Eolian Hall Improvement Program
We are very happy to announce that improvement works at our Eolian Hall have now been completed. Additional to government grants we had an overwhelming amount of generosity from our members and community in which they were able to help us to:
- Restore and add a fresh coat of paint to the facade of the hall,
- Add new external lighting to the facade,
- Add new entry doors with a new secure entry system,
- Add a higher glass balustrade to the balcony,
- Replace the existing wrought iron gates to provide higher lockable gates,
- Replace the carpets on the stairwell to the upstairs function room and
- Improve and replace electrical and plumbing connections to the building.
We thank each and every one of you who contributed in any way possible. Whether in donations, your time or your skills. Eolian Hall is the centre of our Melbourne Aeolian Community and has been since 1969 with so many fond memories created at the hall.
We look forward to welcoming you all to the upgraded hall at our events.
To contribute to continuing the Aeolian culture alive please consider becoming a yearly member with the SIE which only costs $30 AUD for individuals per 12 months. Become a Member of SIE
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1958 Italy vs China Football Match
Organised by the Società Isole Eolie at the St Kilda Football Ground (now Junction Oval) on the 17th of August 1958 a Australian Football match was played between Italy and China. This match was to aid the Royal Melbourne Children’s Hospital and 140 pounds was raised on behalf of the Italian and Chinese Community. The Sunshine City Band was present, as well as a lion dance that danced to the sound of clashing cymbals. Renowned league umpire, Bill Merrington, umpired the game for us. The two Consuls of Italy and China were present and before the bounce greeted the teams. The match was a close one with Italy winning
Carlton: S. Silvani, J. Bennetti, J. Chick
Front Left: 1 . —- 2. Cecilia (Nee D’Angelo) Casamento, 3. —- 4. Glenda Kennelly, 5. Margaret Cincotta 6. Franca Dimattina
Back Right 7. — 8. Diana (Nee Dimattina) Mollica, 9. Annette Sonego, 10. — 11. Angela Dimattina, 12. Anita (Nee D’Angelo) D’Andrea 13. —
Young Chinese League
1. D. Quon (Vice- Capt.)
2. F. Grant (Capt.)
3. A. Shue
4. N. Chin
5. S. Way
6. O. Kwong
7. L. Quon
8. E. Moy
9. J. Wing Young
10. W. Louey
11. E. Chin
12. T. Wing Young
13. K. Ah Yick
14. G. Ah Yick
15. H. Kwong
16. E. Louey
17. F. Lee
18. K. Louey
19. K. Nam
20. M. Way
21. V. Kwong
22. G. Foote
23. H. Chin
24. N. Chong
25. K. Foo
26. Wal Chin
27. M. Foo
29.E. Gooey
30. Wm. Chin
31. N. Wong Hee
32. P. Louery
33. G. Dan
34. J. Chong
35. R. Youie
36. R. Nam
37. R. Foo
39. A. Nam
40. W. Chinn
Italian Team
1. R. Ongarello (Capt.)
2. A. Lopes (Vice-Capt.)
3. N. De Lorenzo
4. D. DiMattina
5. G. Ray
6. J. Buckley *B. Santamaria
7. M. Cristofaro
8. J. Rossin
9. B. DiMattina
10. J. Quadara
11. J. Penna
12. A. Cristofaro
13. A. Ongarllo
14. J. Mecca
15. M. Cristofaro *J. DiMattina
16. V. Strangio
17. T. Fraumano
18. J. Mastroianni
19. P. Briglia
20. L. Rossin
21. D. Pellicano
22. S. Rando
23. M. Sabatino
24. M. Bellofiore
25. M. Tricarico
26. S. Bongiorno
27. D. Mattei
29.B. Capuano
30. A. Santamaria
* Indicates originally in programme
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Mayor of Lipari Visit to Melbourne
Benvenuto a Melbourne- Sindaco di Lipari!!
