Tag Archives: Stanthorpe

Oct 15, 2020 · 3:44 pm

Bisnonna Francesca in her orchards, early 1950s…

I never usually know what ‘international day’ it is but happened to see that today it’s in honour of rural women, so thought I’d share with you this rare photo of my great-grandmother taken of her alone.

For much of her life she worked on their fruit farm at Applethorpe, also keeping it going for a time with her young children after her husband suddenly died aged 54. I believe the only holiday she ever really had was on the ship journey she took from Italy to Australia in 1934. She was a hard worker, determined, a loyal wife and raised three children. Sadly, she was also to die young at just 50, only a couple of years after her husband.

I love that in this picture it appears like a shaft of light is falling across her. I also love that this is the only one of her in bare feet. xxx

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Filed under inspiration + history

Tagged as Applethorpe, bisnonna, from Italy to Australia, inspiring women, international rural womens day, Italian migrant life, Italian migrant stories, Italian migrant women, Italian migrants Australia, Italians in Stanthorpe, migrant life, migrant stories, migrant women, rural Australia, rural women in Australia, Stanthorpe

Jan 2, 2018 · 12:18 pm

New year harvest…

Buon anno a tutti and warmest wishes!

The new year was generally start of harvest time at my family’s Applethorpe farm, with various fruit and vegetable picking over the first four months or so. Seeing photographs of that time, I’m taken by the generous camaraderie that comes across among the hard work and summer heat, especially knowing family and friends came from near and far to help my great-grandmother, Cesca and her youngest two left alone on their farm after her husband Mico’s sudden death at fifty-three.

At my desk again for the first time this year, while I await the next step on book three I am making a start to some research, a bit like ‘harvesting’ snippets and stories, that I hope (and I can’t believe I am writing this) will become book four!! Again, best wishes for the year and tante belle cose. xx

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Filed under books + writing, inspiration + history

Tagged as Applethorpe, family stories, farm life Australia, harvest time Australia, Italian family stories, Italian migrants Australia, migrant stories, old photographs Stanthorpe, Solano farm Applethorpe, Stanthorpe

Sep 14, 2017 · 5:12 pm

From blossoms to broccoli…

Came across this photograph of my family’s Applethorpe farm in the 1950s with the orchard in flower and realised when I was there doing research for Mezza and Joe’s, I happened to take a picture from almost the same spot 60 years later.

Old photographs and family stories…

Even though Joe’s Fruit Shop and Milk Bar is completed, it is a pleasure to keep hearing more stories from my older relatives who always seem to have a little more to reveal about this era of their lives.

Talking to my great uncle Vincenzo recently I found out the varieties of produce they grew on the family’s Applethorpe farm included Granny Smith and Delicious apples, Santa Rosa and Wilson plums, Packham pears and green beans, also known as French or string beans. And the beans were the easiest to pick come harvest time.

(My great-grandmother – back left – was in her 50s when this was taken and though having recently lost her husband was working hard to keep the farm going.)

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Filed under art + photographs, inspiration + history

Tagged as Applethorpe, farm life, Joe's Fruit Shop and Milk Bar, old family stories, old photographs Stanthorpe, produce grown Applethorpe, Stanthorpe