Summary

Fold-out Air France world map was one of the documents carried by Carmela Palermo when she migrated to Australia from Italy as a proxy bride in 1957. She flew out from Rome and arrived at Essendon Airport via Manila and Sydney. She believes she was the only Italian on board and found the lone journey very challenging, having never travelled before.

Carmela Palermo (nee Rocca) was born in 1940 in Sambiase, Calabria, Italy. She migrated to Australia as a proxy bride in 1957, flying via Rome and landing at Essendon Airport. She married her neighbour Vicenzo Palermo who had migrated to Australia 5 years earlier. Carmela brought a glory box with her which followed by ship (two travelling trunks), and included linen, a dinner set, and a trousseau. The couple settled in a very underdeveloped Keilor. Carmela's migration experience was very difficult, as she had no family in Australia (although her husband had family in Australia), spoke little English, and was extremely lonely and isolated. It took many years for her to settle, seek education and make Australia her home.

Physical Description

Fold-out paper map with seven folds, featuring colour image of a female flight attendant in a navy blue uniform pointing to a world map with 2 passengers seated in the background. The map, with predominantly red background throughout is entitled 'Air France' and features colour images throughout of passengers seated and disembarking, deluxe class accommodations, various international destinations and information about the airline in English and French. Brochure folds out to a world map in red showing Air France flight paths. Dated 1956. Also 2 Air France baggage label stickers attached to 2 pages, one red, one grey.

Significance

Migration for marriage and in particular, the marriage 'by proxy' phenomenon, is a significant theme in the history of migration to Australia. Since the mid-nineteenth century Irish bride ships, women have been arriving in Australia over time as wives, brides and brides-to-be, as part of chain migration, family reunion schemes and proactive government efforts to redress gender imbalances. This collection enables the exploration through material culture and memory the post-war proxy bride experience which dramatically impacted the lives of thousands of Italian, Greek, Maltese and other European women who travelled here in the 1950s and 1960s, with high expectations of husbands, homes and families - expectations that were frequently not fulfilled.

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