On Thursday 13th of February 2020, we had the pleasure of warmly welcoming the Sindaco (Mayor) of Lipari, Marco Giorgianni, his wife Maria Zaia and son Alfredo to Melbourne and to the Società Isole Eolie, Melbourne. A video celebrating the club’s 95 year history by Michael Angelini was viewed for the first time on the night.
The Sindaco and his family are staying a few days until Sunday 16th of February to explore Melbourne. They will also be attending our Miss & Mr Isole Eolie Masquerade Party, before returning back to Lipari. In attendance was also the Mayor of Yarra City Council, Misha Coleman.
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90th Anniversary Celebrations
The dinner held on the 1st August 2015 at the San Remo Ballroom, was attended by 700 guests and included the Deputy Premier of Victoria, the Hon. James Merlino MP – Ambassador of the SIE of Aeolian descent – the Consul General of Italy in Melbourne, Marco Maria Cerbo and the Hon. Bill Shorten MP, Leader of the Opposition, amongst many others.
John Portelli of Enoteca Sileno, patron of the Society and also of Aeolian descent, added a touch of the islands to the menu by supplying the wine to accompany the entrée – a Salina Bianco from the Virgona family, crafted from Malvasia, Inzolia and Cataratto grape varieties; as well as offering guests a packet of hand-harvested wild capers from Salina to take home. Recognised as Australia’s most respected importer, distributor and connoisseur of Italy’s finest produce, John Portelli received the Eoliano nel Mondo 2014 award in Salina, Isole Eolie last September.
Entertainment included piano accordionist The Big Squeeze, soprano Rebecca Gulinello, Rob Severini Band, a floor show by Tony Pantano and comedian Gabriel Rossi.
The final course of the night included the celebratory cake by pastry-chef Tony Cavallaro from Footscray’s renowned T. Cavallaro & Sons, with the main cake designed in the form of the island of Stromboli – inspired by the birthplace of his mother, who founded the pasticceria in 1956 with her husband Tomasso. The cake itself was a traditional Sicilian cake made with vanilla and chocolate patisserie cream and a genoase sponge.
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SIE at Piers Festival 2015
The Società Isole Eolie (SIE) together with the SCA (Sardinian Cultural Association) were proud to present the ‘Italian Islands’ stand at the Piers Festival, Port Melbourne on the 25th of January 2015.
The Landing platform on Princes Pier was opened by musician Salvatore Rossano from the Santa Taranta band, playing his ‘fisarmonica’ and singing some Southern Italian tunes from his motherland.
Members of the SIE presented the traditional ‘tarantella’ dance, performed by Tino Li-Donni and Letizia Terlato. People in the audience were invited up to the stage to learn some basic steps and perform the dance together with twins Vince and John Lo Bianco and Gabriella Martello with Janetta Ziino on the tambourines.
Miss Isole Eolie 2014, Gabriella Martello was in costume in her role as Public Relations, informing passers-by about the Club and its events. John Barnao was providing information on the history of Aeolian immigration to Melbourne with the help of informative panels, books, souvenirs and an authentic ‘baule’ full of memories.
Giulia Biviano, resident pastry chef of the SIE provided two cooking demonstrations from her recipe book ‘Dolci di Casa Nostra’ and Joe Biviano looked after sales of the handmade Four Sisters ‘vinocotto’ and ‘cotognata’.
Janetta Ziino said, “the highlight of the day was definitely the audience participation in the ‘tarantella’ dance, most of which had no Italian blood – you could tell they really enjoyed themselves on stage!”
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2013 Eolian Heritage Study Program
The inaugural Eoliano Heritage Study Program kicked off on the evening of Sunday the 5th October 2013 at the opening Aperativo held in the foyer of Hotel Santa Marina. Our 22 participants mingled with excitement at the prospect of the coming week’s adventures.
