A migrant from Trentino who made Sydney his home, “Zio Vic” (Uncle Vic) celebrated 101 years of life on November 5, 2018.
He is a resident of The Village by Scalabrini in Drummoyne.
Scalabrini, which has provided 50 years of assistance to the elderly in the Italian and Australian communities, made available the Boathouse for Vic’s birthday celebrations.
The venue provides a splendid view of the bay and bridge of Sydney.
The room was packed with many trentini and Australians from Vic’s large family, plus numerous friends, with the only exception being an old friend of Vic’s: Father Bertagnoli, who was not able to take part in the festivities.
Although assisted by a walking stick and wheelchair, Vic was happy to be the centre of attention, and enjoyed himself very much, expressing his desire to continue the celebration in years to come.
The year 2018 was a memorable one for Zio Vic, with his name being added to the Welcome Wall in the National Maritime Museum of Darling Harbour.
The names and places of birth of many migrants have been inscribed on the wall, to mark their arrival in their adopted land.
Many Italians arrived in Australia between the first and second World Wars (such as Zio Vic and his family) and others following World War II.
All greatly contributed to the development and cultural diversity of modern Australia.
In 2007, Zio Vic was awarded the Aquila di San Venceslao dalla Provincia di Trento (Saint Wenceslaus Eagle from the Province of Trento) for his services to the Italian community in Australia.
