On Wednesday 19 June, Kolbe’s Year 9, 10 and 12 Italian students visited Fremantle to discover the cultural contributions that Italian immigrants have made to the area. We walked all around the city to look at significant places relating to Italian settlement and ended the day with a wonderful meal provided to us by the Fremantle Italian Club.
The day started at the Maritime Museum’s Welcome Walls, where we looked at the many names of immigrants that helped shape Fremantle’s rich history and culture. It was enjoyable to explore the different family names, ships and arrival dates featured on the Walls. Some of our classmates even found details relating to their own family history!
Next, we walked to the Fishing Boat Harbour, where we looked at the statues built to honour the Italian fisherman who kick-started the fishing industry in Fremantle. This led into a talk given by Hannah Fitzhardinge, the Mayor of Fremantle and John Alberti who arrived by boat in Fremantle as a ten-year-old in the 1950s. Hannah and John spoke about these significant people, the traditions and culture they brought with them and the beginnings of iconic restaurants like Cicerello’s, that all contributed to making Fremantle what it is today. This talk was so informative and inspiring, and we were lucky enough to get photos together and ask questions afterwards.
Finally, it was time for pranzo (lunch)! We headed to the Italian Club where we enjoyed a lovely three-course, traditional Italian lunch specially cooked for us by some of the Italian Club nonnas. It was a hearty, authentic and delicious meal filled with love and culture. We returned to Kolbe with very full stomachs after a fun day of exploring and learning!