Projects

Current project

Investigating The Migration Heritage Of Wollongong

Investigating the Migration Heritage of Wollongong is a new resource which reflects local knowledge gathered at community workshops with former migrants. This publication highlights important local heritage collections and records people's memories of arriving in Australia and settling in Wollongong – such as Rina Montgomery's story.

This richly illustrated book will be published in late 2007. It will encourage people to record their migration history and experiences and to care for associated records, photos and family belongings. It will be a useful guide for other New South Wales community groups.

Investigating the Migration Heritage of Wollongong is a NSW Migration Heritage Centre partnership with the Illawarra Migration Heritage Project Inc. The book was researched and written by heritage consultant Meredith Walker with the Illawarra Migration Heritage Project Inc.

PROJECT CONTACT:
Franca Facci, Chair, Illawarra Migration Heritage Project Inc.

Address:
PO Box 1589
South Coast Mail Centre
Wollongong NSW 2521

Tel: 02 4251 4710
Email: mhp@1earth.net

Wollongong Spaghetti

Rina Montgomery came to Australia from Italy in 1929 with her mother and brother to join her father who had settled in Wollongong three years earlier. Her parents ran a boarding house in Steeltown (Cringila) where many migrants found a home.

Their parents brought with them some kitchen equipment but, more often than not, everyday items were homemade as they could not be found in Australia.

This pasta maker was brought to Australia in 1929 by Mistica Rosa Scapin (Rina Montgomery's mother).

"You had to have flour … and throw it onto the pasta, and then lower the pasta into the bowl. You cut the pasta to whatever length you wanted – 2ft 6" long. Pasta was always made fresh. [You] could make it and dry it on a sheet, on a bed or table and store it.

Flour and eggs, salt in the water when cooking. Might do six eggs at a time. After breakfast mum did the dough and I turned the handle, while mum did cutting and flour from the bottom. … There are different shapes – most common one was spaghetti."

Rina Montgomery

Photographs and text courtesy of the Illawarra Migration Heritage Project Inc. and Rina Montgomery