Bloom where you are planted: Melina's Australian story

Nonna Melina

Source: courtesy of Connie Hall

Carmela Rizza followed her husband Nino in Australia from Sicily, starting a new life in Melbourne and country Victoria.


Carmela Rizza was born in Floridia, Sicily, on February 8th, 1929.

When she was 16, Melina met Nino and decided to marry him. After starting a family (three out of four children were born in Italy), Nino decided to explore Australia and see if that far location could have been the right place to start again.
"La vita è stata qua, nipoti e pronipoti.. la soddisfazione per me è sempre stata la famiglia"
After falling in love with the land, he sent a telegram home, saying to Melina "sell everything we have and come Down Under".
That was only the first relocation in Melina's life. Years after, Nino fell in love with country Victoria and moved the whole family to Goodnight, NSW.

Melina followed, all in the name of her love for her husband and family.

 

Listen to Melina's story on the audio-player.


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Bloom where you are planted: Melina's Australian story | SBS Italian