The meeting also included the presentation of a flag with the emblem of Vicenza, donated by the Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry of Vicenza.
Special guests at the event included: the Consul General of Italy in Melbourne; the ex Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir Bernard Evans; local councillors; the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Carlton, Reverend Jones; the president of the Circolo Vicentini di Melbourne, Mr Vellar; and Carlo Valmorbida.
During his time as Lord Mayor of Melbourne, Sir Bernard Evans visited Vicenza; at the event, he had nothing but kind words to say about the community of Vicenza in Melbourne.
“You are the brightest symbol of Italian immigration and an extremely generous and hard-working community,” he said.
“You deserve lots of praise and every success.
“Your homeland will always hold a special place in my heart after I was fortunate enough to visit Vicenza in 1960.
“I have fond memories of that trip and the locals’ hospitality.”
All of the guest speakers who followed Sir Evans on the evening echoed his sentiment for the community.
During the event, the Circolo Vicentini di Melbourne was officially presented with a flag from the Chamber of Commerce, Agriculture and Industry of Vicenza, whose pole was filled with soil from the battlefields of Vicenza.
In return, the community of Vicenza in Melbourne gifted the Chamber a piece of bark from an Australian tree engraved with traditional Aboriginal designs.
Speaking of the flag, Carlo Valmorbida said:
“The pole of this flag contains soil from the bloodied mountains on which thousands of Italians died during World War I.
“In the shadows of those mountains, emigrants from Vicenza were born and I hope that our children will love the land as we do.
“I’m certain that this flag will serve to bring us together in the future as it has today.”
