A passionate Italian teacher, he is remembered through his daughter Stefania’s words as a man who built and enriched his life through curiosity, determination and a profound love of learning.
“My father was living proof that, with willpower, you can get anywhere,” Stefania said. “He never backed down from anything and faced every challenge with enthusiasm and heart.”
Born in Sardinia and raised in Pulsano, Puglia, Calati migrated to Australia in 1960 at the age of 15. The eldest of five children, he had to leave school to support his family. But the intellectual curiosity that would stay with him for the rest of his life never faded, leading him to attend evening classes in English and other subjects.
“He left school at 14, but went back more than twenty years later,” Stefania shared.
“Maybe that’s why he always had this sense of wonder towards learning. Once he returned to his studies, his world opened up. He started reading everything—art, history, literature. Dante especially. He quoted him constantly.”
With the unwavering support of his wife Francesca, with whom he was soon to celebrate 50 years of marriage, Calati enrolled at La Trobe University in 1977 to study Italian, Spanish and art history.
“It wasn’t easy,” Stefania noted. “He didn’t have the preparation you get from high school, but he never gave up.”
He graduated at 37, and according to Stefania was “proud to be an example for us”. From there began his long teaching career, one that left an indelible mark on Victoria’s school communities.
His first posting was at Red Cliffs Secondary College in Mildura, where he transformed learning into a vibrant and creative experience. “He was an unconventional teacher,” his daughter said with a smile.
“Yes, he taught grammar and verbs, but above all he taught passion. He loved art and music and involved everyone. One day he showed his students a Raffaella Carrà video and only realised partway through that it might not have been the most suitable choice for thirteen-year-olds.
“He feared parents would complain, but his spontaneity was so disarming that he always won everyone over.”
After Mildura, he spent 15 years at Reservoir High School, then at Melbourne Girls Grammar. From 2008, he taught with the Victorian School of Languages (VSL), where he remained until retiring in 2021.
It was at the VSL that many students encountered his infectious enthusiasm and his belief that learning a language meant opening yourself to the world and understanding it more deeply.
His daughter also remembers his extraordinary curiosity. “He could explain the American Revolution, the history of jazz or Dante’s philosophy with the same passion,” she said.
“He watched the news every night, read constantly and you could ask him anything—he always had an answer.”
But Calati’s determination extended beyond the classroom. In the 1990s, he seized the chance to spend six weeks in Indonesia to learn the language.
“He threw himself into everything without fear of looking ridiculous. He used to say that you must stay curious, keep learning.”
Now adults, Stefania and her siblings Chiara and Roberto carry with them not only the Italian language and culture, but the deep sense of belonging their father instilled.
“We spoke Italian at home, and even now I try to keep it up with my mum. Dad taught us that family is sacred, that roots matter and that sharing a meal or a moment is the truest way to feel united.”
“Dad was authentic,” she added, “He didn’t try to please everyone. He was kind, humble, full of passion and utterly without filters.
“He wasn’t perfect, but he was real. And that’s what I miss most.”
Enzo Calati dedicated his life to teaching and spreading languages, but in his daughter’s memory he remains above all a man who knew how to live fully, with curiosity and love.
“Dad loved teaching, but more than anything he loved learning,” Stefania said. “And I think that’s his greatest legacy: never stop learning, searching and looking at the world with eyes full of wonder.”
