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Walk for me, Elsie
The epic of an Italian
immigrant to Australia
Flavio Lucchesi
THE BOOK:
The story of Giuseppe (Joe) Maffina and his family begins at the
beginning of the twentieth century, when emigrants from Italy were
setting out for distant lands: America naturally, but also Australia.
They were fearless people, leaving a familiar life, albeit full of
restrictions and difficulties, for a totally unknown future; in the case
of Joe Maffina, leaving his beloved though harsh mountains of the
Valtellina for the wild and unknown expanses of Australia. Nature,
however, was not alone in making it difficult for the emigrants to build
themselves a better life. Other obstacles had to be overcome with
steadfastness, courage and tenacity. One of these was the
difficult relationship with the local population which, mainly through
cultural differences and lack of understanding, would turn into
anti-Italian riots. The internment of Italians in concentration
camps, after Italy entered the Second World War, was another. The
adventures of Joe Maffina are recounted through the memories of his
daughter, wanting to preserve and re-organise a record of those
difficult years. Flavio Lucchesi, a passionate researcher and
expert on Australia, has turned them into a fascinating book, in which
the narrative alternates with chapters recalling the historical events
of the time so as to see them in perspective and thus understand their
full implications. In this way, the personal story of the
protagonist tells of the lives of many. From this emerges the
still very topical theme of encounter between different cultures, which
we must know about so as not to forget a crucial phase of our past.
THE AUTHOR:
Flavio Lucchesi is a professor in Geography at the Department of
Geography and Human Environmental Sciences of the Università
degli Studi di Milano [Milan State University]. He has published
many works about Australia and is especially interested in descriptions
by Italian travellers, both "dilettantes" and "professionals", in
Australia's economy and its relationship with that of Italy, and in the
development of emigration from Italy.
THE PUBLISHER:
The Italian Australian Institute (I.A.I.) is a non-profit organisation,
supported by the co-operation between the Grollo-Ruzzene Foundation and
La Trobe University. Its charter states that its main aim is to
research and study every aspect of the Italian presence in Australia.
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