Page 63 - Port Douglas Magazine 36

WORDS by Pam Willis Burden
Farmers in Europe were in trouble. The grapes for the buy salamis, cheese and imported Italian products not
wine industry had developed a serious disease. The available from Cairns. The shop is now Temptations
First World War had impoverished families and the Café, run by his grand-daughter Pia McKeown.
Second World War was looming. People were seeking The late Rose Gusmeroli’s father Sebastiano Sciacca
a better life and began looking for new beginnings in emigrated from Catania in Sicily in 1920 to join his
faraway places.
brother. They cut cane for a few years until they could
Australia beckoned, especially Far North Queensland. afford to purchase land together to grow sugar cane.
It was safe, sunny and, if men worked hard, they could Many families came from Catania at that time and they
improve living conditions for their families. would socialise and share their language. Even today,
their descendants still gather at Temptations Café on a
Many had no idea where they were heading when Saturday morning to enjoy coffee and a chat, although
boarding the ships bound for southern shores. It was a the Sicilian dialect they learned from their families is
huge country. Should they settle in the west or far north becoming outdated. When younger family members
on the opposite coast? One brother would arrive and return to visit Italian relatives, they often find them
make his way, and others followed to join him. difficult to understand.
Victor Bertoncini landed in Fremantle from Tuscany in When she was growing up, Rose and her family lived
1957 with only one word of English. Banana. He was fed together in one house on the small farm in Cassowary
bananas by friendly locals who pointed him towards the until her Dad bought the farm in Miallo. Both parents
banana-growing area in Queensland. Bananas sustained cut the cane because they had no money to hire workers,
him during his long trek across the country, and he finally and they used horses because they couldn’t afford a
arrived in Mossman to join his brother in the sugar cane tractor. The house had no electricity or water, so her
fields. For a tender 17 year old, it was brutal work and his mother Leonarda would wash the clothes in the river.
hands often bled from handling the rough sticks of cane Rose did her homework by kerosene lamp.
that he’d cut with a sharp knife.
As soon as she left school at Grade 7, Rose worked on
But through his efforts in the cane fields, he eventually the farm from five in the morning till seven at night.
saved enough to buy a truck to haul cane. He later She’d dress like a boy in trousers and a long-sleeved shirt
bought the local Mossman Taxi Service and married his and hat. But there were no gloves or sunscreen and only
girlfriend, young Gina.
sandshoes without socks. Ticks were everywhere.
Gina’s father Joe Contarino had arrived in the region in A bomb from a lost Japanese aircraft dropped on a
1927 and was married by proxy to a young bride in Italy galvanized iron cottage near their house on 31 July,
who spoke no English. Joe’s new wife Nelli arrived in 1942 during the Second World War. The Scarcella, Tati
Queensland in 1932. Just after Gina was born, Joe was and Zullo families were together on that farm, but when
interned for 18 months in Melbourne during the Second 2½ year old *Carmella Zullo was seriously injured by
World War. It was very difficult times for the young shrapnel from the bomb, all the families moved. Rose’s
immigrant mother in a strange land far from family back father bought what remained of the cottage and moved
in Italy. it onto his farm.
After the war, Joe returned to Queensland and set up a Mrs Scarcella was a chef in Italy and she would gather all
grocery shop in Mossman. He would drive his truck to the Italian women to help with catering when a daughter
the Atherton Tablelands to buy tomatoes in bulk and got married. Rose remembers they would select chickens
fresh fruit and vegetables directly from the growers. As then strangle, pluck and clean them before preparing
more Italians arrived, he translated for the Italian cane a massive feast including a variety of puddings. Most
cutters and they often boarded in his house where his wife weddings had so many guests that the receptions were
cooked familiar meals and prepared them food to take to held in the local Mossman Shire Hall.
work, called cribs.
Angela Zammataro’s late father Alfio was also from
Joe’s shop became the most popular grocery store in Catania. His sister was married by proxy to an Italian
Mossman especially after he started flying to Sydney to
man, Mr Tati, who lived in Mossman. Often men who
* Source: Queensland Police