Descendants of the Bazzo and Spinaze and Capelin families will gather at St Patrick’s Church in Pomona on Saturday 26 March to celebrate more than 100 years since the arrival of these Italian families in the area. St Patrick’s Catholic Church is also celebrating its 100-year anniversary on the same day.
The diaspora of people of Italian descent in the area is significant. Family names include Bazzo, Spinaze, Capelin, Pezutti, Roder and many with English and Irish surnames including Craven, Cooke, O’Brien, Graham, Flynn, Bull and Edwards. All have links to the ill-fated Marquis de Rays expedition of 1880.
Vincent Bazzo, father of Louis Bazzo (of Louis Bazzo Drive) donated a piece of land to the Catholic Parish of Pomona upon which St Patrick’s Church was built.
A new novel, Paradiso by Steve Capelin, draws inspiration from the tale of these families.
Steve is a descendant of the Marquis de Rays’ expedition which set out to colonise and establish a utopian community in New Guinea. The survivors of this expedition established the Italian enclave of New Italy in northern NSW near the flood-prone Richmond River in 1885.
Steve Capelin has recently released his novel which is based on the true story of this 19th century misadventure
Marietta Spinaze (nee Capelin), one of the two key protagonists in Paradiso, settled in the Pomona district with her husband Giovanni, and 11 children in 1910. Marietta was Steve Capelin’s great aunt.
A series of events will be held for Steve’s book launch and the anniversary celebration.
There will be book signings at The Village Bookshop, Hastings Street, Noosa Heads at 11am on Friday 18 March and at Berkelouw Bookshop, Eumundi, from 9am-noon on Saturday 19 March.
On Saturday 26 March from noon–4pm a centenary celebration and Italian descendant family gathering will be held at St Patrick’s Church, Church Street, Pomona.
Also on Saturday 26 March from noon-3pm there will be a historic display of family memorabilia and Bazzo/Spinaze family history at the Pomona Historical Society, 29 Factory Street, Pomona.
