Alfonso and Agostina Rossi are originally from Benevento, in Campania, and migrated to Australia in 1950.
They never had any children of their own and are now investing all of their energy into their new family.
They will adopt the nine youngsters, who are the children of one of Alfonso’s sisters, Giuseppina Rossi Di Carmine.
Giuseppina lost her husband three years ago and is unable to work due to a heart condition.
She also has to care for her elderly father, following the death of her mother six months ago.
The first four of the children have already been officially adopted.
The two children who are still in Italy – Alfonsina, 17, and Geraldo, 4 – will arrive in Australia next year.
Alfonso has big ambitions for the children, and hopes to send them to the University of Melbourne.
“I want them to have good jobs so that their lives aren’t as hard as mine has been,” he said.
In the photo are (left to right, back to front): Maria, 20, Alfonso Rossi, Clorindo, 16, Agostina Rossi, Carmela, 14, Clorinda, 19, Rina, 12, Luigi, 7, and Agostino, 9.
