00:05After the end of World War II, Australia opened its doors to Italian migration on a big scale.
00:11It was a leap of faith, a journey to the other side of the world with little prospect of return.
00:19They came in search of work and a new life.
00:24Well over 300,000 Italians have come to settle in Australia,
00:27the biggest non-British group of migrants in the country.
00:31For many Italian migrants sailing into Sydney, this was their first stop, Norton Street in Leichhardt.
00:37Soon there were Italian cafes and shops opening up all along here and the area became known as Little Italy.
00:48Shopkeepers spoke Italian and foods from home were readily available.
00:52Tastes that soon caught on in the wider community.
00:57Settling into a new country could be a lonely affair.
01:01Their friends and families were thousands of miles away.
01:04It was long before the internet and social media and letters could take weeks to arrive.
01:09It's no wonder many went looking for ways to ease their homesickness.
01:14Ladies and gentlemen, good evening and welcome to the Club Mark County for our monthly dates, Ladies Night.
01:20The foundation of this club was bocce.
01:23They basically got together to play bocce and then they decided to start a club.
01:28And here we are, with their legacy, we're able to be here.
01:33A big round of applause!
01:35That's what I think is all.
01:37Tell you the truth, in the beginning for a few months, if I got the money to go back, I
01:41go back.
01:43After I start to get some friends.
01:48In the Greek community too, their clubs and associations played an important role.
01:53They needed some sort of familiarity and they went to these places.
01:56So once they came here, they met someone who they didn't know.
02:00But they were Greek and they could speak their language.
02:02Here we are not in Athens, but a restaurant owned by Greek migrants.
02:07They would have this Friday night get together and Saturday.
02:10And this is where they met their potential wives or husbands.
02:14A Greek club in Melbourne.
02:16Most of its members are young, unmarried and often lonely men.
02:21That is a nature of various immigration policies, isn't it?
02:26That mostly at that time, males were coming.
02:29So there were probably deliberate attempts to set up these clubs as places where people could meet.
02:36Their difficulties in finding a wife in Australia are one of the great problems of migration.
02:42The problem was deemed to be so serious, the government intervened.
02:46The plane, chartered by the immigration department, brought 75 young women from Greece.
02:52Jobs will be found and many will find husbands among the Greek community.
03:01Here we are. The Foundation members, ladies and gentlemen.
03:04As the original generation of migrants fade, it's not clear who will take their place
03:09and whether clubs still have a role to play.
03:11The problem with all the association and a little bit with Club Marconi is to get the young,
03:16the young new generation here.
03:19Social media has changed the way migrants, old and new connect.
03:22But the legacy of migrant clubs remains the same.
03:26Preservation of history. Keeping their culture alive.
03:30Migrants have made very significant contribution to this country.
03:34So keeping these connections and kind of celebrating that in some way,
03:38I hope will always be there.
03:40Because we are on the right track for everyday life.
03:40I am a really thankful.
03:41During this pandemic, we, in South America.
03:41The the Universidad of Toronto, Bank of York.
03:45The Netherlands comes together.
03:46He's a very successful craftsman,66 andíë¤ ĂĄgil in South America.
03:46He has a very beautiful ďż˝adorerněě he has successful professionals.
03:46He has an enhanced legacy for many time!
03:46So keeping these two actors and alumni Ant dua developed building,
03:47and another kind of welcoming.
03:47The intersection of child students andbah ⢠C4 Man Speakers
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