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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fourth Parliament, Second Session (54-2)
2021-10-27 Daily Xml
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South Australian Italian Association

Adjourned debate on motion of the Hon. F. Pangallo:

That this council—

1. Acknowledges the 70th anniversary of the South Australian Italian Association (SAIA);

2. Recognises the contributions made by the SAIA to the advancement of multiculturalism in South Australia through the preservation and promotion of Italian culture, heritage, services and experiences within the Italian community and the wider community of South Australia;

3. Acknowledges the enthusiastic work by the SAIA in fostering strong business and cultural ties between South Australia and Italy;

4. Congratulates Dr Daniela Cosmini and Professor Diana Glenn on the publication of their book La Seconda Casa (The Second Home) marking and documenting the important history of the SAIA;

5. Recognises South Australia's continuing strong business, trading, diplomatic and economic ties with Italy; and

6. Identifies that Italian is the largest non-English language spoken in South Australian homes, and calls on Flinders University to immediately reverse its decision to cut the teaching of Italian.

(Continued from 13 October 2021.)

The Hon. T.A. FRANKS (21:57): With great pleasure, I rise to support this motion, and I rise to also add my praise for the South Australian Italian Association and to congratulate all members, past and present, for all the hard work they have put in over the last 70 years. Today, the Italian community is one of the oldest and largest non-English-speaking immigrant communities in Australia, and Italian is the second most common ancestry among South Australians.

However, due to a variety of reasons, most notably the federal government's White Australia Policy and the enormous distance between the two countries, migrating to Australia from Italy was not an easy option for quite some time, but with the advent of passenger shipping routes being established in the 1920s, more and more Italian migrants started to arrive in Australia.

It was common practice that the migration followed a chain: the settler migrants, who were usually men, arrived first. After they had established themselves they would sponsor their brothers, sons, cousins, or friends to migrate. After this had occurred, wives and children were then brought over, and once the family was well-established, then ageing parents immigrated too.

During this initial period, migrants often purchased properties that quickly became successful concrete, mosaic, marble, mica and, my favourite, terrazzo businesses. I love terrazzo, the Hon. Frank Pangallo. It played a key role, quite literally, in building South Australia. Others turned their land into market gardens that would sell fresh produce at the East End market. This period saw the creation of many Italian-owned small businesses and retail shops with boarding rooms located either at the rear or on the second floor where many migrants would take up lodgings upon their arrival.

Immigration rates from Italy to Australia remained slow and steady following the pattern of chain migration until after World War II, which of course saw immigration dramatically increase right across the globe. There were certainly many challenges with uprooting one's life and moving to a different country with a different language, a different culture and the subsequent feelings of isolation that this brings. Tensions before and after the Second World War saw many Italian migrants subjected to racism and, at the peak of the war, sent to internment camps.

Up until the 1970s, when the benefits of multiculturalism were beginning to be recognised—and indeed there was some good political leadership that led to that—there was a strong expectation for Italian migrants to assimilate to the 'Australian way of life', which saw many either abandon their cultural practices or proudly stand behind them. Another response to this was the formation of clubs or associations, which sought to create a second home, a physical point of cultural reference that became instrumental for the maintenance of cultural rituals and provided an enduring sense of identity and belonging.

It was this response that inevitably led to the establishment of the South Australian Italian Association. The South Australian Italian Association has had a long and unique history consisting of several transformations in its time. It began as the Catholic Italian Welfare Association, which was formed in 1949, which then became the Italian Australian Centre in 1965 following the amalgamation of the CIWA, Juventus United Sports and Social Club, and Lega Italiana Social and Cultural Club Incorporated. Just two years later, in 1967, the South Australian Italian Association was formed.

One of the main priorities of the association, when it was first formed, was facilitating welfare activity and nurturing the social wellbeing of first-generation Italian migrants. Seventy years on, and the association's current vision of a vibrant community centre for all, where Italian culture is preserved and promoted, reflects its origins. Over the years, these visions have been achieved through hosting many events: balls, barbecues, discos, lunches, pasta nights, fundraisers for various charities, International Women's Day celebrations, billiards competitions, weddings and, of course, private functions.

