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their labours wdth a festive gathering to consume part of the produce. Cooperation
meant sharing tools and equipment, space in their cellars, labour and ideas, all of which
reinforced the bonds of family and village. Because various activities were tied to
certain seasons of the year, there was a ritual aspect to food preparation ~ a ritual
which Australia's southem seasonal pattems reversed but did not intermpt. The
Vanina and Gaggioni families worked together on the annual grape harvest then
celebrated the completion of their labours wdth a party. The Rodonis made their
supplies of bullboars and signalled the work's end with a 'pot night'. Anglo-
Australians who attended these events saw a table laden with peasant foods: freshly
cooked sausages, home-made cheeses and wine, bowls of steaming pasta and bread.
They saw families, despite their poverty, arrive with donations of home-made bread or
wine. They heard laughter and singing and the sounds of a foreign language freely
expressed. They danced to the music of piano-accordions and violins. They leamed
that food was not only a source of nourishment but a means of bringing and keeping
together one's family, enjoying the company of friends and relishing life' simple
pleasures.
Through their 'pot nights' and family gatherings, the Italian speakers eamed a
reputation as generous hosts and fine musicians. They were welcomed at public social
gatherings, such as the Friday night dances in Hepbum, and were often employed to
provide music on the violin or piano-accordion; members of the Rodoni family would
perform traditional Swdss and Italian, as well as English and Irish, numbers for the
crowd (cf above p. 404), bringing together the musical heritage of different cultures.
To the suppers (which were provided on a voluntary basis) the Vanzettas were among
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