Since European settlement more than 400 000 Italian migrants have called Australia home. After the second World War many Italian men came here to work while their families stayed in Italy. In the mid 1950s new family reunion programs meant that the families who had been left behind were able to join their menfolk.
The Reuniting Family shows the moment when the father greets his wife and children as they arrive in an unknown land. The trunk holds all their belongings, and in the words of the plaque that accompanies this scene it also “holds the hopes, ambitions and dreams for a successful future together.”
This family, depicted by Michael Meszaros, stands of the threshold of a new life.
The Eternal Traveller 
What a lovely grouping. Where is it?
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It’s in the atrium next to the Rialto building in Melbourne. Doesn’t it tell a beautiful story.
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Ah….yes, a beautiful story.
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This is great, i love the story behind it too
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Thanks. These figures really tell so much about the history of our country.
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They are brill those kind of history telling statues are great
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What a great monument to share that story of “threshold,” Carol. 🙂
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I can’t imagine the courage it took for people like this to take that leap of faith and leave everything they knew to start over.
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I know! It’s really so admirable and courageous. 🙂
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lovely!! Beautiful theme!! And I love the history that goes with it. I often wondered why my Italian grandparents on my father’s side didn’t go to Australia where it was warmer. They came to the west coast of Canada instead!!
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Maybe it was a case of taking what they were given. I wonder if they had a choice of destination. My husband has a relation who came from Croatia after the war and thought he was going to South America but ended up in Sydney.
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That is almost the perfect shot for ‘Reunion’ I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for these families! My husband was an immigrant and it was quite a challenge for him in the early years.
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They really took a leap of faith.
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Great choice and love the artwork. Tells a wonderful story; thanks for sharing.
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This was the story for so many people who came to this country. I can’t imagine making that decision. Thanks.
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I love this sculpture! I just spotted this a moment ago on FB 🙂
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Did you see my post on FB?
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Yes! I hadn’t time to make it to my Reader 🙂
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Beautiful sculpture! Perfect for the challenge. 🙂
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I thought so too. People like these really were on the threshold of a new life. It must have been daunting at times.
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Thresholds | Chasing Butterflies: Sunshine and Freedom
The sculpture is great, I love ones like this.
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I do too.
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Wow, powerful imagery! I lived in Calabria, the region in the toe of the Italian boot, for a number of years, and it was amazing how many people I met there whose relatives had moved to Australia, as you mentioned, after the Second World War. Many of these families have continued to straddle the two countries for a couple of generations.
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Welcome! Australia is a country of immigrants, from all corners of the world. I can’t imagine how it must feel to leave your home, friends and family to make a new start.
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Thanks, and yes, particularly when it’s done out of desperation. I was surprised by all of the back-and-forth between Australia and Calabria when I first arrived there. Of course, in the US most of the Italian immigrants came over earlier and didn’t have that option or they decided to settle in one place or the other after they were more comfortable economically.
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