A letter written in Italian using blue ink on unlined paper aerogramme. Written by Vasco Mangiavacchi to his mother in Italy, the letter talks about the process of work being allocated and his getting ready to relocate to Sydney for work. Digital copy.

Letter from Vasco Mangiavacchi to his family in Montepulciano Italy
Bonegilla   21 March 1956
Dearest all,
In this very moment with great anticipation I received your dear letter dated the 13th of this month. I am really happy to hear that you are all in good health as am I. As you can see we are still here in the immigration centre, only the bricklayers and a few carpenters remain, waiting hour by hour to hear if we will leave. My destination will be Sydney and I am very happy as there is more work there than in other places in Australia. This morning around 30 people left here to work so maybe tomorrow it will be my turn. But don’t be concerned that I’m in a bad way or to start saying: see, you should have stayed here because you would have found work. No! These inconveniences occur because they all do things following rules here: first they process the first immigrants that arrived and then by order of arrival the others. On Saturday Mario Galli will arrive here, but I won’t be here because I have to make room for him. Over the last 20 days those of us that have a trade have been attending a bit of school. We already understand a little, we can already ask for things which is something. Even though where we are headed will have everything we need: iron, bedroom and kitchen. For two years we will receive (government) support, just as if we were with our mothers, this is something I have never found in other places. On the days that we don’t work they pay us an unemployment benefit where we have enough left over to pay for smokes, writing material and drinks.
I still have 18 pounds – that is in Australian (currency) equivalent to 25,000 Italian lire, so I’m not suffering. My only concern is for you (all). Therefore, don’t worry it may be true that …  (Letter is torn from this point)
(Overleaf)
You only need a 100 lire stamp. Write: Migrant Vasco Mangiavacchi as you have done (in the past). Only 100 lire. All the mail is arriving, so mine will arrive also. Thank to you for the Easter wishes that you sent by radio. I heard about it through Lido, as we write to each other… Aladino, all of us. But I haven’t received any letters from Siena. Listen, did you receive the letter that I wrote to you from the port of Melbourne. I gave the letter to a man who told me that he would post it: it must mean that he was a pig. I’ll also let you know that Aladino asked if I would go work there to work (Seymour?); but here they tell me not to as they give preferences to companies. I will go wherever they send me, as long as it is secure (work).
And now mum, Dide (Iride, younger sister) I will hear your voice, I can’t wait for the day after Easter to hear it. I send you many, many best wishes and many, many kisses to you mum, dad, Iride, Olghina, the Ercolani family, to you dear Rosina, mum dad, brother and brother in law, best wishes to the Brandi family also.
Kisses and best wishes to grandma and her family. I always think of grandmother and all the relatives that ask about me.
Your very affectionate son, brother, friend, grandson etc. Vasco. HAPPY EASTER
I wrote twice to Rita but I’ve had no response. Hoooo!

(At the top of the letter upside down)
This aerogramme costs us only 55 Italian lire. It’s very little. Kisses Vasco.
Best wishes to Arturo Ottaviani and family. Lido family and Pallino family.

Letter

21 March 1959

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