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Sistemazione and death: the role of the
Wittenoom asbestos mine in the lives and
deaths of Italian transnational workers
Angela Di Pasquale
Bachelor of Arts; Diploma in Education; Diploma in Holistic
Counselling Practice
A thesis submitted in accordance with
the requirements of the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
School of Global, Urban and Social Studies
RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
April 2013
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Declaration
I, the undersigned, declare that this thesis has been wholly written by me, except
where due acknowledgement has been made. The work has not been submitted, in
whole or in part, to qualify for any other academic award. Ethics procedures and
guidelines have been followed.
Signed:
Name:
Date:
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Acknowledgements
The encouragement, direction, gentle humour and editing advice of my two supervisors,
Professor Pavla Miller and Professor Jock McCulloch, have helped me to complete this
thesis. They have been my mentors throughout, providing me with the wisdom of their
experience.
This project, ‘Sistemazione and death: the role of the Wittenoom Asbestos mine in
the lives and deaths of Italian transnational workers’, has been possible due to an Australian
Research Council Linkage Projects grant (LP0774835). It was awarded to Pavla Miller and
Jock McCulloch of RMIT University; with additional financial support provided by the Italian
Australian Institute, Melbourne. The commencement date was 2007.
For me this project has been an emotional journey and I have made several life-long
friends, I might otherwise have never met. The participants (listed in the bibliography)
generously shared stories of their own, their spouses’ or parents’ hardships and successes
or the role they have played in the treatment or support of victims of asbestos-related
disease. The Wittenoom Italians have approached life with a spirit of adventure and resolute
determination, using l’arte di arrangiarsi to overcome challenges as they have presented in
their lives. I have the utmost respect and admiration for them. In their stories, their resilience
shines through. They have made a considerable contribution to the Australian way of life, to
Australia’s sistemazione, if you like.
In addition to my supervisors, other people have also helped me either to find the
Wittenoom Italians, to access information or develop skills necessary to complete this thesis:
Emma Rose, Inger Mewburn, Judy Maxwell, Enzo Merler, John Gordon, Claudio Bianchi,
Tullio Rodigari, Bruna Farenzena, Severino Scandella, Loretta Baldassar, Angelo Baldassar,
Betty Baldassar, Father Jo Dirks, Trish Crisafulli, Robert Vojakovic, Rosemarie Vojakovic,
Marcus Cocker, Peter Della Maddalena, Kerri Stewart, Yolanda Pannuccio, Saro Condo,
Emilia Oprandi, Frank Oprandi, Maria Martino, Giulia Gaglioti, Criena Fitzgerald, Susanna
Iuliano, Vicky Melia, Sonia Mazzitelli, Anna Argese, Therese Virtue, Kavisha Mazzella, Licia
Stazzonelli, Venera Uculano, Annamaria Giorlando, Jan Molloy, Marcus Banks, Jacqui
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Theobald, Sheree Cartwright, Geoff Binder, Ambra Marra, Angela Napolitano, Gina and Sam
Francavilla, Charles Scerri, Daniel Nevin, Tess Lee Ack, Lauren Fairbrass, Umberto
Martinengo, Paul Roszak, Monica Longhi, Emilio Baldi, Gary Billingham at the National
Archives Office in Perth, Diana at the State Records Office in Melbourne, David Trainham,
Krystle Gatt, and North Carolina lawyer, Motley Rice.
During my fieldwork, several generous people provided me with a comfortable bed,
fine food and company, as well as transport. They helped lessen the home sickness I
experienced: in Italy, Bruna Farenzena and Emilia Pagani; in Western Australia Loretta
Baldassar and family, Emilia Oprandi and Ivana St John. Thank you also to Liz Cuming, Kay
Hartley, Silvina Rainone and Ruth Trickey for their support.
Several friends — Phillip Goode, Emilia Oprandi, Siobhan Steven, Rosa Vitelli and
Kerri Stewart — agreed to read portions or all of several of the thesis drafts and gave me
feedback. Wilma Tabacco proofread and also provided editing advice on the manuscript.
Yvonne Ryding word processed several of the interviews.
For their generosity of spirit, encouragement and support at various presentations I
delivered during my candidature at RMIT, I thank Associate Professor Suellen Murray and
Professor Chris Chamberlain. To Brian Walsh, GUSS’s Research Services Co-ordinator,
thank you for making any challenge during my candidature manageable and surmountable.
To my family — in particular, Diana, Aris, Zoe, Liam and Joel Tsiounis and Fran
Pantalone — and my friends, thank you for listening and providing welcome breaks from my
work.
Finally, I thank my parents, Francesco (deceased) and Giuseppina (Pirruccio) Di
Pasquale, for the countless sacrifices they have made for me throughout my life. Because of
their efforts I have had a life full of opportunities. The completion of this thesis is another
testament to the sistemazione — they wanted and provided for their children — which they
set in motion in the 1950s, when they made the decision to remain in Australia.
Thank you to you all.
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