me to acknowledge all of the Co.As.It staff involved in De Bellis's care but especially his case manager, Alessandra, and his care workers, Anesta and Simona.

How does one sum up the legacy of such a generous and compassionate man who gave so selflessly of himself to the Italian-Australian community and to the Australian community at large? I know I speak not just for former senator Fierravanti-Wells but for many in the community and at Co.As.It who will continue his legacy by following the example of care and support he showed to his organisation and his family and that he taught others to show. This legacy lives on in the care for the organisation, the care for the community and the success of the Italian-Australian community. Vale Giovanni De Bellis.

Senate adjourned at 22:24