Summary

Doll purchased in Melbourne in 1963 as a gift for Maria Attardi by a relative. Maria was hospitalised at the Alfred Hospital in Melbourne, for three weeks with a severely broken arm at the age of seven.

Maria had migrated to Australia with her mother and two brothers in 1961, to join her father Michele Attardi, an assisted migrant, who had already settled and was working in Melbourne. In 1967 Maria, her mother and two brothers, returned to Italy with the aim of remaining there as it was reported Italy's economy had improved. Prior to the journey Maria's mother removed the stuffing from the doll and replaced it with various Australian plant seeds to give to relatives in Italy.

After 11 months in Italy, Maria's mother decided to return to Australia with her children as she didn't see a strong future for them in Italy. Once again Maria's mother stuffed the doll with seeds, this time Italian vegetable seeds, in particular different types of beans, tomatoes, lettuces and other beneficial greens. She recalls it was so full of seeds that it was no longer soft, and her mother instructing her never to put the doll down and to always have it clutched to her when they arrived in Melbourne.

After this voyage the doll's head continuously fell off and Maria used to say to her mother that the doll 'had a headache' and her mother would sew the head back on.

The seeds that were transported to Australia in that plush doll, were planted in Maria's parents' garden for many years. They were left to reseed, were harvested and distributed amongst Maria's parents' neighbours and compatriots.

When Maria herself married and was raising a family, she used seeds generated from those originally brought here in the stuffed toy, in her own garden. For many years the plants from those seeds provided an array of vegetables that were common place in Italian dishes, but at that time were unavailable in Australia.

Physical Description

Doll with vinyl face and hands with pale pink cloth bunny suit body and synthetic hair. Eyes open and close. Label indicates the doll was 'Made in Japan'.

Significance

This doll is a rare example of how some immigrants flouted Australia's strict quarantine laws in order to bring in 'something from home'. While the doll is a smuggling tool; it is also a child's toy which represents stories of the ongoing processes of migration, and children's experiences of that upheaval, movement and resettlement.

More Information