Founded in Melbourne on the 2nd of August 1925, the Società Isole Eolie (SIE) is one of the oldest Italian cultural and social associations in Australia.
Nestled in the cradle of the Tyrrhenian Sea between Naples and Sicily, the Aeolian islands of Lipari, Vulcano, Salina, Stromboli, Panarea, Filicudi and Alicudi were forged by the clashing of tectonic plates and ongoing seismic activity lead to a mass migration in the early 20th century to countries like Australia and today, some of these families span four generations.
For over 93 years, the SIE has been the main hub for Aeolians in Victoria – a place to meet and share experiences through a variety of events, including artistic performances, dances, films, exhibitions, excursions, religious festivities and genealogy seminars.
One of the most anticipated events is the annual picnic and this year marks the 70th anniversary of the event being held at Keast Park in Seaford.
To commemorate this milestone, the SIE is holding a Festa Eoliana, starting with the Annual Picnic at Keast Park, Seaford on Sunday 3rd February and concluding on Saturday 9th February with a Masquerade Party at the Eolian Hall in n North.
Un po' di storia della SIE
Da dove veniamo? Memorie degli eoliani d'Australia.
The Festa Eoliana includes an historical exhibition, curated by Cristina Neri, who was also the curator of the 2016 Immigration Museum exhibition: From Volcanoes We Sailed: Connecting Aeolian Generations.
This exhibition documents the birth of the picnic as a social gathering and follows it through its development; from the tribulations during WWII to its resurgence and transformation into the 21st Century.
The exhibition includes rare historical content: black and white photography, black and white Super-8 film and various memorabilia, such as the original tug-of-war rope used throughout the generations.
Picnic Kesat Park, 1954 Source: Courtesy of Janetta Ziino
The Honourable James Merlino MP, Deputy Premier of Victoria and Minister for Education, will be Patron of the event and will officially open the exhibition at the Keast Park Community Pavilion.
In the afternoon, the events program commences with running races for a wide variety of ages, the sack race, the egg-and-spoon race, the three-legged race and the much-loved Watermelon-eating Competition.
This year sees the return of two former items to the program of events: The Spaghetti-eating Contest and the old-fashioned Tug-of-War.
Another highlight on the program are the Miss & Mr Isole Eolie Quests. The first Miss Isole Eolie was elected in the summer of 1968 and the first recorded winner, Lisa Caponio, was elected in 1970.
The summer-day event continues into the late afternoon with a live performance by Fortunato Isgro in the Fortunato Duo and concludes with DJ Stephen Taranto playing crowd-pleaser favourites.
The Festa Eoliana culminates on Saturday 9th February 2019, with a Masquerade Party, as is now traditional, whereby all the winners and finalists of the quests will be honoured, at the home of the Aeolians in Melbourne, the Eolian Hall in Carlton North.
Janetta Ziino, Event Director of the Società Isole Eolie, came to told us the history of the club and share some future perspectives for the 'eoliani' in Australia.
For further details you can contact Janetta at 04 000 33 000 or email: info@eoliemelbourne.com.au.