I note that I have seen many a World Cup game at the Italian Centre. I used to live across the road. It was a very handy place to go when the World Cup games were on in the middle of the deep hours of the night or the early hours of the morn. There, in the physical location at 262 Carrington Street, it was known as the Italian Club, and it seemed to be the place to be on a Sunday night for quite some time. It was known as a high-profile location for business lunches and other events. Some well-known historic public figures who visited the centre included Sir Donald Bradman, Gough Whitlam, Malcolm Fraser and various other state and federal politicians.

The principal objective in the creation and development of the South Australian Italian Association was to promote and facilitate activity as an umbrella organisation to connect all Italians in our state regardless of their regional identity and to promote outreach to the wider community. It currently houses many important Italian community organisations, including the Committee for Italians Abroad, an elected consular advisory committee funded by the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, known more commonly by its Italian acronym, Com.It.Es; the South Australian chapter of the Dante Alighieri Society, an organisation charged with promoting Italian language—which clearly I need more training upon—and culture through its language classes and many cultural activities and initiatives; and also the Adelaide Italian Festival.

It also housed many other community organisations, including the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Italian Assistance Association, which is an organisation that plays an active role in aged-care coordination for the elderly members of our local Italian community. As the organisation has matured and the Italian community has become more established within the greater South Australian community, the South Australian Italian Association has focused its energy and activities on fundraising for charities. In the last decade alone, the organisation has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for various charities, including the Central Domestic Violence Centre, Headspace Adelaide, the Hutt St Centre, the Starlight Foundation, the Mary Potter Hospice, the SIDS Foundation, the Dream Ride foundation and Nonna's Cucina, which is an Italian version of Meals on Wheels, just to name a few.

It was in the main hall there that the Italian South Australians came together in the wee hours of the morning to cheer on the Italian national team in the final of the 2020 European football championships between Italy and England. After a thrilling 3-2 victory I am informed in the penalty shootout, it was from that very place that the Italia fans grabbed their Italian flags and banners in joyful strain and took to the streets, marching down Carrington Street, up King William Street, through Victoria Square and onto this place, the Parliament of South Australia, where we were treated to the rapturous chanting, beating of drums, blaring of horns, lighting of flares and the odd tune from the piano accordion—one not attributed to the former Hon. Mark Parnell.

Whilst there have been few women in the leadership and governance roles, it has been noted that the association would not have succeeded without women. There has, in fact, only been one woman president in the association's history—Mary Azzopardi—who served as the social director for many years before becoming president. Mary played a pivotal role in organising events, such as the Sunday night discos, which then became the Sunday night bistros; weddings; dances; christenings; and the annual Carnevale stall. When she was interviewed for La Seconda Casa, she paid tribute to the group of women volunteers who worked alongside her to help ensure that functions ran smoothly by setting the tables, decorating the venue, ushering and selling tickets to the events.

Other women who have held leadership roles include Madeleine Griguol, the inaugural president of the women's subcommittee back in 1967, and Teresa Dall'Acqua Leonardi and Silvana Zerella have both served as vice presidents on the centre's board in more recent times. Another notable mention is Ms Vincenza (Enza) Staffiero, who undoubtedly contributed to the high-profile nature of the Italian Club.

Enza arrived in South Australia as a young woman unaccompanied and, despite having initially struggled with the language barrier, she found work making cakes, pies and pasties. She then worked at Chateau Fort in Unley until it closed, which is when she found her way to the Italian Centre. Enza was widely adored for her bubbly personality and incredible food, with one patron stating that they had dined at seven-star restaurants all over the world, but the food prepared by Enza and her team was the best they had ever eaten.

I also wish to pay tribute to the authors of La Seconda Casa: Dr Daniela Cosmini and Emeritus Professor Diana Glenn, who have done an absolutely excellent job in conducting interviews, gathering and collating historical resources, and writing and publishing this book which documents the important history of the association.

Dr Cosmini is a Senior Lecturer in Italian in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Flinders University. Her research interests are in Italian migration to Australia, ageing in a foreign land and material culture. Emeritus Professor Glenn is a former dean of the School of Humanities and Creative Arts at Flinders University and current National Head of the School of Arts at the Australian Catholic University.

Also instrumental in helping put the book together was Antonietta Itropico, Publications Manager at the Art Gallery of South Australia, who carried out the preparation, layout and graphic design of the volume, as well as the president, Dr Phillip Donato, who assisted in the sourcing of interviewees, gathering of historical records and photographs, and general fact-checking.

