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Victoria located in Melboume). The meetings, which were often held in the home of
Stefano Pozzi, were attended by members including S. Righetti, the Lucinis, V. Perini,
Messrs Bellini, Calabresi, Finacci, Morganti and Gorbani, T. and S. Delmue, A.
Paganetti, L. Zanoli, A. and C. Togni, A. Ferrari and C. Scascighini.'**
In 1869, Stefano became interested in a mine named the Long Tunnel situated
beneath ItaUan Hill (the area having been worked for some time by Italian speakers),
outside Daylesford (ref figure 9). The mine, which had shovm potential since 1867
and had been worked continuously by various parties, eventually had to be sold to pay
its creditors. When it passed into the hands of its three purchasers ~ Stefano Pozzi,
Christian Fumberger and Albino Paganetti — the tunnel had already reach over 1,800
metres in length and was paying well.'*^ Stefano, who was appointed mining manager,
finally thought himself sufficiently financially secure to invite his wife to join him from
Ticino.
It was around eight years since Stefano had left Ticino and both he and
Giacomina were in their mid 30s. The couple moved into a home in Duke Street,
Daylesford, at the rear of the Vincent Street wine shop, where Giacomina produced
two daughters: Erina Seconda, bom in 1872, and Ida, bom in 1874. At first,
Giacomina found life in the Colony strange, especially the custom of dressing to go
out:'" this was not surprising considering that Ticinese peasant women rarely went out,
their family commitments offering them few opportunities for contact beyond the home
environment.*^ Their clothing usually reflected the day's work to be done and the
climate. Giacomina, however, felt surrounded by a large Italian-speaking community
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