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place among Australia's noteworthy citizens although moving out of Daylesford was
probably a necessary precondition for this achievement.
Though they lost many Unks with the family's European culture when their
father died, Serafino's children remained aware of and continued to celebrate their
'peasant' heritage. Whenever Emest visited Hepbum (which was as often as he
could), he always came away with a string of salami sausages from one of the Italian-
speaking famiUes. When Battista Righetti, his father's cousin, died in 1915, he walked
over ten kilometres from the train station to Eganstown Cemetery for the burial. In
later years, Battista's daughters Decima and Regina would often visit Emest's family in
Malvem, as would Giuseppe's colourful son Frank. Sporting a waxed moustache and
a flower in his button hole. Uncle Frank ~ as he was known to Emest's children ~ was
known as the 'aristocratic looking uncle',*' a pleasing (and possibly ironic) image to a
family of peasant origin. So too was the awarding of dux of school to one of
Serafino's granddaughters in later years.*'*
The Righetti clan had prospered well in Australia. They had overcome
financial insecurity and seen many of their members gain public recognition for service
to the community, philanthropic deeds and personal achievements. Pride in their Swiss
heritage had persisted through the generations ~ Leonard Righetti visiting Someo in
1924 and two of Emest's children writing family histories. The brothers, Celestino and
Battista Righetti, had not knovm the same success in Australia and, like many of their
countrymen, had retumed to their homeland disappointed wdth their efforts on the
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