Inventing 'Italians': experiences and responses in Australia's colonial and federation societies

Abstract

In order to appreciate the impact of Italian migrants on Australia’s colonial and early Federated societies, and how they managed their place and identities within urban and rural settings, it is necessary firstly to outline the approach of Australia’s official policies towards them while contextualising such an approach globally. There are also a number of problems associated not only with the notion of ‘Italians’, but with the idea of their migrant communities, or ‘colonies’ to which they were referred by the early 1900s. This point engages the discourse on regionalism versus nationalism in terms of identity. Finally, the idea of invention needs to be placed in the context of the turn of the twentieth century for the experiences and responses of Italian migrants to be expanded from views that have acknowledged neither their dynamism nor the innovative approaches they applied to their situations. Each of these points can be discussed following [Giovanni]Pullè’s life and activities, and illustrated by examples from Australia’s history and the literature devoted to Italian emigration. In particular, analysis of Pullè’s involvement with his co-nationals renders the concept of inventing ‘Italians’ an important part of early Italo-Australian experience.