Sanna, a young restaurateur who joined the Melbourne-based Sardinian club only two years ago, has since played a key role in revitalising the association.
The assembly held on Sunday, February 22 marked an important moment for the ongoing renewal of the club, with younger members joining the committee and ushering in a generational shift.
Lostia will not be leaving the SCA. Instead, he will take on the role of vice-president, continuing to “lend a hand”, as he said in his final president’s report.
He will be supporting Sanna during the transition, ensuring continuity, experience and stability.
Lostia recalled that only a few years ago the association had been considering “closing up shop” as memberships declined, attendance at events fell and younger generations appeared uninterested.
With Sanna’s arrival, however, new members—mostly young people—began joining the club.
“Now the idea of closing the association has disappeared,” Lostia said. “We are here, and we will continue to be here.”
For Sanna, Sunday’s assembly was an emotional moment marked by gratitude, respect and a clear vision for the future.
At the centre of that vision is an initiative to support Pietro Porcu, owner of the restaurant Da Noi in South Yarra and of an agropastoral farm in Yark, which was recently destroyed by bushfires that devastated Victoria.
The initiative draws on the Sardinian tradition of Sa Paradura.
“It is an ancient Sardinian custom deeply rooted in agropastoral culture,” Sanna explained.
“Shepherds donate livestock to a colleague who has lost his flock due to natural disasters, theft or disease.
“It’s not passive charity, but active solidarity—a concrete form of support that ensures no one is left alone, recognising that the loss of one affects the entire community.”
Inspired by this tradition, the SCA has organised a fundraising lunch on March 15 at the Abruzzo Club in Melbourne to support Porcu.
The initiative has received enthusiastic support from several prominent chefs and restaurateurs, including Giovanni Pilu of Sydney’s renowned Pilu at Freshwater, Andrea Serreli, head chef at Vivace in Brighton, Federico Congiu, executive chef of the Di Stasio restaurants and owner of Parco Ramen, Francesco Giovoni of La Via del Gusto, and Stefano Rassu of Sardo Sorrento.
The committee is gradually renewing itself while maintaining strong ties with the longstanding members who built the foundations of the SCA, including Giovanna Ruiu, Giovanni and Aurora Ghigline.
Also present at the assembly was Alfio Camarda, teacher at Marcellin College in Bulleen, who presented an update on the association’s cultural exchange program.
Each year, the initiative brings a Sardinian student to Melbourne while an Australian student travels to Sardinia, strengthening the bridge between the two regions.
The assembly confirmed several longstanding committee members, with Peter Scanu appointed as secretary and Maurizio Lepori joining as a councillor.
The evening concluded with an aperitivo organised by La Via del Gusto in South Yarra, the young venture launched by Nuoro-born chef Francesco Giovoni, himself a member of the SCA committee.
Fresh Ichnusa beer and Cannonau wine framed an assembly that reaffirmed the SCA’s strong roots, a youthful future and a commitment to both continuity and renewal.
