Book launch with author Jan Mcguinness & guest speaker Paul Bongiorno AM
Friday 15 March, 6.30–8pm. Free RSVP entry
CO.AS.IT. and the Ballarat Italian Association invite you to the Melbourne launch of
La nostra storia. The story of Italians in Ballarat
with guest speaker Paul Bongiorno AM and remarks by the author Jan McGuinness
Musical entertainment by Phil Carroll and Choir
Light refreshments served
Friday 15 March 2019, 6.30–8pm
CO.AS.IT., 199 Faraday Street, Carlton [see Google map}
Booking: This is a free event however RSVP/registration is required. Click on the REGISTER button at the bottom of the page.
About the book
La nostra storia covers the story of Italians in Ballarat and the contribution they have made since the 1850s with the most famous being Raffaello Carboni who wrote the only eye witness account of the Eureka Stockade uprising on the 3 December 1854. Needless to say there are many other Italians who came to Ballarat since then and have made a significant contribution to the development, growth and prosperity of Ballarat.
Italians came from all regions of Italy for various reasons, with high hopes of creating a better life for themselves and their families. They became factory workers, shop keepers, builders, restaurateurs, teachers, doctors, lawyers and public servants just to name a few professions.
The Italian story presented in La nostra storia aims to capture the voices and memories of the Ballarat Italian Association founding members before these memories fade with the passing of time. Many descendants of earlier arrivals have also been able to recall the stories of their parents, grandparents and in some cases great grandparents. Other stories of Italians from the gold rush period and beyond needed to be told and included in La nostra storia. Their stories underscore the importance of many voices and diversity of opinions and the enduring connections Italians have with Ballarat.
La nostra storia is a story of adventure, success and resilience. It’s a story of contribution and creativity. It’s a story of successful immigration and intercultural enrichment. The purpose of capturing the voices, stories and settlement experiences of Italians is to preserve this story for posterity. The Italian story presented in La nostra storia adds to the cultural richness of Ballarat and begs to be told. The many Italians who call Ballarat home have quietly pursued their hopes and dreams and in the process added to the economic and social wellbeing of the community.
About the author
Jan McGuiness, journalist and author, was commissioned to interview over fifty participants. After many hours of research and interviews, and listening to the voices and communicating often in Italian with participants and their families, Jan has been able to produce an extraordinary book. Her tireless pursuit of information, attention to detail and accuracy is evident in the pages of La Nostra Storia. Jan’s skilful interweaving of historical events and the stories of individuals brings the families and their stories to life.
Jan McGuinness began in journalism as a graduate cadet at the Melbourne Herald. Over more than three decades she has worked as a senior writer, editor and producer for newspapers, magazines and television.
Jan’s print experience is as a senior writer, columnist, bureau chief and editor for publications including The Age, The Sunday Age, The Bulletin, Australian Financial Review, The National Times and Times on Sunday, and The Melbourne Weekly which she helped establish.
In television, Jan was an ABC TV current affairs reporter/producer, ABC TV’s Commissioning Editor Arts & Entertainment and an ABC TV co-producer operating her own production company.
Jan is the published author of several social histories. The latest, launched in March 2016, is the story of the Massoni family who were the founders of Café Florentino in Melbourne.
Jan is a former and current board member of organisations in the cultural, educational and non-for-profit sector and is the former chair of the Melbourne Writers Festival. She currently lecturers in Advanced Writing in the School of Journalism at Monash University. Jan is fluent in Italian and travels to Italy frequently.
