Daily Archives: May 24, 2013

Heritage Festival 2013 – Community Milestones.

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The Heritage Festival 2013 – Community Milestones has been a huge success with over 400 people attending events in Annandale, Balmain and Leichhardt. Opening on the 18th April FILEF ( Federation of Migrant Workers and families ) launched their exhibition with 150 attendees. Speeches from Franca Arena, Frank Pennuci, and Mayor Darcy Byrne were well received and the 40th Anniversary celebrations combined with the retrospective exhibition gave historians, students and the wider community much to learn, reflect and embrace around the milestones of this socially and politically active community group. FILEF welcomes all who are interested in Italian language, culture and social issues. Filef formed in 1972 Its key objective is to promote an Australia that recognizes the value of multicultural origins and cultures of all Australians. The exhibition displays demonstration marches in 1970s and 1980s for Women’s rights, workers rights, Migrant and Indigenous rights. Some of their achievements include successfully launching the Italian Language being integrated into the Public School system across Australia. Their current program is aimed at primary school children (K-Yr 6) Italian-Australians or with a basic understanding of Italian, to activate and develop their language skills in Italian.  The exhibition also contained photographs publications, film and plays. The great news is that Leichhardt Library will be inheriting all of the FILEF material to be made available to future generations. This collection will be held in the Balmain Library archives and can be viewed by appointment. 150 historic  images will also be made available online through the Library Online catalogue.

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Some of the posters on the main activities of FILEF over the last 40 years including “Know your Rights”, Migrants Rights, Italian Language Vacation programmer and Focus on the environment and Migration Issues.

Gianfranc CrescianiHistorian Gianfranco Cresciani and author of “Trieste Goes To Australia” (2011)  ” The Italians of Australia” (2003) “ Transfield the First 50 years” (2006 ) Is currently undertaking writing a comprehensive historical account of 40 years of FILEF. Keep posted for the release.

Looking for Ludwig in Leichhardt

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BY Adra Anthoney

In 1848 German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt set out from the Darling Downs in southern Queensland bound for the Swan River settlement in Western Australia, and was never seen again. It remains one of Australia’s most enduring unsolved mysterious, and now there is a competition to commemorate Ludwig’s life. Ludwig is the subject of a Leichhardt and Annandale photo competition. Spanning 25 weeks, a cut-out figure of the famous 19th century explorer has been ‘hidden’ in a different local business each week. To enter, the public is encouraged to seek out the image and post or “selfie” with him on the Leichhardt and Annandale Business Chamber’s Facebook page. Anitra Morgana, Executive Officer of the Leichhardt and Annandale Business Chamber, said the event was formed to raise community awareness about Ludwig Leichhardt.

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“To celebrate the bicentenary year of Ludwig Leichhardt’s birth, and toraise awareness of how Leichhardtgot its name, the competition was created as a way of involving the community and local businesses in a fun activity in the lead-up to the 27th annual Norton Street Italian Festa in October,” she said. Last week’s winner, Jacqueline Van Goeverdun, “found” Ludwig at Grind Expresso Bar on Norton St, and won a $40 gift voucher sponsored by the café. “I think it was a great idea to help promote the area and the places of business in it,” said Salvatore Crino, manager of event sponsor, Grind Café. “We had some people coming in [the café] and saying, ‘What’s this Ludwig competition?’ They obviously had their iPhones and took photos. “We initially put [the cut-out] where the posters were so you couldn’t really see it – it was sort of camouflaged in there but the people found it. We moved it generallyaround the place.” The Ludwig cut-out has since moved to a new ‘hiding’ place and two $100 shopping vouchers are up for grabs this week. The clue provided is “Ludwig is getting into the community spirit in #Leichhardt’s piazza del mercato”.