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habhs in that period on the goldfields ~ and sharing the experiences of other Australian
miners would have encouraged the process of integration. Most difficuh of all for the
Italian speakers in maintaining a 'traditional' way of life was the lack of female
companionship ~ their wives, mothers, sisters, daughters ~ which enabled them to
perform familiar family and kin-based social roles. All this was largely denied them in
the male-dominated world of the goldfields.
The lack of female companionship had serious consequences for many
immigrants in the Colony but, for the ItaUan speakers, it meant alienation from the
mles which govem vUlage life. As immigrants they assumed new moral codes and
behaviours more in keeping whh the harsh and competitive goldfields' existence. Like
many miners, some squandered their money on alcohol or the services of prostitutes.
Some were unfaithful to their wives and eventually entered into bigamous marriages.
The strange surrounds, the harsh and exhausting working day, the disappointment and
the financial insecurity all combined to challenge long-held beliefs and values. Despite
this, many Italian speakers remained close to their families and sought to assert their
authority through their letters: Domenico Respini wrote to his wdfe from Cevio
expressing concem for his daughters' moral development (cf above p. 235). Others
sought the family's approval for deeds committed on the goldfields or voiced
complaints about the dishonest actions of others. Knowing that such individuals would
be criticised back in the vUlage ~ as the Pozzis would have knovm wdth their
disparaging remarks about the Righettis (cf above pp. 208-209) ~ they reasserted
their links with the homeland. At the same time, dishonest or excessively greedy
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