PETRUCCI Amos

Interview with Amos & Rose (nee Armanasco) Petrucci 1987

Acknowledgement is made for the enormous research carried out by Jenny Keast for her publication "Valley of Solitude" from which information has been used in this family history.

Amos Petrucci was born at Tovo, Province of Sondrio, in 1921. He was one of nine children. Although his childhood was hard he thinks the Valtellina is one of the best places in the world for scenery, but there are far too many people! If he had stayed in Italy he feels he would probably have done as well as he has here. Modern Italy is now industrialised and many more jobs are available. Before the last war, life was more rural. Amos left school when he was eleven years old.

He worked with the cattle, taking them into the mountains during summer. He made butter and cheese to take back to the family. He did not receive a wage from his family , only his keep. The family worked a small piece of land although most of the work was done by his mother, while his father worked as a watchman at a hydro electric power station. The plot of land produced wheat, potatoes, apples and wine grapes. The village of Tovo is very old. Houses dating back to the fifteenth century were still lived in when Amos was a child but they are mostly abandoned now.

In 1938, Amos decided to join his uncle and aunt, Bortolo and Domenica Armanasco, in Australia. His brother wanted to go with him but he had already been conscripted into the army. He was later taken prisoner of war by the Germans, when Italy retreated from Russia towards the end of the war. Many of his friends died in the camps, they were starving and fought over the smallest scraps of food. Their first meal, following the arrival of the American liberators, was boiled pumpkin. Even now, he cannot sleep at night, because of the terrible memories.

BORTOLO & DOMENICA ARMANASCO 1936.
CHILDREN L - R: JIM, DORIS & ROSE.    #1

Amos arrived in Western Australia on board the Romolo and joined the Armanascos at Pickering Brook. He worked with them until 1948 when he and Rose, whom he had married in 1945, bought the property next door. Amos enjoyed the hard work and when Phil Armanasco wanted a six month holiday in Italy he took over Phil's woodcarting. Phil also carted charcoal to Perth. Amos had to leave Pickering Brook at 2.00am to deliver the wood and charcoal. The "blackout" was in force then but he always drove the truck with full lights to the top of Welshpool Road.

One day he was stopped at the bottom by police, who had seen his lights. Luckily, Amos was not the only carrier using the road that night so there was no proof that he was the one showing his lights. Two of Amos's brothers, Pietro and Elio, came to Western Australia and settled at Pickering Brook, a third, Amilio, and his wife Tullia, came too, but returned to Italy. His mother is still living at Tovo and in 1986 is aged ninety-three.

PICKERING BROOK SCHOOL1936 

FROM BACK L - R; BOB BERDART, TONY MAZZARDIS, ERNIE HARRIS, MERLE WESTON, JOSE SALA TENNA, RENE TENARDI, GRAHAM STEPHENS, AILEEN MORITZ,
PETER SALA TENNA, MAC BEARD, DORIS ARMANASCO     #2

Amos and Rose were married in 1946. Rose revisited Italy fifty years after she had left the country. She loved the beauty of the countryside and the greenness but neither she nor Amos would want to live there now. Amos thinks the land is too steep for his legs and the plots too small for his feet.

Amos and Rose retired to Kalamunda in 1975. The orchards, the original Armanasco's and Petrucci's, are run by their sons and Amos's brother Steve, but somehow Amos can find a reason to go to the orchard everyday. Hard work has become a habit that is difficult to break.
 

ARMANASCO'S MOBILGAS DEPOT ON PICKERING BROOK ROAD      #3

ARMANASCO'S MOBILGAS DEPOT ON PICKERING BROOK ROAD      #4

Family Information

Giacomo Armanasco married Madelina Armanasco.

Stefano Petrucci married Giovanna Armanasco.

Pietro Petrucci married Caterina Armanasco.
Children; Stefano, Amos, Cesare, Emilio, Madelina, Pietro, Elia, Palme, Nattaline.

Amos married Rose Armanasco.

Domenico Armanasco married Rosa Bongiorni.

Giacomo Armanasco married Madelina Armanasco.

Bortolo Armanasco married Domenica Armanasco.
Children; Rose, born Tovo, Italy, 1942. Doris, born Pickering Brook 1930. Jim born Pickering Brook 1935.

Rose married Amos Petrucci.
Children; Linda, Peter, Doris, Elena, Robert.

Peter married Judy Spriggs.
Children; Peta, Jason.

Doris married Chris Thompson.
Children; Kylie.

Elena married Robert Visbeen.
Children; Lisa, Amanda.

Robert married Maria Rainoldi.
Children; Paul, Daniel.

Every endeavour has been made to accurately record the details however if you would like to provide additional images and/or newer information we are pleased to update the details on this site. Please use CONTACT at the top of this page to email us. We appreciate your involvement in recording the history of our area.

References:                 Article:      Valley of Solitude by Jenny Keast

                                  Image:     1, 2, 3, 4    Kalamunda & district Historical Society

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