Society of Saint Hilarion

Mr TARZIA (Hartley) (12:10): I move:

That this house—

(a) congratulates the Society of Saint Hilarion on their significant milestone, celebrating their 60^th anniversary in 2015;

(b) pays tribute to the Society of Saint Hilarion's service to Italian migrants and the wider community, especially through their aged-care facilities, which improves the lives of older people by providing high quality aged-care facilities within a culturally diverse community; and

(c) acknowledges the importance of their establishment and the work they have done over the last 60 years in the promotion and preservation of Italian heritage and, in doing so, also enriches the multicultural landscape of South Australia.

It gives me great pleasure to speak today on this motion. The Society of Saint Hilarion, as we know, was actually founded as not only a cultural body but a religious body in 1955. I believe it formally became incorporated in 1974. The origin of this group is certainly owed to the passion of an astounding and wonderful group of migrants who settled in South Australia after migrating from the town of Caulonia in Italy—notably about 27 kilometres from my grandfather Vincenzo's town of Siderno—and other surrounding regions in southern Italy, both sides of the Second World War.

In the 1980s, the Saint Hilarion group entered into the aged-care area where I believe they purchased a nursing home at Lockleys in Adelaide's western suburbs. Since then they have gone on to do wonderful and great things every day. They have grown to become one of the state's leading multicultural aged-care service providers in our state. It was a great pleasure to be able to go there recently and see the wonderful work that they do.

When you go to one of these homes, such as the Bene nursing home in the eastern suburbs, you see nothing but the absolute best care provided to these residents. Not only is it the best care but there is warmth and friendliness and they cater for many of these migrants in their native tongue, which is obviously a huge benefit, but, most importantly, they get home-made, good Italian food, which is an added bonus.

Today, the society owns and operates two facilities: a charming villa-style development at Fulham and a new House of Saint Hilarion at Seaton, which I believe was completed in about 2010. The society is a not-for-profit organisation and it certainly puts an enormous emphasis on family, family values and community values. That is underlined, as I just said, by ensuring that the residents enjoying nothing but the utmost quality and compassionate care in a warm, positive and loving environment. They not only focus on people's physical care but also on their mental, social and spiritual wellbeing. They often have feast celebrations and other religious celebrations and residents are included in that way as well.

The Society of Saint Hilarion is named after the patron saint of Caulonia. Caulonia is a small town in the region of Calabria in southern Italy. As a member of parliament who descends from Italian migrants originally, I am very proud to see the great work they have done. They have many traditions and one is a feast that members of the organisation put on and help out with. It is usually held in the third week of October with the Feast of Saint Hilarion, which has quite a large program. It is usually a five-day program of prayer and spirituality that takes place.

It culminates on the final day, which is always a Sunday, with the feast day. It has certainly evolved as one of the biggest and popular events of its kind in South Australia. It is always pleasing to see members of both sides of the house at the feast day supporting the church and the nursing home, and also getting on board with the celebrations of the day. The feast day is one of the largest of its kind in the state, and it certainly provides a full day of culture, entertainment and religious activities.

Visitors to the feast are always treated to many wonderful and fantastic musical and dance performances. Not only that, visitors can also enjoy some of the best pasta, trippa (tripe), spit roast pork, and gourmet barbecue, which is fantastic. For those with a sweet tooth there are always, of course, many zeppole, gelati, and so on.

I would especially like to thank the executive committee for all the work they do. At the time that this paper was presented, the executive committee included: non-voting councillors Matilda Gallina, Tahlia Greco and Lorenza Velardo. The voting councillors included Vince Circosta, Frank Naso, Ilario Nesci, and Carmel Stefano, public relations officer Vince Greco, secretary Sandra Greco, treasurer Jamie Crisera, Vice President Frank Naso, and President Jassmine Wood.

I also want to thank all of the volunteers, the men and women who look after the stalls, who also help with traffic and on the day put together many of the stalls and tents. They also organise the booklets, calendars and advertising which go into support the feast. I also thank the sponsors, because there are many who have contributed over the years to ensure that the feast continues and that the Society of Saint Hilarion is preserved, supported and maintained. With those words I commend the motion to the house.

