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its lovely big kitchen, and the stone floor which Mrs Vanina washed down every
morning until it was wet and cool, she would sit by the large old fireplace wdth its
sinmiering kettle hanging from a chain.'* Unable to speak Italian (her father having
died when she was very young) she was, nonetheless, surrounded by significant
reminders of her Italian-speaking heritage.
At school, children Uke Leila Gaggioni, the young Vaninas and Ferraris formed
friendships which reinforced awareness of their cultural and ethnic heritage. Attending
the Hepbum school wdth Mary and Florey Vanina, Leila often played at their home,
noting its lovely fmit and flower garden (the later being a symbol of the family's
prosperity) and way of life which resembled her own. While the Vanina girls did not
speak Italian, and bore littie of their Swiss heritage in their dress, the ethnic links were
sufficient for the three girls to develop an empathy and friendship which would last
many decades." When their elder sister Martha won dux of Daylesford Primary
School in 1901, it symbolised the emergence of new values among the Italian speakers.
Also close friends of Leila Gaggioni were the Ferrari children in Daylesford, at whose
home she would often play. Luigia Ferrari was to her a lovely 'Italian looking' lady
whose children bore the same dark features. Both mother and several of the children
had pierced ears for the decorative jewellery traditionally worn in some European
cultures.
With the responsibility of his large family, Charlie Vanina eventually branched
out of building into the mining trade, finding work as a winding driver '^.nd a battery
manager. He was employed for many years at the Ajax Mine, one of the most
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