by Susan Toscan
The men respected Michael. Although he was young, they could see that he had his wits about him. He knew what he was doing, and he always treated his workmates well. The graziers liked Michael also and could see that he had potential as a leading hand in the shed. They trusted his judgment.
With Tom’s guidance, Michael was learning all the important aspects of running a big shearing shed. Tom also cautioned Michael about his bouts of moodiness. “Look, mate, you have to pull your head in sometimes. I know that things can get to you easily, but you have to toughen up. This job will break you if you don’t.”
Michael quickly learned that to get ahead, you had to know all about how to run the shed and organise the workers. He knew that communication was important, especially with the unions wanting to get involved. The men were suspicious of the union organisers and often felt threatened when they showed up on the property. Michael became a spokesperson for the men, and he knew to show the union people respect. He did not want to get them offside. Big Mick was the main contact for the Amalgamated Workers’ Union, and he seemed to like Michael. He would often call in to see how the shearing was progressing, and he generally found that the shed was being well run and the men were being treated fairly. This was not always the case in many of the sheds.
The trade union was trying to establish a protocol so that the sheds provided better conditions for the workers. The graziers did not like the unions’ interference, but they were happy for Michael to act on their behalf, and he seemed to take it in stride. Many sheds had been involved in strike action, and this was extremely costly for the graziers. It was therefore to their advantage to make sure the sheds run smoothly, and having a competent person in charge meant that industrial action could mostly be avoided.
Within a week, Michael felt that he could head back to town. He would have to re-supply the shed kitchen. The workers were generally self-sufficient as they had a cow for milk and butter and all the meat they needed, even if they did get a little sick of eating lamb. There was also a vegetable garden, but it did not cope very well with the extreme summer heat. Michael had set up a watering system from the dam to keep the water going to the plants, but they had to make do with seasonal produce that grew in the harsh conditions of the area. Potatoes, pumpkins and carrots were generally available, and they also had a few fruit trees, which Frank had given Michael. Frank had told him how best to nurture the trees, and the fruit was certainly a welcome addition to the shearers’ diet.
Michael wrote to Agnes to let her know that he would be home soon. The mail delivery service was very important in this part of the world. Although some of the bigger homesteads had telephones, in general, there were not many working phones in remote country areas in the 1930s.
Darling Agnes,
I have completed the delivery and the shed is set up. I will be home in about 10 days’ time. It will be good to be heading back into town, and I am really looking forward to one of your surprise meals. I will catch the postie tomorrow, so hopefully this letter arrives before I do. We all know that old Jack can often get waylaid at the next pub along the road. The local joke among the shearers is that if you are expecting mail, it’s a good idea to meet the mailman at the pub. Otherwise, it could be another week before you get any letters. Poor old Jack takes it all as the joke it is meant to be, he is a likeable character and well known throughout the area. Everyone out here looks forward to his stories and people rely on him for information. They know the information is often embellished, but this adds to the interest.
I hope that you and Frances are well. I love you both and am counting the days until I get home again.
Michael
The politics of fear
While Michael was away, Agnes had spent the past week cleaning their little house and trying to keep the garden from drying out completely. It had been a particularly dry summer, and the water tank was very low. Everyone was praying for rain soon.
On very hot days, Agnes would take Frances down to the canal in the cool of the late afternoon, and they would paddle in the water. Her daughter loved the water, and Agnes was anxious to teach her to swim. When Michael could find the time, she hoped they could go out to Darlington Point so that she could visit her Aboriginal friends, especially as they had not met Frances yet. She would like to introduce Michael and her little girl to these people who had been so important in her childhood. A few days by the river would be a nice holiday for them. She decided that she would discuss it with Michael on his return.
A couple of days earlier, Renata had visited Agnes and Frances to check up on them. “I’ve brought some of Mum’s biscotti. I thought that we could have a girls’ morning tea. What do you think, Frances?”
Frances loved having visitors, especially when biscotti was involved.
“How are you going, Agnes?” asked Renata. “I noticed that you looked a little tired over Christmas.”
“Oh, Renata, I hadn’t told anyone except your mum, but I was very cross with Michael that day. He’d been out drinking with his friends a couple of days before and got into a fight. I was just so disappointed with his behaviour. He can act a bit strangely sometimes, and I have to wonder how well I really know him.”
Renata took her friend’s hand. “Is everything all right between you two? You’re worrying me.”
“Yes, really, we are fine. Michael is my life… Oh, and of course you too, little one,” Agnes said as she hugged her daughter. “I guess we’re just getting used to being together so much more often than we were when Michael was working out of town. He can get very moody sometimes, and I notice that he’ll go off by himself; he won’t talk to me about what he is thinking or feeling.” Agnes tried to explain the situation to Renata; she trusted her friend and knew that she could talk to her without their words going any further.
“I certainly don’t have a lot of experience as yet, but I’ve heard Lucia say that she gets cross with Flavio when he’s off in his own little world. Perhaps it’s a bloke thing.”