The participants included: Margaret Boccabella from Melbourne, Alison Bowtell from Brisbane, Sandra Di Fatta from Melbourne, Diana Dimattina from Melbourne, Francesca Dimattina from Melbourne, Annalyse Hay from Melbourne, Rosetta Letizia from Broome, Steve Maccora and family from Perth, John Murphy from Bendigo, Alexandra Morris from Bendigo, Luisa Natoli and Henry Pulgarin from Sydney, Margaret Paino from Brisbane, Nancy and Francesca Ohlert from Melbourne, Josephine Sidoti from Melbourne, Annette Sonego from Melbourne, and Laurence Strangio also from Melbourne.
A wonderful ensemble of enthusiastic individuals from all ages and diverse walks of life that melded together beautifully with talk of shared relatives and family traditions.
The evening was topped off with a sumptuous Aeolian feast hosted by Mario Gullo at Mamma Santina. It was the first of many meals generously donated to the group by a multitude of local businesses willing to support our program.
Over the next two weeks, the group participated in a range of Aeolian experiences that without a doubt enriched our knowledge and passion for our heritage.
Week One included detailed historical lectures by Professor Marcello Saija, Professor Clara Martinella and Professor Marzia Beninati during visits to the Museo Civico and Museo Artologica in Lingua, the Museo Eoliano di Artologica di Luigi Brea in Lipari, a boat ride around the island of Salina, a workshop on proverbs of the Aeolian dialect, a workshop in which participants worked on a family migration project, a cooking demonstration by local cooks Caterina Paino and Maria Marchetti on making scinci d’ovo and gigi, and of course, we ate. We ate not only the scinci and gigi but pane cunzato at Bar D’Alfredo of Lingua, Pizza at Il Gambero of Lingua and pasta al forno at La Vela in Santa Marina. Angela Boccabella
After a restful mid weekend, the group met up for a delightful seafood meal at Il Delphino in Lingua provided courtesy of the Lo Schiavo family on the evening of Sunday the 13th of October thus commencing the second week of the program.
Bright and early the next morning the group reconvened at the port to take the aliscafo to Vulcano with the imperative of scaling to the volcanoes crater. Dodging hissing fissures, those willing made it to the summit unscathed. Returning afterwards to meet those less inclined to sook in the bubbling mud baths.
The days that followed included more lectures at the Museo Dell’Emigrazione and the Biblioteca in Malfa, samplings of local wines, Malvasia and produce at the Fenech and Virgonna wineries, a visit to the Sanctuary of the Madonna del Terzito and lots more feasting courtesy of Bar Chiofalo in Leni, an exquisite lunch at Hotel Signum and a wonderful celebration at the Palazzo Marchetti hosted by the Commune of Malfa where they prepared a quadaria di cecciri in the tradition of the Festa of San Giuseppe.
The program culminated with an official presentation of the participants’ family migration project at the Sala di Convegno in Santa Marina on the eve of Friday the 18th of October. The banners prepared during the workshop of the previous week featuring each participant’s first migrant relative were presented to the Sindaci of Salina and the local community. Participants introduced themselves and their relative in Italian in front of their banner and finished with the words ‘sono eoliano/a’.
I can’t tell you how emotionally charged that room was that evening but I can assure you that the locals present were definitely impressed with the level of effort and passion displayed.
The last collective act of the Eoliano Heritage Study Program thus took place. Participants had been asked to bring along a pebble they retrieved from the beach on which they were instructed to write the name of their relative, the island of their origin and their name upon it. After the presentation closed, we made our way to the port of Santa Marina and hurled them back into the sea so that we may remain united with our islands for eternity.
From here, we made our way to the closing dinner hosted by the Commune of Santa Marina at Portobello along with our official hosts, the Sindaco of Santa Marina, Massimo LoSciavo and the Sindaco o Malfa, Dottore Salvatore Lungotano and of course, our beloved Professore Marcello Saija.
The Eoliano Heritage Study Program was a grand success if not, incredible. Not only for the wealth of knowledge we gained, the abundance of experience we enjoyed or the friendships we fostered but most importantly, for the way, as one participant aptly described it, the way it changed our lives.
Are you interested if we had another Heritage Study Progam to the Aeolian Islands?
If you are interested in participating in a future Eoliano Heritage Study Program please let us know by contacting us here