Community and self-sufficiency for Glynde centenarian, Vincenzo
Hard work (and pasta) is the key to a happy life and longevity, according to Resthaven Paradise and Eastern Community Services client Mr Vincenzo Fragnito.
Fiercely independent, Vincenzo turns 100 on 11 February and has had a life of self-sufficiency, which has been balanced with strong community ties and the love of family, both here in Australia, and in his birth country of Italy.
Vincenzo was born in the village of San Giorgio La Molara, Italy, the second eldest of seven children.
‘We used to play in the snow with the other children who were around,’ Vincenzo says. ‘I only went to school for around three years. It was more important that I helped on the land, so I became a shepherd, taking care of our sheep.’
Vincenzo says the family also had a pig and a donkey (everyone in the village had animals) and that from a young age, he was put to work doing the heavy groundwork of hoeing the land to plant crops of wheat and vegetables.
‘Grains, beans, chickpeas, cucumbers and tomatoes – everything we needed was planted and tended to,’ Vincenzo says. ‘We were self-sufficient.’
In 1946, at the age of 22, Vincenzo joined the Italian Army, where he served for 18 months. When he returned to San Giorgio La Molara he formed a strong friendship with Filomena Trotta, his wife-to-be. The pair were married and in the following years two sons, Andrew and George, were born.
Around the same time, Vincenzo’s brother George had moved to Australia, looking for greater opportunities. Italy was still recovering from the war in Europe, and George wrote to his brothers and sisters, telling them of his new country, and encouraging them to move also. Over time, all seven Fragnito siblings, and their parents, moved to Adelaide.
Vincenzo arrived in Melbourne on 25 April 1955.
‘I was on the boat for 29 days,’ Vincenzo says.
From Melbourne, he travelled to Adelaide where his brother had arranged a house for him to live in at George Street, Norwood.
Filomena and the boys (Andrew aged 3 and a half, and George aged 18 months) came out in 1956. They travelled with an aunty, Anna, who was 16 years old. Unfortunately, Filomena suffered terrible seasickness on the journey, so Anna was left to be responsible for the boys. George took it upon himself to try and climb overboard, but luckily, he was pulled off the side of the boat moments before he fell over.
‘There were a lot of people travelling from San Giorgio La Molara to Australia at the time,’ Vincenzo says. ‘It felt like the whole village was moving out here!’
The family lived at Norwood for two years, then moved to Maylands. A third son, Tony was born and then the family moved to Hectorville before moving to Beulah Park where they lived in what was an old private hospital.
‘It had about 11 rooms and two kitchens,’ Vincenzo says. ‘We had other family members who had moved over from Italy and lived with us while we were there, but they had their own space.’
‘There was a strange feeling though – the children called it the haunted house.’
Vincenzo and Filomena built their family home at Glynde, moving into it in 1965. Over the years they tended to a large vegetable garden and fruit trees and would make their own foods, including prosciutto and sausages, as well as passata and red wine. Filomena would make nougat and toffees for the children. Sadly, Filomena died in 2019, at the age of 90.
Vincenzo still lives in the home, supported by Resthaven with personal care visits to assist him with his medication, arrange for Italian meal delivery, help him with gardening, and visit for shopping trips and social support. As Vincenzo prefers to speak Italian, Resthaven has paired a Home Support Worker with him who speaks the language.
He is frequently visited by his sons George (and his wife Sandra), Andrew (and his wife Cecilia), and Tony, and occasionally other family members. The boys visit regularly to all make pasta together.
Working life
A hard worker, Vincenzo found employment in Adelaide at several companies – working for Halls Lemonade, the Holden factory, the West End Brewery and then the South Australian Gas Co (SAGASCO) where he worked for 33 years, digging trenches and doing welding, until his retirement in 1990.
Filomena also worked outside the home, first at the Ingham Poultry Farm and later at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
They both worked diligently to pay off their mortgage as quickly as possible and were able to afford a holiday house at Moonta Bay. At times, Vincenzo and Filomena would visit there every second week, enjoying the beach lifestyle and going fishing, squiding and crabbing. They also travelled throughout Australia, as well as returning to Italy several times and visiting America and France.
Throughout their time in Adelaide, Vincenzo and Filomena remained in contact with others from the San Giorgio La Molara area.
Regular catchups and events grew in both size and frequency, and Vincenzo was one of the founding members of the San Giorgio La Molara Community Centre. Located at Payneham, the club was built by volunteers, and it was opened in 1979. It is here that Vincenzo celebrates his 100th birthday party.
Thank you for sharing your story, Vincenzo! We hope you enjoy all the celebrations.