“I hope that you’re right. Anyway in the meantime, Michael and I have talked, and I hope that he understands how upset I was. I think I’m getting better at managing our life together, especially when he’s out of town.” Agnes got up to put the kettle back on the stove. She was making a big effort to lift the mood of the conversation. “Enough of that! Now let’s have another cup of tea and eat biscotti!” she added to reassure her friend.
Frances had been crawling for a few months and was now pulling herself up on the furniture. She was determined to walk. At almost 12 months old, she wanted to explore her world. The older children from the neighbouring farms were always around to play with her, and she was keen to join in their games. She was very determined. Agnes could see that a whole lot of trouble lay ahead with her adventurous little girl. She was saying words, and to Agnes’s delight, “Mum” was her favourite—usually used to point out anything she wanted. Agnes was continually trying to get Frances to say “Dad” so she could surprise Michael on his return, but her daughter didn’t seem ready to say it. She did have her own little word for Maria, and even though it wasn’t clear to Agnes, Maria was convinced that Frances could say her name.
Elsie and Joe would visit the little farmhouse as often as they could. Joe would take Frances around with him to say hello to all the neighbours while Elsie and Agnes got some cooking done.
Joe was always available to help the Italian community when it was time to pick fruit, and he also loved wine vintage time, when all the families participated in picking grapes, crushing them and beginning the process of producing the wines that Joe had become so fond of. He had not been a wine drinker before they met their Italian friends, but now he considered himself quite knowledgeable regarding the different types of wines in the area.
On his visits to the community at Bilbul, Joe delighted in hearing the Italians’ stories about life in Italy before the Great War. He would have loved to have the experience of travelling to see such a beautiful place. Over
seas travel from this part of the world was rare, especially since the economy had been so bad; people were just trying to survive. The voyage from Australia to Europe by sea was long and was certainly not commonly undertaken.
Joe was concerned when Frank told him stories about the political climate in Italy and how its leader seemed to have aligned the country with Germany, which Joe did not think could be a good thing.
“Joe, life in the old country is still not good. Here we are, midway through 1936, and there are some worrying things going on. Since the war finished, the Italian people have lived with the fear of another war under the shadow of Mussolini. The economy is showing no signs of recovery, and the depression is getting worse—not better like here in Australia. There is not enough work for everyone, and families struggle to feed themselves. The women work the farms, and the men go to larger cities to try to find work. Everyone is in the same situation. It is very bad.”
It was obvious to Joe that Frank had things on his mind, and he wanted to give the Italian man the opportunity to talk. He sensed that these were issues his friend would not discuss with Maria or his daughters. “How about we have a glass of wine and sit in the shade a while,” Joe suggested. He had brought some toys for Frances to play with, and while he set a blanket on the ground for the little girl, Frank went to fetch the wine.
On Frank’s return, Joe took a glass of wine and followed him to the chairs in the shade. Frank seemed distracted, his mind obviously still on the situation in Italy. “That Mussolini bloke, he is well known to the Italian people. He had a lot to say in the last days of the war. He is a good talker, and people listen to him, but he worries me, Joe. Too aggressive! Seems to me all he wants is power, and that is not good for the country. Our people, they have seen enough aggression. Judging from the letters I get from my brother, no-one trusts him.”
Frank was getting upset, and he was pacing around. Joe tried to calm him. “Frank, my old mate, we know from past experience that when these buggers get a taste of power, they do not care what the average person wants. It’s just not right. No-one wants to see a repeat of the last war; that’s too much to even think about!” Joe poured them another glass of wine. “Let’s have another drink and pray that things settle down soon,” he added hopefully.
It was in 1919, just after the end of the War, that Benito Mussolini formed the National Fascist Party in Italy (the paramilitary arm of his Party was called the camicie nere, or ‘black shirts’), and his strength and influence grew from there. In 1921, Mussolini and his Party were elected to the Italian Chamber of Deputies. This gave Mussolini even more credibility.
He gained more respect when he successfully ended a general strike in 1922, actively encouraging the strikers to return to their jobs and stabilising the situation. This brought him the recognition of the people as well as the politicians, and he became known as Il Duce—The Leader. The king of Italy was pleased with his initiative and invited him to Rome; he then asked Mussolini to form a new government and appointed him prime minister. In 1922, Il Duce’s future was secured, and with every year that passed, his growing power was becoming more evident.
It was in 1926 that Mussolini abolished the Parliament and set about appointing members of his Fascist organisations to run the country.
Mussolini had been a journalist in his previous career. As a politician, he was very good at promoting himself through propaganda. He began to win over the Italian people by demonstrating an ability to bring about a sense of order, something that the general populace craved. Fascism as a concept rejected racism and violence and capitalised on patriotism, but it also rejected individual rights, freedom of speech and democracy. This seemed to be lost in the political rhetoric of the day, however, as the people were desperate for the stability that Fascism initially seemed to offer.
