Page 71 - Port Douglas Magazine 35

young children. Over the course of his 99-year to help the local ambulance service, he won the IN APPRECIATION
life, he went on to establish many food enterprises, sweep and became the proud owner of a Holden To the hard work and dedication of the Douglas
including the sale of sugar cane juice, and sold car. It meant the family no longer had to visit town Historical Society, in particular Pam Willis Burden
orchids at Port Douglas markets. The Scomazzon in the old farm truck. for her guidance, sharing of resources and her time
farm store in Mossman is open to the public. Three and four generations on, the children of to collaborate on this feature.
Women frequently found themselves bearing the early pioneers have gone on to establish their own And to the local Italian families who took the time
brunt of family responsibilities. Alfio Zammataro, enterprises including Angelo Puglisi and his son to meet with us, to share their inspiring stories that
from Sicily, who accompanied his sister to Gerard who have a passion for sustainability and have been passed down through the generations.
Mossman after her marriage by proxy to a local innovation. The Puglisi farm is located at Miallo Thank you.
farmer, was joined by his wife and three children and was the first farm in the area to be SmartCane
after a two-year absence. accredited They not only minimize the impact
Mr Zammataro cut cane by hand, worked in the farming practices have on the environment, they
sugar mill and, for more than half the year, picked have diversified the farm in a unique way - growing REFERENCES
fruit in Victoria. When the siren went off at the cocoa, vanilla and eucalyptus to feed koalas living “Cattle, Cane and Cedar:... Early Farming in
end of the sugar cane season, his wife was reduced at the Port Douglas Wildlife Habitat, which is Douglas Shire” - Research and writing: Ken Keith,
to tears in the knowledge her husband would soon dedicated to the conservation of native wildlife. Belinda Peters, John Anich and copy editing: Pam
leave and travel south to work. Many cane farms in this region remain in family Willis Burden
For Tano Caltabiano, it was the impact of war that ownership and astute visitors will see and hear “Raindrops and Sugar Crops : Tales From South of the
was very close to home with a bomb dropping on Italian names as they explore the Douglas Shire. Daintree” - Edited by Pam Willis Burden
a neighbouring property, belonging to the Zuilo Paying homage to this group of enterprising Italians
family, during a Japanese air raid in 1942. A two- who have participated in the transition from a gang State Library of Queensland
year-old was injured in the attack. of immigrant cane cutters to a diverse community
Almost all the migrant families have tales of of successful growers and business owners, Feast
hardship to tell but few have strokes of luck like Mr Restaurant dedicates a nightly Italian a la carte
Caltabiano. Buying a raffle ticket he could ill afford dinner and a monthly family feast.
PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 73