Family Histories
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CONTI - RADICE - MUSCA - ALOSI Interveiw with Mick Conti, Leuzza Radici & Melina Conti 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. Carmelo Conti and his wife Leuzza (nee Fogliani) worked ten acres of land situated three kilometres outside of Sinagra, Province of Messina, Sicily. Other members of the family lived on the property and formed a small cluster settlement. When his son, Leone Conti, married Maria Fasolo, in 1912, he added four rooms, two up and two down, to the group of houses. Leone and Maria somehow found room for themselves, and an eventual family of five children, in this little house. There were very few facilities available and the nearest water was at a public fountain four hundred metres from the property. Mick Conti, who was born in 1920, can remember it was his job to fetch water in the evenings when he returned from school. He also had to feed the farm animals. The children attended school, which had to be paid for, and as the family increased the money became harder to find. Mick says if the family had not traveled to Australia he would have had to leave school at the age of ten. The girls of the family were usually the first to be taken from school when money was short. Mick's sister, Leuzza, had to leave school at the age of nine and help harvest nuts and olives to supplement the family income. She says she has always felt angry at losing so much childhood. She was eighteen years old when the family were called to Western Australia. She did not want to leave Sinaga and cried for weeks. |
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In 1926, Leone Conti came to Australia to make a better life for his family. Three or four men from his area traveled with him. He promised his wife that if he could make a lot of money he would return within five years or, if money was hard to save, he would somehow make sure the family could join him in Australia. He left Maria and five children, Leuzza, Carmelo, Michele (Mick), Antonio and Maria on the property at Sinagra. On arriving in Western Australia, Leone found work at a market garden at Wanneroo, owned by Mr. Antonio Villa Nova. He worked for ten months at two pounds ($4.00) a week. He realised he would never make money working for someone else so he decided to start his own garden, however, Villa Nova offered him a partnership, which he accepted. Times were still very hard. Produce was taken to market by horse and cart but when a little money was saved the partnership bought a Chevrolet one ton truck, which cost two hundred and eighty pounds ($560.00). They only managed the deposit and had to pay the rest in installments. As well as carting their own produce the partners carted for other growers too, often taking three or four loads to market each day. By the time the truck was paid for, Villa Nova decided to return to Sicily, which he had left in 1921. (He later returned to Wanneroo with his family after realising there was no future in Sinagra). Leone had to buy Villa Nova out of the partnership, which used his savings, He also had to employ gardeners and a cook. Land was being opened up along Wanneroo Road at this time and many men who had returned from the woodlines were growing vegetables. This caused a glut on the market and soon many were forced to sell out. Leone survived this period by carting goods for other growers. In 1930, Leone sent for his family, who joined him at Wanneroo. In 1931, three hundred acres of land was bought at East Wanneroo in partnership with Leone Radici and Basilio Musca. Conti had a half share and the others a quarter each. Carmela and Basilio Musca came to Western Australia from Sinagra. Basilio arrived in 1927 and his family followed two years later. Their daughter Melina, who later married Carmelo Conti, was born in Sicily, the other children, Jose, Angelina, Tony, Ada and Enis were born at Wanneroo. Musca was interned from 1940 to 1942, for his political views but soon "learned to keep his mouth shut". The family struggled to keep the property worked but with the help of the Conti's they managed to keep going. The new block was cleared and planted, using a horse drawn plough. In 1935 the partners bought the first mechanical Rota tiller to be used in the Wanneroo area. |
