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Added to this, one of his children (possibly the three-year-old Luisa) had needed to be
dragged from the smoke and flames which engulfed the Vanzetta home. The only
comfort after the tragedy had subsided was the rallying together of Italian speakers
whose strong kinship and ethnic ties ensured a mutual concem and willingness to offer
active support. A fund, which was set up to help the victims, included among its
subscribers Luigi RoUeri (one-time mining partner of the Vanzettas) and Battista
Righetti of Yandoit,'* The few Italian speakers contributing to the fund suggests,
however, that, despite their many years in Australia, most remained poor and lacking in
cash savings. It can be assumed, given the nature of the immigrant community, that
many donations would have arrived in kind rather than cash in the form of food,
clothing, accommodation and the other requisites of the needy. Some Italian speakers
participated in the various fund-raising activities organised by the community, one
member or the Zelman family (see Perini section) receiving mention for his efforts in
the local press,'"^
The Vanzetta family had insured its property to the value of 260 pounds,
which represented less than a third of its losses. It is difficult to ascertain the extent of
renovations which took place to the bakery (the rates books for 1907-1910 also having
been lost or destroyed), however, the business was back in operation and the family
Uving in its residence by 1911. Along with the buUdings, the Vanzettas' assets also
included ten hectares of land.''* Miraculously, Ferdinado's brother Osvaldo had
suffered no damage to his home during the fires, nor to his eleven hectares of land.
One hectare of steep land leading to the creek behind his home had been planted with
grape-vines, this being a source of home-made wine for all the Vanzetta family. The
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