After many years of teaching – originally as a Primary School Teacher, then an Italian Language Teacher, Janetta returned to university as a mature student upon receiving a scholarship to study an Advanced Diploma in Interpreting at RMIT in 2015.

Janetta is now a practising Certified Interpreter for the Italian community as well as working for the
National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).

A member of the Regional Advisory Council for the Victorian Multicultural Commission,
Janetta is immersed in the Italian community of Melbourne and is the Director of Events for the Società Isole Eolie of Melbourne.

Joe Russo was born in Geelong to parents of Aeolian ancestry from Lipari and Salina. Joe has been researching his own ancestry and the genealogy of the Aeolian Islands, in particular, for over two decades. What started off as a hobby grew into a greater appreciation of the islands’ history, culture and especially its rich and often complex genealogical past.

After having created his first website on the subject back in the 1990s when the internet was still relatively unknown, now includes social media and an evolving new website and blog. Joe travels to the Aeolian Islands frequently.

Letizia Mondello was born on the island of Vulcano in 1962 and in 1967 at the age of five immigrated to Melbourne with her family. Letizia worked as a librarian for over 20 years in public libraries in collections management including working with collections in languages other than English. She also trained members of the public on how to use a range of databases related to family and local history. In 2022 Letizia completed a Graduate Diploma of Archives and Records Management at Curtin University. As part of her fascination with the Eolian Islands Letizia collects travel narratives of people who have visited the islands.

Michael Angelini is the grandson of Aeolian born grandparents on his mother’s side, who came from Lipari and Salina. Since 2005 at the age of 15 he has been researching his ancestry and since 2007 has been helping others find their own ancestors.

Michael has created many online indexes from the birth, marriage and death records on the islands relating to the years 1820-1910. He is an active committee member and Assistant Director of Events at the SIE. He aims that his research and data collection will help other descendants from the Aeolian Islands go back further in their ancestry.

Born in Melbourne Australia in 1954, Paulina is the second child of Tony & Rosina Iacono, Italian migrants both from the Aeolian Island of Lipari, arriving in Australia in 1950.

Living her childhood in Northcote, Paulina’s recollection of a migrant cosmopolitan environment mixed in with the Aussie way of life set her on a course of blending the two cultures and respecting each of them for what they were. This was not an easy task, however, as time went on her passion to dig deep into her Italian heritage, a love of art, design & history all gave her a sense of seeking her own identity.

Marrying in 1975 and after having 3 children, her ambition would see her accomplish a Diploma in Decoration and Design, set up her own business and use her design skills in the Tile Industry for over 40 years.

With a love for writing and history, Paulina interviewed her parents over a year to write their Biographies, both gifts for their 80th Birthdays. This has been a great attribute to them and her family over the past 14 years.

Joining the Genealogy Seminars at the SIE 6 years ago also fuelled her thirst to understand, document and appreciate her ancestor’s legacy giving her a much deeper appreciation of her heritage.

John Barnao was born in Carlton to parents who migrated from Stromboli. As a first child, he learned the Aeolian dialect. His father Vincenzo first came to Australia in 1927 as a 13-year-old and worked as a typical fruiterer all his life. John studied Economics and Commerce at the University of Melbourne and Arts at Monash.

He then went on to pursue a career in Banking, Accountancy, and Tax. He is a member of various local historical societies and in recent years has been collecting photos and stories of Melbourne’s Aeolian fruit shops.

A few years ago, he wrote a paper for the Italian Historical Society detailing the root causes of Aeolian migration and the significance of the Società’ Isole Eolie in directing the decision of many to come to Australia. He is presently our SIE Treasurer.

Cristina Neri was born in the country Victorian town of Horsham. Both her mother and father migrated to Australia from the Aeolian island of Salina soon after the Second World War.
Cristina’s father owned a succession of cafés and established the district’s first reception centre and bistro, the La Fontana. Cristina grew up in these kitchens as well as at the feet of her Nonna, thus igniting an appreciation for her Aeolian heritage and its food.

Cristina is a graphic designer, illustrator, photographer and author. Her favourite subject is her family and Aeolian heritage. She has recently written and illustrated her first children’s picture book titled For Love which is set on the island of Salina.

In 2013, she initiated the Eoliano Heritage Study Program to reunite descendants like herself with their cultural past and on 2016, curated the exhibition titled From Volcanoes We Sailed which featured at the Immigration Museum of Victoria. Cristina also wrote and produced the documentary Ammunini to celebrate the 90th year anniversary of the Società Isole Eolie.

It is Cristina’s hope that she can honour the Aeolian people, their journeys, cultural traditions and foods by her contributions as a committee member of the Società Isole Eolie.