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During the depression many growers lost their land and vehicles. They kept planting in the hope of things improving and owed suppliers for fertilisers etc. When their debts became too big they went bankrupt. Some moved to Geraldton to begin again, hoping to make money with the early season tomato crop. Others moved to the city and lived on sustenance allowance. Groups of men would share a rented house and pool their food money. They could buy large sacks of vegetables very cheaply and old chickens for sixpence (5 cents) or one shilling (10 cents) each. In 1932, Leuzza married Leone Radici. Leone had come from Sinagra but was unknown to the Conti's until they met at Wanneroo. His brother, Michele, also came to Western Australia, in 1939, and lived with Leuzza and Leone until he moved to Geraldton. When he came to Western Australia, Leone worked in the wheat belt, clearing, before moving to Wanneroo. In 1943 Leone and Leuzza bought land in Merrivale Road, Pickering Brook. They grew peas while developing the orchard. Leone dug all the drains and ploughed with a horse drawn plough. From an early age, the children helped pick peas. The property was sold to their son Louis in 1970. Leone died in 1973/ Leuzza lives with her son Tony at Kalamunda. |
L -R: DOMENICA ALDSI, TERESA ALOSI, MICHELE CONTI, MARIA CONTI, LOU CONTI, TERESA CONTI, GRACE CONTI. #1
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MARY CONTI & BABY 1959 #2 |
In 1934, when he was fourteen years old, Mick Conti left school to work for his father. He received no wages but was fed and clothed. The family grew vegetables for the Department of Defence during World War 11, as did most other market gardeners in the area. In 1934, Maria Conti (Mary) married Tony Ferranda, who lived at Pickering Brook. On one of his visits to his sister at Pickering Brook, Mick met Maria Alosi, who was a neighbour of Mary"s. Mick and Maria were married at St. Brigids, Lesmurdie, in 1944. Maria's father was renting land from Mr. Elkington where he grew vegetables and some fruit. There were about three acres of land cleared on the block, on East Road, of the total of twenty-nine acres. The property was actually on two titles, both pieces of land were returned soldiers blocks. Mick Conti and Dominic Alosi bought the property in 1947. Dominic Alosi retired from the partnership in 1952. Mick bought an adjoining block from Mr. Newings, increasing the land area to fifty-nine acres, thirty-five acres were under orchard by 1976. Dominic Alosi came to Western Australia in 1926 from San Marco da Lunzio, Sicily. He worked at the sawmill at Jarrahdale until the mill closed during the depression. He moved to Wanneroo with only ninety pounds ($180.00) in his pocket. He had supported his family in Italy and also paid for the completion of the house he had begun before he left Sicily. There were no jobs available at Wanneroo so he moved to the wheat belt and then to Kalgoorlie. The only jobs he could find at Kalgoorlie were underground, which he refuse. He said the men came up from the mines with candles on their foreheads - he thought it bad enough to think of a candle being placed on his head when he was in his coffin. He returned to Perth and "batched" in a rented house with a group of men, who earned a little money repairing old tomato cases and selling them to the growers. They even bought old chickens for sixpence (5 cents) and tried to sell them for a shilling (10 cents) but found them hard to sell. Dominic eventually met a countryman, Basilio Vitale, who was renting land at Wanneroo from Mr. Gibb. The two men began a partnership to grow vegetables. Dominic managed to his family here just before the war began. He and his wife and daughter had been separated for thirteen years. |
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Mick Conti and his family worked the property in East Road until 1976 when Mick retired. His son, Louie , did not wish to continue the orchard so it was sold to Giumelli and Sons. Louie, and his sister Teresa's husband, Rodney Hough, now run the Sawyers Valley Fruit and Vegetable Market. Mick works as a part time driver for St. Brigids Convent. He has always been very interested in church matters and was instrumental in beginning the San Leone Association at Kalamunda. In 1973, Mick and Maria took an extended trip through the U.S.A. and Europe and visited many relations. A shorter trip to Europe was taken in 1984. Although they enjoyed their travels, neither Mick nor Maria have any wish to live anywhere but in Western Australia.
Family Information. Carmello Conti married Leuzza Fogliani. Their son, Leona Conti married Maria Fasolo at Sinagra in 1912. Leuzza married Leone Radici, son of Antonio & Carmella of Sinagra, in 1932. Carmello married Melina Musca, daughter of Carmella & Basilio Musca, of Sinaga, in 1944. Michele (Mick) married Maria Alosi, daughter of Dominic & Teresa in 1944. Maria married Tony Ferranda, in 1943. Emilio married Antonina Rabboni, daughter of Basilio & Teresa.
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.
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References: Article: Valley of Solitude by Jenny Keast Image: 1 Kalamunda & Districts Historical Society
Copyright: Gordon Freegard 2008-2020
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