Brontesi in Australia
In Australia there are about 70 groups of people from Bronte.
The great part of these live in Victoria, specially in its capital Melbourne, and in New South Wales, particularly in Sydney.
I am not able to give a complete view over the immigrants from Bronte in Australia.
It is truly difficult to acquire precise information on this matter, as I can only get information mostly by word of mouth and often only through the phone.
So any gap or eventual mistakes should not be blamed to negligence or will to deceive.
It could be quite possible that some inaccuracies have slipped into the article, that is why I focus my writings on the brontesi who live in Sydney where I myself live with my family.
Greetings to all the brontesi of Bronte and Australia
Bruno Spedalieri
13th of May 2004
The first folks from Bronte who landed in Australia were Luigi Destro, uncle of Nicola Destro (now President of Sydney Sicilian associations federations), and Salvatore Messina. They arrived during the first six-month period of the year 1926.
The 22nd of September 1926 arrived, with the ship “Caprera” the 24 years old Carmelo D’Aquino. | In 1952 Carmelo started a wine-making industry, still in existence, in the city of Orange. Married with Antonina Liuzzo from Bronte, had a son, Illuminato, now a lawyer in Griffith, and a daughter called Vincenzina. Carmelo died at Griffith at a hundred years of age the 11th of November 2002.
A little later came Giuseppe Prestianni.
In 1930 arrived Antonino Meli-Pecorino (the surname should have been Pecorino, but because of a mistake during the transcription at the Bronte’s Council, this family now has the wrong name of Meli), and Mario D’Aquino, a brother of the above mentioned Carmelo.
Subsequently came Angelo Buttiglieri, whose daughter Nunzina shall marry Mario D’Aquino.
After the second world war came to Australia Ignazio Liuzzo, brother in law to Carmelo D’Aquino, Giuseppe Cariola, carpenter and Salvatore (Sam) Di Bella, who, after 40 years in Australia has gone back to Bronte and is now one of the creators and collaborator of the Web-site “Bronte Insieme”.
And then arrived Francesco Saitta (Vannazza) and family. The professor Nunzio Ponzo, Di Sano Salvatore, the brothers Giuseppe, Biagio and Nino Capizzi, Alfio and Nunzio Bellia, all of them called over by Giuseppe Prestianni.
Followed the sister of the Capizzi brothers, Giuseppina Maugeri and then Rosetta Bombaci and Alfio Bonaccorsi.
The 19th of December 1953, from the ship “Sorrento”, landed in Sydney Francesco Liuzzo, brother of Ignazio and Antonina, with his wife Maria Imbrosciano and his three years old daughter Ignazina. They had left Bronte 31 days before.
Afterwards came Ignazio Bonaccorsi with his wife Agatina and his sister Nunzia Bonaccorsi married to Biagio Ponzio.
Followed Elena Bonaccorsi, Alfio Rubino with 2 brothers and 2 sisters and the Gatto family.
At the end of years ’50 arrive the Greco families: Alfina Greco, married to Vincenzino Pace, called over also his brother Giuseppe Greco.
Subsequently arrived Maria Proto, wife of Giuseppe Greco and their daughter Anna, Giuseppe Greco’s sisters: Gina, wife of Giuseppe Azzarello, Nunziatina, wife of Nino Caudullo, and Maria married to Ciraldo.
And arrived also the Gangi family and Mrs. Longhitano, Francesco Saitta’s sister in law.
In October 1962 arrived Nunzio Imbrosciano with his wife Nunziatina Liuzzo and their son Antonino (now professor of scholastic philosophy at Sydney).
Followed the Parrinelli, the Ciaramiddaro and the Calcagno.
Next arrived Antonino and Giuseppe Sciacca.
In 1972 arrived Biagio Meli with his wife Nunziatina Sanfilippo, their daughter Alfina and the brother in law Illuminato Sanfilippo.
Nunziato Sciacca with his wife Nunziata and their sons Francesco and Alfredo arrived at the end of 1972 and were the last persons to get beneficiary travel help.
The 15th January 1973 landed in Sydney Bruno Spedalieri who seemed to have closed the brontese migratory flow towards Australia.
| This photo of Bronte’s emigrants was taken more than half a century ago, exactly during the month of August, 1950, in the backyard of mr Nunzio Destro’s house.
From the left:
Nino Meli (“Cicìo”), dott. Sam Di Bella (promoter and contributor of the website bronteInsieme.it and now President of Bronte’s Cultural Circle); Len Destro (born in Bronte but come to Sydney as a child, in 1950 he was a student now he is a doctor and a famous psychiatrist); mr Nunzio Destro, well known and one of Bronte’s highly regarded craftsman who |  |
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| | emigrated with all his family to Australia;
Ettore Destro, an excellent chemist; mr. Signorino Aidala, builder; and sitting on the ground dott. Nunzio Ponzo. | |
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