In the years after World War II Italy was in recovery from the devastation and havoc wreaked on the country, with family homes, businesses, industries and infrastructure destroyed, and little money to begin the rebuilding process.
Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content
People had little or no income and little chance of securing work.
Thousands of families were encouraged to apply to government immigration authorities in America, Canada, England and Australia where they hoped to enjoy a better quality of life, with ample work available, and enticingly, a plentiful supply of food.
Fourteen-year-old Italian teenager Carmelo Demaio, and older brother Rocco, joined hundreds of immigrants who left their families behind to board the Greek liner Crerene for a 31-day voyage to Australia, on the adventure of a lifetime.
Arriving in Melbourne on January 4, 1950, the Demaio brothers journeyed to Swan Hill, initially for several weeks, before learning they could find plenty of work in the food bowl of Australia, Cobram.
The brothers had virtually no understanding of English, yet soon learnt to communicate. And Carmelo, the younger, seemed to pick up the language relatively quickly.
He did not attend school. He became a man at the age of 14, working alongside men of his father’s age.
He was keen, he listened, and he watched what others were doing, and locals soon learnt that the likeable teenager was willing to have a go.
After two years living and working in Cobram, Rocco decided to go back to Varapodio to help his family, while Carmelo preferred to remain.
Working as an orchard hand, and still too young to drive a car, Carmelo bought himself a bicycle, which he rode everywhere.
He could be seen with a shovel tied to the bike riding to different jobs, including a dairy farm in Yarroweyah where he cleaned out channels.
“I remember it was easy to learn and people were good to me,” Carmelo said.
“I soon made friends, and we would often go to the movies. My bike took me everywhere.”
The young man worked hard and saved as much as he could, in true Italian style, and purchased his first home, a brick house at 9 Pine St, Cobram for £1900. A proud moment for such a young man.
In 1960, 10 years after his arrival in Australia, Carmelo became an Australian citizen before leaving for Italy to visit his family, his first trip home since he left in 1950.
He had been advised that he was now of the age he would be required to complete two years of national service in the Italian army if he was to remain an Italian citizen.
The young man enjoyed 10 months with his family, during which time he met a beautiful young woman, Francesca Imbesi, and three years later when he returned to his birth country the couple married in the town of Varapodio.
Carmelo and Francesca began married life in their small home in Pine St, which still stands today, beginning a wonderful life in their adopted country.
Like Carmelo, Francesca had little ability with the English language when she first arrived; however, she had a cousin living in Cobram and soon made many new friends.
By this time Carmelo had given away his push-bike to purchase his first motor vehicle, a Holden utility, and boy was he proud.
Carmelo could turn his hand to almost anything as an orchard hand working for local growers.
Yet, one man in particular became his mentor, Bob Cornish. Bob, who was only six years older than Carmelo, took him under his wing and taught the young Italian so much about the industry to the extent that in 1965, Carmelo and Francesca went ahead with confidence in purchasing their own property in Cobram East Rd, where they initially grew tomatoes then planted peach, apricot and plum trees on 47 bare acres.
”I received very good advice from Bob over the years and I respected him. He was a generous man and was like a brother to me,“ Carmelo said.
“I worked as a sharefarmer, employee and contractor with Bob during the time he was the SPC chairman.
“He was a very smart man and I learnt a lot about fruit, particularly stoned fruit and the industry, from him.”
What was the attraction of the fruit industry for Carmelo?
“We could make more in one day in Cobram than we could in three days back in Italy, and we have larger land here to grow so much more,” he said.
The Demaios today are extremely proud of their four married daughters, Mary, Grace, Rose and Sonia, four grandsons and eight granddaughters.
Was it a good decision to leave their families and build a new life in Australia, I asked.
Unanimously the couple agreed, despite the language difficulties and leaving family.
“Yes, yes. Australia is a wonderful country, there is freedom, good jobs and good people,” Carmelo said.
Carmelo and Francesca were advised to sell their orchard in 2002 after Carmelo was diagnosed with cancer and underwent emergency surgery followed by a series of radiation treatments.
He has since settled into retirement in his beautiful home in Sydney St, but two years ago had a tumour removed from his brain.
However, this beautiful gentle Italian man, who turns 89 on March 4, is a fighter and has recovered well from both health issues with his devoted wife, Francesca, at his side, and is often seen riding his motorised scooter about town.
While they have travelled back to Italy on six or seven occasions, it is time now to sit back and reflect on the life their years of hard work has provided for them in their senior years.
Contributed content