So, I’m just a little obsessed with the Aeolian Islands but don’t worry, there’s a good reason why …
I was born in the country Victorian town of Horsham. Both my parents migrated to Australia from the Aeolian island of Salina soon after the Second World War. My father, Pasquale owned a succession of cafés and established the district’s first reception centre and bistro, La Fontana. Naturally, I grew up in these kitchens as well as at the feet of my nonna, Maria, igniting an appreciation for my Aeolian heritage and its food.
Here’s Dad at the Niagara Café in Horsham, 1953.
Apart from being an award-winning graphic designer, my heritage has also inspired me to become an artist, photographer and writer. Yep, my interest in my family’s past has developed into an obsession with migration stories and all things Aeolian. I paint about Salina, write about Salina and dream about Salina. You name it and I’ve done it! I have written a memoir, This Volcano Wakes, and have had articles published in The Wimmera Mail Times and in the food and travel magazine Italianicious. I have also written a television series proposal titled Feast Sicily for Dreampool Productions and a proposal for a food-focused non-fiction illustrated book titled Aeolian Odyssey. More recently, I co-wrote, photographed and designed a magazine titled Love Eolie that was a sell-out at the Immigration Museum of Victoria’s gift shop.
Here is my friend and poet, Davide Cortese with his copy of Love Eolie when I visited him in Lipari in 2015.
Writing for Italianicious was a cultural lover affair of my own!
As a committee member of the Società Isole Eolie, Victoria’s oldest Italian society, I have had the wonderful opportunity to realise the fruition of various large projects and events. In 2013, I organised and delivered the Eoliano Heritage Study Program, a two-week experience of cultural immersion held on the Aeolian Islands.
Here we are on the final evening of the Eoliano Heritage Study Program where we exhibited our family history project to the community in Santa Marina, Salina.
In 2015, I produced, wrote and co-directed a documentary titled Ammuninni and in 2016, I curated an exhibition held at the Immigration Museum of Victoria titled From Volcanoes We Sailed. During its six-month showing, the exhibition attracted the highest number of visitors recorded for any one community-collaborative exhibition. I have also presented two full-house events at the Museo Italiano, CO-AS-IT, in Carlton.
Giving a speech at the launch event for the exhibition I curated about Aeolian migration to Australia. Opened by the honourable James Merlino MP, From Volcanoes We Sailed had a six month residence at the Immigration Museum of Victoria in 2016.
Of course, an addition needs to be fuelled! Since 2010, I’ve been travelling annually to the island of Salina in search of stories, images and recipes. I can’t help it… the Aeolian Islands are magnetic and bursting with inspiration.
