1960 Tweed Cane Stripper Hook

This cane stripper has historical and technological significance in that it demonstrates the the hard manual labour involved in planting, cutting and loading sugar cane before mechanisation of the sugar industry, first of planting and loading sugar cane and later of harvesting the crop.
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1950 Tweed Cane Cutter Knife

The cane knife is historically significant as evidence of the manual labour of the many South Sea Islanders, Indians and migrants from Europe who were the backbone of the sugar industry in northern NSW. Continue reading

Franca Arena AM

Meet Franca Arena and see her letter from an Australian official in 1959. Franca was asked to give English lessons to Italian passengers on her boat to Australia. Continue reading

1944 Italian Internment Diaries

Discover the diaries of Federico Bonisoli documenting his internment during World War II. The diaries Include Internment diaries (in Italian dated 1940-1944, letters in English received from his niece Maria Bonisoli and nephew Attilio Bonisoli between 1940-1943, a photograph of Federico Bonisoli, c.1939. and a letter in Italian to Felice Bonisoli from Rev. Professor M.F. Toal, an ex-internee of Loveday Camp dated 13 September 1956. Continue reading

1948 Emigration Poster

The poster has historic value as evidence of post World War 2 mass migration and the attempt by the Australian government to build the nation’s population with European migrants. Continue reading

1951 Griffith Drink Tokens

The tokens are a significant marker of a comparatively short historical phase of liquor licensing laws and of the colourful role of Italian social clubs important to Griffith Italian life. Continue reading

1940 Hay POW Camp Coins

The coins have historic value as evidence of the events that surround the internment of POWs in Australia in World War 2 and the experience of the refugees and POWs life at the Hay POW camp. Continue reading