The Hon. S.W. KEY (Ashford) (12:17): I rise to support this motion that:

(a) congratulates the Society of Saint Hilarion on their significant milestone, celebrating their 60^th anniversary in 2015;

(b) pays tribute to the Society of Saint Hilarion's service to Italian migrants and the wider community, especially through their aged-care facilities, which improves the lives of older people by providing high-quality aged-care facilities within a culturally diverse community; and

(c) acknowledges the importance of their establishment, and the work they have done over the last 60 years in the promotion and preservation of Italian heritage and, in doing so, enriching the multicultural landscape of South Australia.

One of the reasons I am very pleased to support this motion by the member for Harley is that I have visited the Society of Saint Hilarion a few times now, and I have been involved in a number of celebrations (not the 60^th anniversary albeit) and I know a number of people who reside there.

One of the interesting things for me is that, although I do not have Italian heritage, in a former life, certainly as a student, I worked at Pagana's restaurant in Hindley Street. My Italian still is not very good, but I certainly know all about Italian food as a result of working there and for some time assisting in cooking some of the food. Interestingly, some of the people who used to visit Pagana's I have met again at the Society of Saint Hilarion, and I am very pleased to have again made their reacquaintance.

As has already been said, 2016 is the year when the Society of Saint Hilarion marked its 60^th anniversary, celebrating the Feast of Saint Hilarion in South Australia. For six decades generations of migrants from Caulonia, Calabria, and other Italians and their families have celebrated this important feast in our state.

The place of the Cauloniesi in the proud story of South Australia's Italian community is well recognised. Indeed, it has been the subject of much detailed research. Connections with the homeland: Community and individual bonds between South Australian Italian migrants from Caulonia (Calabria) and their hometown, written by Daniela Cosmini-Rose, states:

The Cauloniesi in Adelaide are a visible and enterprising Italian community, well known for their devotion to their patron saint, Saint Hilarion, as well as for their contribution and commitment to aged care.

I think it is fair to say that the Society of Saint Hilarion has played a pivotal role in the life of the Cauloniesi in South Australia. Of course, the traditions on which the Society of Saint Hilarion have been built go back many centuries, and each year the Cauloniesi in Adelaide celebrate the miracle of the rain worked by Hilarion in the Afroditon around 330 AD, which, most notably for the Cauloniesi, was repeated at Caulonia more than 1,500 years ago.

In May 1855, due to an exceptional drought, the people of Caulonia appealed for rain from their patron saint, Saint Hilarion, by carrying relics in a procession. The procession took place on 13 May and it is said that on the 14^th rain miraculously arrived. It seems, certainly in South Australia, that this may be something we should take on in our times of drought.

Mr Pengilly: We've already done that; we've done that regularly.

The Hon. S.W. KEY: I am reliably informed by the member for Finniss that we have already tried that avenue, I suspect maybe not as successfully as the place where this miracle originates.

From that year on, therefore, Saint Hilarion Day, which occurs on 21 October, is also repeated on 13 May amongst its society. Here in South Australia the Society of Saint Hilarion continues the tradition and celebrates the Feast of Saint Hilarion. This festa plays an important role in maintaining many of the religious, social and cultural traditions in the Italian community.

It is also important to acknowledge the actual feast itself, where a number of favourite meals are cooked: barbecued pork and chicken, pasta, trippa and, everyone's special favourite, the traditional zeppole. The afternoon is always a continuous feast of activities and entertainment, sometimes with a fun-filled spaghetti eating competition. Here in South Australia the Society of Saint Hilarion has a well-earned reputation for its special role in providing aged-care services.

In 1987, the Society of Saint Hilarion had the foresight to recognise the growing need for aged-care services for the large South Australian Calabrese community. It was then that the society resolved to take action to provide much needed aged-care services. They determined that they would provide culturally specific aged care in Adelaide, which would provide for the residents' cultural and spiritual needs. Again, having visited this place, I know that many of its residents celebrate the fact that this has been acknowledged.

Obviously, like in many things, the care here would not have been possible without the time and effort of many volunteers involved in the Feast of Saint Hilarion. In 2010, Saint Hilarion's most recent aged-care facility, the House of Saint Hilarion at Seaton, was completed and formally opened. I am very pleased, along with the member for Colton and also the former member for Hindmarsh, Steve Georganas, to have been part of those celebrations.

