Mar
31

The History of the Savoy Ladies Group

By Samantha Dinning.

Rural women in Australia have a long history of collectivity, of joining together to face problems, to offer support and to provide service to their communities.

In a small sub-Alpine pocket of North-East Victoria, among ancient gum forests and granite rock, a group of women have offered vital friendship and support to each other every fortnight for the past 30 years. Comprised of women with Italian heritage based in the Myrtleford district, The Savoy Ladies Group, has been, and today is, an important part of a community that has faced both prosperity and hardship. Their story is one of friendship and solidarity and is an example of the strength of both migrant communities and women in rural Australia.

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Mar
31

The North-East Victorian Migration Story

By Samantha Dinning.

The fabric of contemporary Australia is layered with many cultural threads, some of which have greatly shaped our regional and rural histories. Migration in North-East Victoria has transformed the region’s industry and culture, bringing with it a richness and diversity that tells its story through food, wine, festivals, language and the many stories that new and old migrants share. These stories speak of struggle, persistence and community – of the joy of possibility and reward and the hardship and pain of leaving family and friends; of the strength of newfound friendships and of settling in a sometimes-unforgiving environment. They relate the difficulty in learning a foreign language and the growth of unique cultural identities, such as the Italian communities of Myrtleford and the King Valley.

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Feb
25

Savoy Ladies Group Film Launch – Media Release

25 February 2014

The Italian heritage of the women of North-Eastern Victoria is celebrated with the launch of a short documentary film produced by Wind & Sky Productions.

The ten minute film ‘The Savoy Ladies Group’ follows Rosa Volpe, the group’s president, as she tells the story of Italians in the North-East, tobacco farming, women, family and friendship.

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