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premises and the preparation and hanging of the meat among the cellar's wine barrels.
Attesting to the buUding's dual purpose are large meat hooks still visible in the ceiling
beams and a huge tree stump chopping block. At Spring Creek, the Lucini family
opened their macaroni factory, its pasta a symbol of the altemative life-style which
Italian speakers had created for themselves and which gave Anglo-Celts some
experience of their culture. Among other businesses formed by Italian speakers were
blacksmiths, one (at least) existing in Daylesford by 1865. Such tradesmen, including
Fred Vanina of Hepbum (cf Gaggioni section p. 355), attracted good custom both
during and after the gold msh years, often remaining in the business all their lives.
Despite the presence of a large immigrant population, and the growth in the
size of local townships, not all Italian speakers found the business world financially
rewarding. The special nature and uncertainty of the goldfields' population meant
entire townships were known to abandon an area to move to another more promising
goldfield, leaving shops and hotels without custom. The diggers often requested
goods 'on tick' which, owing to the difficulty of refusing countrymen, left many Italian
speakers in debt when accounts were not paid. Leonardo Pozzi, it may be recaUed,
blamed his economic stmggles on such practices. Drawing on their traditional skills of
survival (which also included the bartering system of exchange), many Italian speakers
insured against financial min by diversifying their income. Hotels thus became outlets
for grocery items as well as alcohol (Lafranchis' being an example); farmers, like the
Gervasonis, sold a per centage of their home-made wine to the local population and
stores Uke the Pozzi incorporated jewellery repair and photography. For those
immigrants with good literacy skills, such as Vincenzo Perini, the settling of
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