This marvellous multimillion dollar, state-of-the-art facility complements Saint Hilarion's aged-care villas at Fulham. Congratulations are in order to the presidents and members of the Society of Saint Hilarion, who have driven these many achievements over the past six decades. I also congratulate the society's current president, Jassmine Wood, and the members of the executive committee, volunteers and all devoted parishioners for their involvement in this year's diamond anniversary celebration. The Society of Saint Hilarion certainly makes a significant contribution to the lives of South Australians and other Calabrese Italians over the generations.

I also think that, having been on the periphery of this great initiative, it has set a very high standard for some of the other cultural groups in South Australia, and acts as a bit of a model for us to make sure that, certainly in aged care and areas where we do provide care and assisted accommodation, we also have a cultural lens over that support. For all those reasons, the government supports this motion.

The Hon. A. PICCOLO (Light) (12:25): I will just add a few words in support of this motion. I will not take too long because most of what needs to be said has been said by the member for Hartley and also the member for Ashford, and I do not wish to repeat what they have already said. There are just a few comments I would like to make as a migrant to this country, although I am not from the Calabria region. I am from the Campania region, which is further north. Certainly my children are half-Calabrese, their mum's family being from Calabria. They enjoy the benefits of two cultures, and I will explain why I believe it is two cultures rather than just the one.

The Society of Saint Hilarion is one of many regional organisations which has an Italian heritage. I say regional because, for those people who perhaps do not know Italy that well, Italy only came together in the 1850s as a nation, and some of those differences came through when people came to Australia and other parts of the world when they migrated. My late father used to tell me a story when I was young that when we migrated to Australia we had some neighbours who were from Calabria and, because we came from the Campania region, when they first met they did not know they were both from Italy because the dialects were so different. They found it quite challenging to communicate and it took a while for them to start to understand each other. I am sure the member for Hartley would support what I say.

People who were born in Italy speak multiple dialects and languages. In fact, the Italians actually created a new language. It is sort of a version of English and Italian put together. It has been studied because it is actually quite a common thing around the world where, particularly for people of southern Italy, and I include my family in that, who were not well educated in their own language, often the language they knew was only spoken. We actually anglicised some Italian words, or we italianised some Anglo words. A cousin of mine who visited us some years ago said that my mum can actually speak three languages in one sentence, where she throws in a whole range of different words. I am sure the member for Hartley can relate to that as well, when he hears people, it is particularly older people, doing that.

I mention regional because these organisations have been very important. Often people say, 'Why do you need one for each region?' It is because each region had its own traditions, its own values, its own patron saints, its own belief systems. They considered themselves Italian, but often they would consider themselves Neapolitan or Calabrian or Sicilian first. These regional organisations provided very important support and mechanisms for people to adjust to a new nation, to a new country. For a lot of those people who came to Australia, the first time they ever left their village, or their town or their city, would have perhaps been when they came to Australia. It would have been a huge cultural shock, from not only a lack of language but also a lack of understanding of different cultural values.

These regional organisations provided, if you like, a safe landing for a lot of people as a place which provided a bit of familiarity in a nation which was quite different. It was not only different in terms of the climate—well, the climate is pretty close; but, in terms of physical appearance, look at the villages, look at the physical appearance of Adelaide, it is very different to Italy. These regional organisations played an incredibly important role to provide a safe landing, but also a very important role for integration to help people grow and integrate into Australian culture. The first people who arrived were assisted, then the next generation came along and they were assisted. They played a very important role to help people integrate.

As time has moved on, these organisations have grown into areas such as aged care and other social services. The number of regional organisations which have spawned a lot of services in aged care and also other cultural things has, again, been very important. It has enabled the growth of events and activities and festivals etc., not only for the people of that region in the broader Italian community, but for the whole Australian community. If you go to any festival or feast in South Australia, a lot of the people are from a non-Italian background and they enjoy the hospitality and enjoy the culture.

It is not only about the food, etc. that we see; it is also about the whole range of values and beliefs, and that has also influenced Australian society. It is no secret that it was very tough for the pioneers in these organisations. They often did come up against a whole range of bureaucratic barriers, but they persisted. We owe those early pioneers who set up these organisations for their hard work. More importantly, we thank those who have come after them for the things that they have done.

I have been to the Saint Hilarion society aged-care facility in the western suburbs on a number of occasions. In fact, I was there recently when they officially opened their wellness centre. The importance of places like wellness centres is that it is not just about providing a roof over people's heads for aged people of Italian background, but it is also making sure that they actually are able to live fulfilling lives in the autumn of their lives. It is not only about physical health. Certainly, they have a gym there which provides some physical opportunities for physical health, but also they provide opportunities for mental health and cultural health, in the sense that they enable people to do things at the centre itself or they take people on trips outside the centre to remain connected to the broader community.