I had the absolute privilege and honour of attending the annual members' luncheon this year where the La Seconda Casa lunch was held, commemorating the 70th anniversary of the organisation and launching of this book. It was officially launched by the Hon. Hieu Van Le, the then Governor, Italophile and proud champion of multiculturalism in our state. The event was emceed by renowned chef, Rosa Matto, and attended by many dignitaries, including Mr Adriano Stendardo, Italian Consul to South Australia, and various members of this place and the other place. I would like to thank the current president, Dr Phillip Donato, for his kind invitation. It was a magnificent event. I thoroughly enjoyed it and enjoyed listening to and hearing the stories from 70 years of arduous work, adventure and activity.

The South Australian Italian Association has been an integral player in facilitating social interaction and community development that has crossed regional borderlines of identity. The association's ability to continuously revitalise and reinvent itself and remain current over the last 70 years is no easy feat and yet another example of the many hours that countless members, staff and volunteers have put in to make the association the success it is today.

Socially, culturally and economically, Italian migrants have played such a vital role in the development of South Australia. It would be near impossible to imagine our state without those incredible contributions, so thank you, congratulations and best of luck for 70 years gone, 70 years to come and many more. I commend the motion.

The Hon. T.T. NGO (22:10): I rise to support this motion. In this place last month, the Hon. Frank Pangallo MLC reminded us that one million Australians have Italian ancestry, which is about 4 per cent of the population. I cannot emphasise enough how the Italo-Australian community has greatly enriched all aspects of life in South Australia and throughout Australia. When people think of the Italian community, they say the community is vibrant, rich and powerful, but if we go back 60 to 70 years ago, the Italian community faced racism and high unemployment. Many worked as labourers in lowly paid work, often needing to hold down two or three jobs in factories or on farms so that they could provide for their family.

Life would have been tough and lonely. However, the Italian migrants did not sit on their bums and feel sorry for themselves. They made arrangements to meet their own social and cultural needs. They did not wait for others to provide for them. The Italian community not only helped to transform this state and this country into a great place to live but also contributed to breaking down barriers, paving the way for many migrants like myself and the former Governor and, across the chamber, the Hon. Jing Lee MLC. Our success was made possible because of our Italian migrants.

My early days as a 10 year old arriving in Australia in a boat from Vietnam were very hard. As political refugees, we were broadly welcomed and supported by the community and governments, but our day-to-day life was challenging, dealing with racism, unemployment and isolation without the diversity and level of support that migrant services provide today.

The Italian community would have experienced similar challenges decades before us. I know that many Italian migrants defended the Vietnamese when our political leaders were debating Asian migration. They employed many Vietnamese migrants and continue to do so today. Our early Italian Australians and their children and their children's children should be thanked. They were people who took the initiative and were not afraid to work hard so that they could make their vision of a better place possible for everyone in Australian society.

Whenever I look at success stories from the Italian community, I like to ponder what it is that makes this community such a success story. What makes the Italian community so successful? The answer is always the same—people. Yes, people, people with foresight, knowledge and skills, people with empathy and compassion, and people who will take the initiative and work hard to make their vision of their community's welfare a reality.

The investment into South Australia by Italian businesses and companies has made our state prosper and contributed much to our employment and economy. The Italian language, traditions and cuisines are an important element of our multicultural society, and we must continue to support and respect this.

In closing, I want to acknowledge the important role our schools and universities play in developing and sustaining this knowledge and cultural diversity in South Australia. We must do what we can to support opportunities for our children and students to develop a sound understanding of the benefits of cultural diversity and the opportunity to learn the languages of other nations. Grazie tutti Italo Australiano.

The Hon. J.S. LEE (22:15): I am pleased to rise today on behalf of the government to speak to the motion moved by the Hon. Frank Pangallo, and thank him for moving this motion to acknowledge the 70th anniversary of the South Australian Italian Association, and to recognise the strong bilateral relationship between Italy and South Australia.

I was delighted to attend a magnificent gala ball held by the South Australian Italian Association to celebrate the 70th anniversary on 10 August 2019. It was a privilege to represent the Premier of South Australia, the Hon. Steven Marshall, on that milestone occasion to recognise the achievements and contributions of the South Australian Italian Association over the last seven decades.

