By REBECCA BILLS
ON the first Saturday each month they come together to share in Mass.
And earlier this month, the Yarra Valley Italian Cultural Group had an extra special guest at their luncheon afterwards discussing the history of the members’ settlement in Mount Evelyn.
Chair Luigi Fotia said the group was formed many years ago to allow the Italian community to tell their stories of settlement in the Yarra Valley and after meeting Lella Cariddi, who is part of the Piers Festival 2015 through Multicultural Arts Victoria, he asked her to come along and speak.
As part of the Piers Festival 2015, Multicultural Arts Victoria wish to honour the memory of immigrants and refugees who travelled to Australia by boat through the historical entry points of Princes and Station pier in Port Melbourne.
In a program entitled ‘What Happened at the Pier’, curated by Ms Cariddi, she has been searching for stories of arrivals in the Italian community.
Mr Fotia said at the luncheon after the Mass Ms Cariddi spoke with the members hoping to build on her knowledge and on their book ‘Dream from a Suitcase’ which was written many years ago about settlement in the area.
“Local historian Anthony McAleer is also working on putting a story together on the pre-1945 Italians in this area,” he said.
“In his research he has discovered four unnamed Italian burial sites in Lilydale and we are hoping to all work together in naming those sites.”
Mr Fotia said the Mass was held every first Sunday of the month at St Mary’s in Mount Evelyn, with the priest performing most of the service in Italian.
