ITALIAN CLUBS AND ASSOCIATIONS

Ms BETTISON (Ramsay) (15:33): On Sunday 18 March I attended the St Giuseppe feast day celebrations held at St Joseph's Community Hall in Paralowie. St Joseph's feast day falls on 19 March, and this principal feast day celebrates the earthly father of Jesus Christ and husband of the Virgin Mary.

According to tradition, which was founded in the Middle Ages, a severe drought reduced the populace of Sicily to starvation. The people prayed to St Joseph, their patron saint, asking for his intervention, which he granted, and the famine ended. In gratitude the people vowed to hold an annual feast day where they would offer the finest food in his honour.

A typical St Joseph altar, or table, is laden with traditional and elaborate foods, such as zeppole, cakes, fish, pasta and meatless dishes, with many containing breadcrumbs to represent sawdust, given St Joseph's occupation as a carpenter. Flowers, candles and a lace tablecloth also adorn the table, which is blessed by a priest and presided over by a statue of St Joseph.

The Salisbury St Joseph Committee has been organising the annual feast day in St Joseph's honour for 40 years. The Salisbury festival was started by migrants from Calabria, who wanted to recreate the Festa di San Giuseppe of their homeland. I am told that Italian people usually consider themselves foremost part of a family, rather than as individuals. Italian values and lifestyle include a strong emphasis on honour, education and the enjoyment of Italian music, food and social gatherings.

There are more than 100 Italian associations and clubs in South Australia. They range from welfare associations to recreational, sporting and regional clubs. For many Italians, these associations are meeting places where they can speak their own language or dialect and retain their cultural identity, maintaining their links with familiar institutions. The Salisbury Italian community, like others across Adelaide, is ageing. About 30,000 Italians migrated to South Australia in the post-war years between 1945 and 1972. According to the City of Salisbury community profile, there are 1,542 Italian born people living in the City of Salisbury area.

The Italian Cultural Centre, which hosted the feast day, does a fantastic job in assisting elderly Italian members of the Salisbury community, as well as providing recreational activities, bus trips and meals. After the solemn procession on the feast day, I was privileged to join other distinguished guests including Hon. Jennifer Rankine MP, member for Wright; Hon. Michael Atkinson, member for Croydon; Ms Leesa Vlahos, member for Taylor; and Ms Gillian Aldridge, Salisbury mayor, for a fine Italian lunch. We received a warm reception and I would like to thank the San Guiseppe Association, and especially Mr Sam Garreffa, President, and Mrs Grace Caruso, Secretary, for the kind invitation and organisation of this event.