Walhalla Italians – Winifred Guatta

In 1898, Giovanni Guatta from Viano, obtained a colonial wine licence and he and his wife Angelina (nee de Luis) operated a wine shop opposite the State School until 1913. Pietro and Luigi Pianta from Tirano held the licence from 1893 until 1898, with the exception of the years 1895 and 1896.

The rate payers roll of 1908–1909 shows that there were little pockets where Walhalla Italians either lived or farmed together. The word ‘hut’ designated on the rates most likely indicates a garden or a farm where the rate payer grazed a cow, grew hay or oats and planted vegetables and fruit trees. One such person was my grandfather Giovanni Guatta. His hut in this case was a three-room building with a stone fireplace where he would spend his free time to tend his crops. After retirement he would journey up daily in the evening with a log of wood on his shoulder to keep the fires burning. The rate books show that there were four Italians living or farming in Britannia Gully. They were John Cabassi, wood cutter from Tovo, Peter de Campo, splitter, Giovanni Guatta, contractor from Viano, and Giovanni De Luis, charcoal burner from Tirano. Giovanni Guatta was also a wine licensee who paid rates on a shop/dwelling in Main Street.

http://www.coasit.com.au/ihs/journals/Individual%20Journal%20Extracts/Walhalla
%20Italians%20from%20IHS%20Journal0024.pdf