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Luigia gave birth in 1886 to her ninth child Charles, who was foUowed by
Stephen in 1887 and twins Luigia and Julia in 1888. Unwilling to neglect her duties to
her mother,'"* and continuing to make regular visits to Hepbum, on one sad occasion
she unwittingly exposed her baby Luigia to the icy winds from which the infant
developed pneumonia and later died. It was another four years before Luigia gave
birth to a thirteenth child, whom she also named Luigia in memory of her dead sister.
Annie was bom in 1893, Hilda in 1895 and the last child David in 1897. Encouraged to
look after their grandmother, at one stage Julia went to live whh her in Hepbum,
transferring to the local school. By her regular weekly chores, such as cleaning with
ashes the brass candlesticks, she maintained a tangible Unk with her family's past. Also
still living in the house was her uncle Fred, by this stage, married to an English-
speaking woman, Elizabeth Olver.
Like Charlie, Fred had brought his young wife to live with Giuseppa, again
blending the Anglo-Celtic and Italian-speaking cultures in a domestic environment.
EUzabeth produced no children and Fred, who presumably continued to attend the
family property, also worked as a blacksmith at various mines before setting up his
ovm business opposite his home in Hepbum (ref figure 11). Also operating a water
battery on Spring Creek with fellow Biascans Ferdinando and Osvaldo Vanzetta, Luigi
RoUeri and Jim Scheggia,'* he maintained links with his ethnic community. These links
were further strengthened when, towards the end of the nineteenth century, he agreed
to act as godfather to his neighbours' child Leila Gaggioni (see Gaggioni section).
Growing up, Leila became a close friend of the Vaninas, often talking to Fred in his
blacksmith's shop from her bedroom window and visiting their house. Delighting in
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