Delivering news—good and bad
Lucia and Flavio’s wedding was very close. The entire Messera family was involved in the plans, and of course everyone would be helping out with the cooking. There was a large hall near the church in the village of Yoogali, which was just a few miles down the road. The traditional wedding service would be held in the church, and then everyone would assemble in the hall to eat, dance and have a wonderful time. There were only a few months left to finalise all of the details and make sure that everyone had a job to do. Elsie had offered to assist Maria in making Lucia’s dress.
The women were still waiting on the material and lace for the wedding gown and bridesmaids’ dresses to come from Italy. It had been ordered months ago, and Lucia was most anxious for it to arrive. She hoped that it would be with the next mail delivery, which Michael would collect in his truck from the train station on his way home from the shearing shed.
During this time, Betty paid another visit to Agnes as she once again wanted to tell her sister about her plans. “Mum’s not very happy with me at the moment, Agnes. I wanted to talk to you.” She looked a little flustered.
“Oh my god, Betty, you’re not pregnant? Poor Mum, to have both daughters fallen women!” said Agnes laughingly, trying to lighten the moment but still wanting reassurance from her sister that her little joke was in fact not the truth.
“No, I’m not pregnant. But I’ve told Mum that Sam and I are going to Sydney together. Sam has business to take care of, and I want to catch up with an old friend from school. It’s all above board and we’ll be staying with my friend’s parents, but you know Mum. The old ‘What will people think?’ question is always there. But you know what, sis, I really don’t care what people think.” Betty stated this with a determination and conviction that Agnes had not heard from her before.
“Good for you, little sister! I’m proud of you. We can both be rebellious Kingsley girls!”
“Oh, good, that will certainly be reassuring to Mum!” Betty smiled. “Unfortunately the Sydney trip will be the same week as Lucia and Flavio’s wedding, which will mean that we won’t be able to attend. I’ve already spoken to Lucia, and she understands.”
“It’s a pity that you’ll miss the wedding,” Agnes said. “But it’s good for you and Sam to have time together,” she added. “Michael and I never had the opportunity to spend that sort of time together prior to getting married.” She hugged her sister to confirm that she was happy for her.
Agnes had received a letter from Michael, and she had the house ready and was looking forward to his return. She had visited the neighbours earlier in the day to let them know he was coming. The neighbours all looked out for Agnes and Frances when Michael was out of town, and she was aware that they liked to know when her husband was returning. Once he was back, they usually called in to see him and share a bottle of homemade wine.
Michael would pick up goods from the railway station for the farmers on his way home. Each time he returned, it was a bit like Christmas, with everyone gathering around his vehicle to see what he was delivering. Having the truck certainly helped everyone in the area. Some of the Italian farmers were talking about buying a communal vehicle but said vehicles were still quite expensive and not easy to get hold of.
When Michael returned this time, there was great excitement among all the Messera women as the material for the wedding dress had arrived. They all went to Maria’s house so that Lucia could open the parcels, and there were gasps of admiration as the beautiful fabric and lace were revealed—such rare luxuries. The dress would take shape quickly as everyone wanted to see it finished—long hours of sewing, mostly by hand, were ahead of them all.
As always, there was also mail and newspapers from Italy, usually a few months old. The news from Italy was very worrying as the Fascist and Communist movements seemed to be gaining strength, and the reports told of Mussolini’s determination to impress Hitler through his aggressive behaviour.
Few people in Australia realised just how influential these two men were to become in the not-too-distant future. It was unsettling for the Messeras to know that life in Italy and Europe was still so insecure; they did not like
what they were hearing from their family and friends back in their homeland.
The letter from Frank’s brother gave the family further cause for concern.
Dear Frank and Maria,
Our family is all well, but the news about what our leaders are up to is not good.
The Depression has lasted so much longer in Italy and there is such unhappiness with the government. Mussolini is proving to be erratic. We hear rumours that he is amassing an army and is spoiling for a fight. This is very frightening for everyone.
We are very worried about Alessandro. He is a very unhappy young man. We keep encouraging him to write to you about migrating to Australia. None of the older boys will consider migrating. The girls are married now and settled in their lives. Alessandro has been working in the coal mine, as there is no money to be made on the farm.
We do not mean to worry you all in Australia, but we know that you want the truth about what is happening to our country and it is not good.
Your loving brother, Renzo
Frank and Maria were extremely concerned about the possibility of another war and the effect it would have on their four nephews, who were within the age group that would be called up to fight.
Frank had recently written to Alessandro, telling him that there was plenty of work on the farm and throughout the Griffith area and that the wages were certainly better than any he could earn in Italy. His nephew had responded that he would certainly give it thought; now that he was getting older, Alessandro could see that his future opportunities would be very limited if he stayed on the farm in Italy.
Frank’s nephew was working hard to earn money to help his family, but he would have to work even harder to save up the money for his passage to Australia as well. Frank wanted to convince him that he should come sooner rather than later. He was aware of how concerned the boy would be for his family, but he hoped that Alessandro would read between the lines and understand how worried his uncle was for his future.