play

'Stay and die or get on a boat': choice faced by waves of migrants By Tony Moore Updated July 30, 2014 — 6.32pmfirst published July 29, 2014 — 12.33pm Rob Cavallucci’s Italian grandparents had the choice of dying on their Italian farms as WWII smoldered to a finish, “or getting on a boat” to a new country. They chose Australia, over Argentina. Queensland’s Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs’ story is typical of the children of the first wave of Italian, German, and Greek post-war migrants to Queensland. His grandparents and parents are the migrants who worked in the state’s canefields, goldfields and railways before establishing their own businesses. Rob Cavallucci’s Italian grandparents had the choice of dying on their Italian farms as WWII smoldered to a finish, “or getting on a boat” to a new country. They chose Australia, over Argentina. Queensland’s Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs’ story is typical of the children of the first wave of Italian, German, and Greek post-war migrants to Queensland. His grandparents and parents are the migrants who worked in the state’s canefields, goldfields and railways before establishing their own businesses. “After the war, there wasn’t too much left of their homes in Italy, because the Germans retreated through central Italy around Rome and they didn’t leave too much with their ‘scorched earth policy,” Mr. Cavallucci said. “They were both farmers from little farming villages and everything they had was basically burnt to the ground or bombed,” he said. “So they really had two choices. “And that was to stay and die, or get on a boat and come to another country.” Source: www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/stay-and-die-or-get-on-...

PORTRAIT OF RIA MOONEY, 1928 HARRY KERNOFF RHA (1900-1974) via Hoodworld

At wikipedia. Resident producer at the abbey from 1948 to 63.

The play is by Lady Gregory, from 1904, and was performed at the Abbey as late as 1961 according to its own wikipedia page. Mooney would presumably have been playing Mrs. Fallon.

This, from her impressive life in the deadly Dictionary of Irish Biography, is delicious: "Although she had always wanted to be an actress, she had not been keen to act at the Abbey. Reminiscing in an unpublished autobiography, she alluded to its members, particularly W. B. Yeats and Lennox Robinson, as ‘odd-looking people’."

Born Maria Mooney 30th April 1903.

In early April 1913, the citizens of Marburg, 60km west of Brisbane, were eagerly anticipating the upcoming amateur performance of operetta Beauty and the Beast, with a cast of locals (pictured). Staged to raise funds for the All Saints Anglican Church, the event was arranged by the Reverend T. Hely-Wilson, who oversaw the entire production from stage management and coaching of the amateur performers to costuming and scenery. On April 16, the wait was over as a 400-plus audience crammed into the School of Arts building. Within minutes of the doors being opened all the seats had been taken, with latecomers relegated to standing at the back. Local newspaper the Rosewood Register and Marburg Mail captured the mood - "the huge audience was on the tip-toe of pleased anticipation" - and went on to praise the performance: "The choruses were strong, tuneful, well-balanced and of fine tempo, whilst the ballets were enchantingly appealing." The two leads were Mr Arthur Dance (playing the Beast/Prince), who "spoke his lines with praiseworthy enunciation and distinctness", and Miss Grace Collins (as Beauty), who, "although considerably nervous ... acted well and sang charmingly". 0The remaining cast members were all lauded for their performances, while the children portraying the Prince's "frog court" were audience favourites for their dance. Another tireless performer was Miss McLoughlin, the pianist who accompanied the performance. Her contribution to the success of the operetta was publicly acknowledged at the All Saints church annual picnic a few weeks later, where she was presented with a gold bangle. Myles Sinnamon - Project Coordinator, State Library of Queensland Source: www.slq.qld.gov.au/blog/beauty-and-beast-marburg-style