# About the Author

- Link: https://italiajoe.com/about-the-author/
- Published: 2024-05-10T08:42:25+00:00
- Author: Joseph Simonetti

Giuseppe Franco Simonetti 1957 ‘Joe’ amongst the Bathurst Bur weeds  in front of
the fruit pickers hut, Gattuso orchard at Cobram

Mother packed my newly sewn wardrobe and I followed Father to Australia. From the
age of eight, for five years beginning in 1956, I tagged along with my father’s 
and uncle’s itinerant work lifestyle between the cane fields of Far North Queensland
and the Murray Valley orchards. My late start in Australian education meandered 
into high school, followed by tertiary studies in Pharmaceutical Science. My career
has been in the marketing and sales of High-Tech instruments for Research and Development.
In 1994 I founded[ www.scientex.com.au](http://www.scientex.com.au/) a business 
still operating successfully. Since my ‘50s, modest wealth has freed me from old-
age financial encumbrances, enabling a catch-up in literary pursuits. My writing
articulates the intensity of my life’s experience.

Our paternal grandfather died when Father was only six years old, leaving the family
to struggle through the Great Depression. The snippets of oral history did stimulate
imaginings of what it may have been like. Father’s internment in Germany, after 
Italy signed the Armistice with the Allies, remained a niggling mystery, somehow
needing to find a sense of closure.

I have lived in Australia most of my life, schooled here and mainly exposed to Australian
and British History. Some years ago, I realised that there was a great imbalance
in my understanding of the history of my native Italy, in comparison to that of 
Britain/UK. In family interactions, _‘Italia’_ was talked about, however, any input
I may make would be limited to recollections of an eight-year-old child, before 
immigrating to Australia. What I could relate to, being Italian was based on family
hearsay. I felt I should give attention to better understanding the land of my birth
and searched for a way to improve and develop my knowledge base.

I did not wish to become a Historian, which is a lifelong pursuit but simply wanted
to be adequately knowledgeable of Italy in discussions that may arise amongst family
and peers. Due to the need for researching specialist interest topics, the fascination
with history on multiple fronts has become more intense over the last five years.
The need to articulate accurately historical events has enabled my accumulation 
of such knowledge layered over a lifetime career

### Pre 1961 Gallery

 

Memories flocculate from the new social paradigms being synthesized from the ethereal
planning to create wealth and return to Francavilla in sacrosanct ‘Italia.’

 

1957 ‘The little poser Joe’  9 YO at the Mossman Cavallaro Farm

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1957_JFS_MossmanNQ_FancyDress_RT-
Crop-186x300.jpg)

1957 End of Year Mossman State School Fancy Dress 

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1957_MicheleSimonetti_CavallaroFarm_Crop-
300x201.jpg)

1957 Michele Simonetti showing cutting cane was done

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1957_Michele-Pietro-Andrea_beertime_Crop-
300x298.jpg)

1957 Beer time (from left, standing) Andrea Rondinelli, Vito Galati, Pietro Simonetti(
left squatting) Michele Simonetti, unknown x2.

### Demands for Incremental Adjustments

 

Father arrived with an Italian wardrobe which included a double-breasted suit, buttoned
down collared shirts and narrow ties, all being atypical of that time in Australia.
These were European styles, quite in contrast to the short back-and-sides haircuts,
wide ties and baggy pants worn by the Anglo’s which the young Italians relished 
in pointing out amongst themselves. Michele, Tommaso, and Franco were representative
of the youth that poured into Australia with adequate bluster to contend with whatever
ethnic taunts Australians could throw at them. A little irony does come into play
over the vestments; these were quite appropriate for temperate climates, however,
were out of place in a tropical environment, but still new arrivals persisted with
their wear, to attend church service on Sundays. For the brief time we spent in 
Melbourne, the wardrobe did fit in well when mingling with the café bar set. Leisure
time was spent in the ubiquitous cafés to play cards and bocci. Queenslanders’ fashion
was to sport long sleeve shirts folded up to the biceps for the strong man look.
The new arrivals preferred to sport their shirts in the more casual look; fold up
shirt cuffs, midway up the forearm.

.

 1955 Michele Simonetti in his Sunday best

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1955_MicheleSimonetti-JoeCavalaro-
Crop-300x289.jpg)

1955 Michele Simonetti & Giuseppe (Joe) Cavallaro

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1957_CaneGang_Crop-300x280.
jpg)

1957 Cane Gang: (from left) Sam Cavallaro, Michele Simonetti, Andrea Rondinelli,‘
unknown’ (sitting) Pietro Simonetti

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1956_FDVogel-Family-300x234.
jpg)

1957 Franz and Desanka Vogel Family

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/1960__RinaRelioTU-222x300.jpg)

1960 Caterina & Aurelio at “la spiaggia”

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Monika_Deb-226x300.jpg)

1964 Monika Debutante

![](https://italiajoe.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Monika-PramDoll-207x300.jpg)

1956 Monika with Pram & Doll

 

### Testimonial

 

In 2012 I went on a nostalgic train trip from Melbourne, Victoria, through Albury
on the Murray River, Sydney, Brisbane ending in Cairns. The Journey reinforced memories
of my childhood travels with my father, Michele and Zio Pietro during seasonal changeovers
between their cane cutting and fruit picking in Cobram, Northern Victoria. The experience
of my 1956 to 1961 life tagging along is narrated in “Where Were We”, Book 3 [When Australia Beckoned ](https://italiajoe.com/when-australia-beckoned-2/)