A letter written in Italian using blue ink on unlined paper aerogramme. The letter was written at the  Railway Hostel at Leichhardt in Sydney. Written by Vasco Mangiavacchi to his mother in Italy, the letter describes his first day at work as a bricklayer with the NSW Government Railways, and also meeting up with other acquaintances from Italy living in Sydney. Digital copy.

Letter from Vasco Mangiavacchi to his family in Montepulciano Italy
Sydney 8 April 1956
Dear mum and family,
First of all I apologise for not responding right away to your letter dated 29/3, which I received on the evening of the 4th of April and because I had to travel that same evening I wasn’t able to respond until today. I am pleased to hear that you are all well as am I.
Mum, I imagine that you will have written to the address that I sent you, however at the last moment they sent us to a destination around 25 kilometres closer to the (city) centre, so we will write in the hope that they will forward your mail to us. The other day, on Friday we worked. These are government jobs and it’s quite a sacrifice: we don’t have to do anything:  working a lot is hard, but believe me, to do nothing is just as tedious; we’ve found old guys here that help us in everything. But soon we will find work with private (companies) and we will earn more and certainly work more, but it’s not much at the moment.
You know mum, what work is like on the railways: they finally sent us there also. You can forget about working with an American company.
But it doesn’t matter we will go to Central station in Sydney where we’ll meet people who will eventually enable us to find work in our own field (bricklaying / concreting). Here we earn 13 and a half pounds sterling for 5 days of work. Saturdays and Sundays (are) holidays. Around 18,200 Italian Lire. Whereas if we work outside and on Saturdays, if they allow us, (we will earn) around 22 pounds Sterling, approximately 30,000 Lire, all we need to do is to settle in and then the rest will follow by itself.
Mother, on Saturday, Sunday and Monday until 6 in the evening I was at Aladino’s (place). I spent 3 blissful days there; Lido was also there, as was Pallino with his wife and daughter. They all said that they’d never spent such a happy Easter together- looks like they needed me there to liven things up!
I can just imagine what you are all thinking: “who knows where that poor boy might be and how he is faring?” and I can just see you mum and the others who are so concerned, you will have worried needlessly, instead you have to stop worrying about me because I am now used to it and I get by quite well. Do you understand? If I stay away for 3 or 4 years it’s because I am doing well. Do you remember what I did when I was in France and things weren’t going well? Not to mention that I was earning nothing there! Furthermore Aladino tells the folks back in Montepulciano that he can’t wait to return home and yet things are OK here and there is work. He has a nice home furnished with everything, hot and cold water, refrigerator, washing machine, radio and furthermore he has a little wife worth her weight in gold, she works in a factory,  the first to return home prepares dinner, she washes and he dries up and life is good. When Rita arrives I don’t think I’ll be worse off because she is a good little woman also, or at least I believe so, gauging by the two years that we spent together. I’ll finish off now wishing you mother many dear wishes and many kisses your son Vasco. Dad, I hear that you are going to Corolle (area near Montepulciano) to work. What’s the weather like there? Here it’s warm even though it’s autumn. Dide (nickname for his sister Iride), I left Mario at Bonegilla, he will also be arriving in Sydney. I am about 15 hours by train or about 750 km distant from Aladino. He is in a town very much like Empoli and it is as if I was in Rome. I send my greetings to Licia and family, Ugo, Vittorio, Primo, all the neighbours and to Rosina also. Roses, memories and promises all eventually – and you pay the consequences, if you don’t open your eyes well. Kisses to everyone, your Vasco. Greetings to Rita.
Message written on top front of the letter – upside down:
Mother, seven of us goons from the Province of Siena weren’t able to hear your Easter message, even though I went there on purpose to hear you and {}Iride. Even though they all have a radio and out of 6 of them with their 4 years in Australia they didn’t conclude anything.

Letter

8 April 1959

Description

Accession number

Classification

Dimensions

Links

Special collection

Subjects

Special collection

Subjects