In this little town of Griffith, 25,000, in the middle of nowhere, in a vast empty continent, after a decade of struggle, an Italian community erects a modest Cultural Center, that warmly salutes the contribution of Italians.

In 1921, there were just 33 Italians in the Griffith district, but by 1954, nearly half the farms in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area were owned by Italians.

That effort merited an article in the (Sydney) Daily Telegraph,[sister to Britain's highest selling Daily Telegraph], with the supportive headline, "Italians: What they
did for us".

Another example of the third and fourth generations reaching back from their substantially "assimilated" status to "reconnect" with their "roots".

The Daily Telegraph
By Lisa Miller
Regional Reporter
September 13, 2004

IT'S been described as a cross between an Italian town hall and an outback shearing shed -- but to the people of Griffith, their long-awaited Italian Museum is a monument to rival the Colosseum.

After nearly a decade of planning, fundraising, and the blood, sweat and occasional tears from an army of volunteers, the community project was officially opened yesterday.

Almost every brick, every tile and everything in between was donated or sold at cost price by local businesses, and the entire contents of the inaugural exhibition came from local residents.

The museum celebrates the contribution made by Italian immigrants to the district, from the pioneering era of the 1920s to the restaurants and wineries that have made the town famous.

Exhibits range from machinery and tools brought by successive waves of immigrants to hand-made clothes sewn by Italian mothers and displays celebrating the traditional arts of pasta-making and wine production.

It has been a labour of love for the museum committee, formed by 17 locals in 1994. Despite funding setbacks and the deaths of several members, they pursued the dream for a decade.

Committee chairman Julian Raccanello said the museum was a legacy to future generations of residents of Italian background.

"Most of the money was raised in the local community, as well as from a grant by the State Government, and nearly all the construction work was done by bricklayers, electricians and other local tradesmen in their own time," he said.

"It's been a long slog for us, so it's great to see it finally open -- although we still want to do more work and add to the displays.

"Exhibition curator Peter Tonkin, from Sydney-based 3D Design, said he was inspired by the stories of Italian immigrants when designing the exhibits.

The museum is divided into four sections: immigration, improvisation, traditions, and the consolidation of Italian life.

"There wouldn't be anything quite like it in Australia. The experience of Italians at Griffith is quite distinct from other groups, and the museum really reflects this," Mr Tonkin said.

"The earlier settlers were amazing people. They really had it quite tough. The landscape was completely different from what they were used to and they showed great resourcefulness to build a new way of life here.

"Mr Tonkin said his favourite exhibits included a chainsaw -- brought over because its owner wasn't sure whether tools would be available in Australia -- and the clothes sewed by Luigia Pastega, who at one stage was outfitting almost the entire immigrant community at Griffith.

In 1921, there were just 33 Italians in the Griffith district but within two decades their numbers had grown to 3000.

By 1954, nearly half the farms in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area were owned by Italians.Griffith mayor John Dal Broi, founding chairman of the museum committee, said it would be an icon for Italian-Australians.

The Daily Telegraph | Italians: What they did for us
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid
=1260&storyid=1926302

Griffith is located in the state of New South Wales, 360 miles south west of Sydney, Australia's largest city, and 280 miles north of Melbourne.

Griffith is the base town within the Murrumbigee River irrigation area, boasts many fine Restuarants and Winerys, and is famous for rich cultural diversity. Griffith produces 20% of Australians wine and is famous for its Vegetable, Oranges, Rice industry and stone fruits (large hard seed). The surrounding areas produce cereal grains, sheep and cattle.