That is one of the greatest fears of older people, whether they are of Italian background or Greek background or people who are born in Australia. They are concerned that they will become disconnected from community, they will become disconnected from family. I know the Saint Hilarion aged-care facility has put a huge emphasis on making sure that these people remain connected to their communities, which is very important, and they have actually seen the benefit. People's mental health has improved and their physical health has improved as well. I congratulate all the people who have been involved since day one in the society, and I also congratulate all those people who have been involved in the offshoot organisations which now provide a whole range of services and support for our community at large.

The DEPUTY SPEAKER: The member for Colton.

The Hon. P. CAICA (Colton) (12:31): Look how much healthier I am today, Deputy Speaker, and thank you for the call. I am going to be very brief, but I could not let this motion pass without me saying a few words. The first words are to congratulate the member for Hartley for bringing this matter to the attention of the house. I am very proud to say that I have a significant influence within my electorate of the Society of Saint Hilarion. It initially had two aged-care facilities, one on Henley Beach Road at Lockleys, which has since closed down. They closed that down at around the time that they established the new facility down in Seaton, which is in that part of Seaton outside of my electorate.

We also have the Saint Hilarion aged-care facility at Fulham. That is a smaller facility and it is still predominantly Italians there. I remember going to visit on numerous occasions Father Joe Grealy, who was there.

An honourable member: A lovely man.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Yes, a lovely man; a really lovely man. That was always a good experience to see him tease the residents and to see the residents in turn tease him. He was always welcomed by all the residents down there, given the fact that he provided mass every day. What I did was learn a lot about that facility at that stage. It is a very good facility. Importantly, it understands the cultural sensitivities that are required for the predominantly Italian people who are there at that time.

I was also lucky enough to be able to be involved in the opening of the new facility at Seaton. I cannot remember whether it was the then premier or the now Premier whom I was able to represent at that particular opening, but that is an outstanding facility.

Mr Pengilly: You wouldn't do anything for him.

The Hon. P. CAICA: Well, I was doing it for the Society of Saint Hilarion really, and that was very good that I was able to do that. But that is a very, very good facility, and it is a credit to the structural arrangements that the society has in place to be able to construct such a facility to meet the needs of the people of Italian heritage who are now members of an ageing population.

I also want to pay tribute to the society for the services it has provided to Italian migrants and the wider community. Really, you cannot understate the role that Saint Hilarion plays in its particular area. We know—and I think it was mentioned by the member for Light—how the significance, if you like, or the influence has broadened into other areas over those 60 years.

I am also very lucky to have Mater Christi in my electorate on Grange Road. It is a little parish that once also contained a school, and that is where they celebrate the Feast of Saint Hilarion each year. I can tell you that it is a very good feast and I have been known to assist on those occasions in helping to cook zeppole, which is a brilliant sweet.

The Hon. A. Piccolo: Sweet or savoury?

The Hon. P. CAICA: I actually like the one without the anchovies.

The Hon. A. Piccolo: Anchovies are better.

The Hon. P. CAICA: It's all a matter of personal taste, but that is what I like. I have also been at Carnevale to assist them on occasions at the Saint Hilarion stall to cook that. I am not quite sure whether I have actually earned my certificate of competence yet, but I have not wrecked them either.

I said I was not going to hold the house for very long and I do not intend to. I want to again congratulate the society on celebrating their 60^th anniversary last year. I want to pay tribute to the role that they play within the community, particularly within the community that has people from Italian heritage. May they last another 60 years and beyond, and continue to do the work that they do.

I want to finish with this point. We know that in each of our electorates, and there are more numbers in some than others, we have emerging populations and emerging communities from other nations around the world, and I think we should celebrate that. I think what is going to become a problem in the future is that, as those populations from the emerging communities age, we are going to have to have different facilities that take into account the cultural requirements of those people from those emerging communities. I think it is a sleeper issue at this point in time.

My point is that we can learn from what Saint Hilarion has done, and continues to do, in making sure that, with respect to aged-care facilities and other institutions, they embrace the cultural needs of those people who require such an institution. I commend the motion to the house and, again, I thank the member for Hartley for bringing it to our attention.