Marcello Pavan

INTERVIEWER
Helen Thompson

RECORDED
9 July 2018

TRANSCRIPTION
Helen Thompson

Marcello and his family discuss his life as a new Italian migrant working on various projects in Australia before settling in Dubbo to run a successful market garden along the banks of the Macquarie River.

(MP): Marcello Pavan

(AP): Anna Pavan

(RD): Renato De Marchi

Transcript Excerpt

(I): No, that's wonderful! No. So, we might talk about the floods again, now. So, you had your first flood through here in, when you were here, in February 1971. So I imagine you lost a lot of fruit and vegetables and things in that particular flood?

(MP): Oh, yes. That's right. When the flood come in, you lost everything, because it bring lots of dirt, and you know, and when the water go on the top, you know, it stay over there for two or three day[s] - all go bad. That's right. It go rotten.
(AP): And what about where we're still the three partners. The grapes. In February, I think, it January or February, we got a flood. I remember that Danny was only three year[s] old. And the grapes, they were all mature - - -
(MP): Yes. Yes.
(AP): They were pulled.
(MP): Yes.
(AP): So, I wonder what the year - well, three year old, Danny - because, we had the paper [newspaper article].

(I): Yes, it would have been that February 1971, then, I think, that Danny was born - in 1967.

(AP): And then the men, they had to go - went to, cut all this timber in the forest, to put the grapes higher.
(MP): That's right.
(AP): Do you remember? Do you remember, Renato?
(RD): Yes.
(AP): They put it higher.
(MP): You remember that?
(RD): Yes.
(AP): Yes.
(RD): Yes. Because they were all this high, I suppose [about 6 feet].
(MP): That's right.
(RD): All under the water. So they raised them all up. [They were raised to about 10 feet high].

(I): So they'd be above the flood water next time.

(MP): Yes.
(AP): Yes.

(I): That's good thinking! (everyone laughs)

(AP): At least we had a safe place if a flood did come again! (everyone laughs). We can still make the wine! (laughs)

(I): So, did you have this house built by then? By the 1971 flood?

(AP): Yes, yes, yes. We were in the house.

(I): So, how did you sell your produce? Was the - - -

(AP): Why, it was a good year. What year started the new, the - market? We used to sell every two week[s] in the market[s] they used to have in the Showground. We used to take our produce there. But then, they changed, and they put it, along to -
(MP): The riverbank.
(AP): Where they are now, to the riverbank.

(I): So near the Visitors' Information Centre area, now?

(AP): Yes. But, before, it was at the - - -
(MP): Showground.
(AP): The Showground, in a pavilion, there.
(MP): Yes.
(AP): And, that it was - it should be, 10 year[s] before.
(MP): Gladly. (laughs)
(AP): Because, it was hard work, but it was the satisfaction, to take the veggie there - it come back with empty truck. We used to sell, you know, in the cheaper -- cheaper, but a good price, because, it was cash money, for example, and -- and come home, everything, everything - - -.
(MP): Empty! (laughs)
(AP): Is gone. Is not destroyed, or - - -
(MP): That's right.
(AP): Or you can pick the next leaf of lettuce - especially the lettuce, if you are not cutting - when is the time for cut - the next week - - -
(MP): Is no good.
(AP): You never cut any more. Because, the heat, and - - -

(I): Yes.

(AP): It doesn't keep, anyway.
(MP): No. You've got to cut when it's ready. That's right.

(I): So, did you sell some produce from under the house, here? Did you keep some, and sell any from here, as well?

(MP): Yes, yes.
(AP): Well that - it was before.

(I): Did you sell anything from the house?

(AP): Yes, and it was before, when we had the three partner[s].
(MP): That's right.

(I): So, that was before, was it?

(AP): Yes, and it was before, when we had the three partner[s].
(MP): That's right.

(I): Uh-hm.

(AP): Between the '59 till '77 (pause) we used to have a wonderful - - -
(MP): Income.
(AP): Wonderful income, and we had people come from the farm, we tell order from other people, from the farm, and they usually pay in a big bulk, sort of thing. Two, three, bag of carrots, two, three, case[s] of lettuce, and - we had a lovely - quite a few year[s], you know, we did wonderful -- wonderful for - - -

(I): So they just used to come to the property here, and - - -

(AP): Yes, yes.

(I): And do their shopping from here.

(AP): Yes. Yes. Yes, that's right. Yes. That is also - - -
(RD): So it was under that - under that house, on the other side? [The shop was under the Battistels' new house next to the Pavans' house].
(MP): That's right, yes.
(AP): They used to come that way - - -
(MP): Yes. On this side. (laughs) That's right.
(AP): The driveway over on this way.

(I): Uh-hm.

(AP): So, it was straight. We were, the three of us, selling in the shop, plus we had on the Friday - Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, another lady. And the men were packing.
(MP): The carrot[s], everything.
(AP): The carrot[s], and - and it was - a good flow, innovative, then. Yes - yes, it was a good time. A good year! (everyone laughs) A good few years, yes.