From Graziella to Grace

Ciao! Mi chiamo Graziella Maria Pane. Ho i capelli castani e gl'occhi noccoli. Abito a Hornsby in Sydney. This is the story of my life, living in Hornsby as part of an Italian community.

I was born on the 19 December 1965 in Canterbury Hospital. My parents, Giuseppe and Maria, migrated to Australia during the 1950s and 1960s. They met in Sydney and were married at St. Fiacre's church in Leichhardt. Leichhardt is still known as "little Italy".

Grace Bergan traces her changing identity from her birth as Graziella in a close knit Italian migrant community, her growing-up attending a systemic (Catholic) school, meeting people from varied backgrounds, marrying her Australian-born husband, and becoming Grace, a proud Australian.

Whilst this was happening, Australia's identity was also undergoing change. In post-war Australia, the government of the day encouraged the "new Australians" to participate in the huge construction projects, such as the Snowy Mountains Development Scheme, and to be involved in the development of Rural Australia.

These activities placed a great demand on the resources of all involved, and the success of these projects can be largely attributed to the migrant population. The migrant workers and their families brought with them new ideas and cultural practices, which have had a profound influence in shaping the Australian Identity. Grace's family, like many others, took part in this process, and thus experienced the changes that took place.

Grace Bergan is a teacher at a leading independent school in the northern suburbs of Sydney, where she makes a valuable contribution to the education of Primary school children. She has a special interest in HSIE and LOTE.