I wish to take this opportunity to honour the outstanding hard work and significant contributions of the current South Australian Italian Association President Mr Phillip Donato, OAM, past presidents and current and past committee members, volunteers and supporters who have carried on the legacy of the founding members in serving the Italian community and enriching the wonderfully diverse multicultural society that we have here in South Australia.

The success stories by our proud and passionate Italian community can be found throughout South Australia, in the business and export sectors, in educational and health settings across all professions and industries and, of course, in politics—I think the Hon. Frank Pangallo is very proud of an Italian heritage—and in every aspect of our society.

The establishment of the South Australian Italian Association was inspired by very passionate and community-minded individuals who were determined to deliver social and welfare services to the Italian community as well as maintaining rich cultural traditions and values. Over the last 70 years, the South Australian Italian Association has been the centre of a range of community services for the Italian Australian community.

The suffering caused by the Second World War and the widening economic gulf between the north and south provided the impetus for many Italians to seek a better life elsewhere. During that time, Australia was embarking on an industrialisation and population program which opened to mass migration. Between July 1947 and 1950, over 33,000 Italians migrated to Australia.

Dating back to 1952, the Catholic Italian Welfare Association became an incorporated association and purchased the renowned Italian home at 262 Carrington Street, Adelaide. In 1965, the Catholic Italian Welfare Association was one of several Italian community organisations which merged to form the Italian Australian Centre. Following a further restructure, the South Australian Italian Association was formed and incorporated in 1967, and a new Italian Centre was built on the Carrington Street site.

The famous venue has hosted many discos and memorable functions, which other MPs have mentioned in this chamber. Today, the South Australian Italian Association shares the Italian Centre with the Italian Chamber of Commerce, the Dante Alighieri Society and Com.It.Es South Australia, which is the Committee for Italians Abroad.

It is this rich history, remarkable stories of hard work, shared heritage, courage and determination—the hallmark and qualities of members of the association—that were captured in La Seconda Casa, a book published by distinguished authors Emeritus Professor Diana Glenn and Dr Daniela Cosmini from Flinders University to mark the celebration of the association's 70th anniversary.

Based on interviews with current and past leaders and members of the association, the book is fittingly titled 'The Second Home' to reflect how the South Australian Italian Association clubrooms have been a second home and a community hub for many members of the South Australian Italian community over the decades.

I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate Professor Diana Glenn and Dr Daniela Cosmini on their outstanding work and for working with other community volunteers in preserving cherished memories and presenting a wonderful window of South Australia's history and recognising the vast contributions made by the Italian community to our state.

While sadly I could not attend the book launch of the 70th anniversary earlier this year, I was delighted that my parliamentary colleague the Hon. David Pisoni, Minister for Innovation and Skills, attended on behalf of the Premier and was also joined by the Hon. Vincent Tarzia, who has a very rich Italian heritage and who is the Minister for Police, Emergency Services and Correctional Services. The event was well supported by other distinguished guests including our former Governor, the Hon. Hieu Van Le AC, other dignitaries and many members of parliament from this place and the other place.

Today, it is my great privilege, on behalf of the Marshall Liberal government, to acknowledge the pioneering and entrepreneurial spirits of the Italian community and to pay tribute to the outstanding contributions that Italian migrants and their descendants have made and continue to make to our resilient and dynamic multicultural society.

Whether it is in a social, cultural or economic sphere of our community, the profound contributions made by the Italian community have permanently shaped many facets of our contemporary Australian life. Many multicultural communities look up to the Italian community as the backbone and successful role model of migration and multiculturalism.

Italian is the largest non-English language spoken in South Australia and we were all very pleased to hear that, on Monday 25 October 2021, Flinders University confirmed that the teaching of Italian will continue next year, with applications for first-year students to be reopened. I wish to thank the many community leaders and the Italian community of South Australia for their strong advocacy in this area, including the incredible work undertaken by Mr Adriano Stendardo, the Consul of Italy in South Australia, who has worked collaboratively with the state government in its discussions with Flinders University.

I would like to also acknowledge the Hon. John Gardner, Minister for Education, for his great support in this matter, along with the Premier, the Hon. Vincent Tarzia and SAMEAC board member Maria Maglieri. They are all passionate about preserving and promoting the Italian language and culture in our state. We wholeheartedly welcome the decision by Flinders University to retain the Italian program and are glad to see that an amendment will be moved by the Hon. Connie Bonaros MLC to reflect this positive news, which is indeed well received by everyone in the Italian community and the broader multicultural community.

