Interview with Oscar Mattiazzo [sound recording] Interviewer : Madeleine Regan, Part 8 of 13

Oscar Mattiazzo was born in Italy in 1923 and he records memories of his childhood in Bigolino in the Province of Treviso in the Region of Veneto, Italy. Themes include: depression in Italy and Australia; his father's departure to Australia in 1927; voyage to Australia with his mother as an 11 year old in 1934; family life and schooling in South Australia with his parents in Adelaide, Naracoorte, and Nuriootpa. Other themes: his mother's illness and death; his father's working life; memories of growing up as an Itallian boy in Australia 1935-1938. In the second interview, Oscar continues to record his memories of being a young Italian man in South Australia in the 1930s and 1940s. Themes include the experience of of life during WWII; being called up at 18 years as an 'enemy alien' to serve with the Civil Alien Corps of the Allied Works Council and his period of service (1942-1945), first at Dry Creek salt pans and then at Port Augusta centre of Commonwealth Railways and his role as camp manager and interpreter for other Italians including prisoners of war and internees. Other themes include: social life as a young man including leisure time spent with friends; dancing, playing billiards and cards, racing in the Sturt Amateur Cycling Club and building model airplanes. He speaks about the end of the war and taking up work with his Aunt who owned a grocery shop in Hindley Street, Adelaide, after his Uncle died. He served in the grocery and delivered to Italian customers (mainly market gardeners) in the eastern and western suburbs of Adelaide. In the third interview, Oscar recalls his memories of Frogmore Road, Kidman Park (or what was commonly known as Lockleys) in the late 1040s and early 1950s. Themes include: Oscar's knowledge of families from the Veneto and other regions of Italy living in Adelaide; his relationship with Virginia Santin, his future wife; their wedding; obtaining a loan of 2,000 pounds from an Italian market gardener in the eastern suburbs to purchase a grocery shop on Torrens Road at Croydon; the hard work involved in establishing the business which he and his wife began two days after their marriage in 1949; the post-war shortage of food and the coupon system for buying basic food items. In the fourth interview, Oscar recalls his memories of the war years and his friendship group of other young Italo-Australian boys in Hindley Street at the beginning of World War II. He recalls discrimination because he was Italian and being asked to leave his apprenticeship once Italy entered the War with Germany. He recalls the injustice of the War and its effects on Italians because some were interned, some naturalised and called up to service in the forces while others, like Oscar, were sent to the Allied Works Council for the duration of the War. Other themes include: going to visit the father of his friends at Loveday internment camp; life after the War finished. In the fifth interview, Oscar speaks of his naturalisation and his father's naturalisation after World War II. Other themes include: his father's marriage to his brother's widow several years after the death of his first wife (Oscar's mother) in 1942; Oscar's first years of marriage to Virginia in 1949 and their grocery shop on Torrens Road, Croydon; food rations and government requirements for shopkeepers; employees and the strong relationships with customers. Oscar also speaks about his three daughters, Christine, Helen and Vicki, and reflects on the growth of Croydon, a mostly Anglo-Saxon suburban area at the time. He outlines his various business initiatives and partnerships: developing land; building some of the first home units in Adelaide in the 1960s; developing farm land in the South East between Robe and Kingston and mining at Coober Pedy where he and his partners created open-cut mining of opals. He describes living and working conditions in Coober Pedy in the late 1960s to the mid 1970s, the development of an historic home, Tranmere House, into apartments and an interview on radio in which he regrets the renovation. Themes covered in the sixth interview include: being a Justice of the Peace for 47 years, until 2011; using new methods of opal mining at Coober Pedy; an all expenses paid trip to the Osaka Expo in 1970 because of using a Komatsu bulldozer for opal mining; overseas travel; attending World Cup soccer games; experiences of meeting relatives in Italy in 1966; being at the Munich Olympic Games in 1972; Olympics at Montreal, and reflections on Italy. The seventh interview includes themes such as: interests in horse-racing (leasing and owning racehorses), trotting and dogs, over 20 years; the challenges and excitement of the racing world; membership of racing clubs and the South Australian Jockey Club; attending the races at Ascot as an Associate member. He describes the three different social groups who attended the racing clubs, trotting and dog racing clubs. He refers to the 'underworld' of Adelaide 1950s-1970s. The last section is about the family decision to move from Croydon Park to West Lakes Shore in 1980. In the eighth interview, Oscar speaks about his wife, Virginia, and their family and his attitude to life. He describes the family home being the 'headquarters' for family in Australia and overseas: relatives from Italy (and their friends) who visited and the visits of Rotary Exchange students, families, and a teacher from Japan after his daughter, Vicki, had lived there as an exchange student for a year. Oscar also explains his attitude to life based on the Italian saying, 'che sera', sera', or 'what will be, will be'. He says that he took this attitude during the War when, as a young man, he understood that his situation was not permanent, and he learned to live without worrying. He explains that he was willing to take on new ventures. Oscar speaks about his wife's rare illness and his role as carer for three years before she died, and the new skills he learned in the domestic context - including cooking. He gives the recipe for a famous dish, 'baccala' and polenta, traditionally eaten at Easter in the Veneto Region where he and Virginia were born. In the ninth interview, Oscar speaks about his Italian heritage including describing some objects that his mother brought to Australia when they arrived. He reflects on different aspects of his life from his arrival as an 11 year old boy; significant events including being at the Munich Olympics when a number of Israeli athletes were killed; and changes on Frogmore Road, the location of the market gardens worked by Italian migrants including his wife's family. In the tenth interview, Oscar reflects on the benefits of living in Adelaide; his parents' decision to emigrate and how his life has been shaped by that decision. Other themes include: different generations of Italian migrants in Adelaide, including the latest wave leaving Italy because of the financial crisis; the success of the generation of Italian market gardeners who first established market gardens in the 1920s; what his Italian heritage means and whether he feels Italian and/or Australian. He begins to summarise his 88 years and different aspects of his life about which he feels fortunate. In the final interview, Oscar Mattiazzo continues to reflect on his life. He summarises his thoughts about the good fortune in his life and in his marriage; his daughters; friends; business ventures; travels; interest in racing horses and dogs. He finishes by reflecting on the extensive changes since the Italian market gardeners first began their work on Frogmore Road in the 1930s.