On behalf of the South Australian government, congratulations once again to the South Australian Italian Association for their outstanding achievements and for delivering over 70 years of dedicated service to the Italian community in our state. I acknowledge the Hon. Frank Pangallo for bringing this very important motion to this chamber. Bravo. Congratulations.

The Hon. C. BONAROS (22:24): I would like at the outset to echo the sentiments expressed tonight by other honourable colleagues. You could be forgiven for thinking that my colleague the Hon. Frank Pangallo is best placed to talk about the contributions of the Italian community to our way of life in this place but I can assure you I reckon I may just be able to do a little bit better because I married one. I assure you it is a constant reminder of the contributions the Italian community has made to our way of life here in South Australia and indeed in Australia.

When it comes to us Greeks and Italians there is a lot to be said for the una razza una faccia that we often hear about. It is a contest, a constant contest, of traditions, of cultures, of contributions to our communities: 'We gave you democracy, you gave us cement. We gave you philosophy, you gave us pizza.' The list is absolutely endless and it is constant.

The Hon. F. Pangallo: Don't forget the roads.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: The roads—

The Hon. F. Pangallo: And toilets.

The Hon. C. BONAROS: Toilets—here it is, right before your eyes. I think it is fair to say that my colleague the Hon. Frank Pangallo has shared in the same contest of ideas with his own wife, Angie, who happens to be Greek. So there you go, it is one of those ongoing discussions that we all enjoy, with of course a great deal of banter.

Obviously I echo the sentiments of this motion and recognise the advancement of our multiculturalism here and the preservation of our Italian culture in South Australia, as well as all the contributions the Italian community has made to our way of life. I will not say any more because I know it will cost me dearly, but I indicate my overwhelming support for this motion. In doing so, for the reasons that have already been outlined and as the Hon. Jing Lee has just alluded to, I also move to amend the motion at paragraph 6 as follows:

Leave out 'immediately reversed its decision to cut the teaching of Italian' and insert 'continue to teach Italian language beyond the current commitment of 2022'.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (22:26): Signore Presidente, vorrei ringraziare i miei onorevoli amici qui presente che hanno sostenuto la mozione. Mr President, thank you to all my honourable colleagues, the Hon. Tung Ngo, the Hon. Tammy Franks, the Hon. Jing Lee and the Hon. Connie Bonaros, who have spoken in support of the motion today. I would also like to thank the South Australian government and the intervention of the Premier and other ministers, as well as the Hon. Jing Lee. I was not aware they had also made representations to Flinders University, and they should be congratulated on twisting the arm of the Vice Chancellor.

As the Hon. Jing Lee mentioned, there has been some good news since I first spoke about this, when it seemed the Italian language course was set to be cut at Flinders. Thanks to the intervention of those parties I have already mentioned, as well as the Italian Consul, Dottore Adriano Stendardo, Dr Phillip Donato from the South Australian Italian Association and Dr Christian Verdicchio from Com.It.Es, the Italians Abroad, as well as the many thousands of people who signed an online petition and those who wrote to the university and the Vice Chancellor, it announced this week that it had relented and that the course will not be cut.

It will continue for at least another year; however, we hope the university follows the wishes of the Legislative Council tonight and maintains Italian beyond 2022—and not just Italian but other languages that are taught there in their humanities department. They also have a magnificent Greek centre, and Indonesian and many other languages are taught there. One can understand in part why Australian universities are being forced to look at cutting these courses. It is because of a rather poor policy call by the Morrison government to limit arts and humanities courses in favour of subjects like industry, health, science and technology, etc.

This motion is not just about keeping a foreign language at one of our august learning institutions: it is also the principle of maintaining arts and humanities learning. Here is what Michelle Obama had to say about the importance of the arts and humanities, and I quote:

The arts and humanities define who we are as people. That is their power—to remind us of what we each have to offer, and what we all have in common. To help us understand our history and imagine our future. To give us hope in the moments of struggle and to bring us together when nothing else will.

Thank you very much again to all the contributors to this motion.

Amendment carried; motion as amended carried.

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