Summary

Registration badge issued by Transport Regulation Board (TRB) and worn on the jacket of metropolitan Melbourne taxi driver Michael (Michele, Mike) Attardi from 1964-1968.

Mike Attardi migrated to Australia from Sicily, Italy through the Assisted Passage scheme in 1960 on the 'Roma'. He was placed in the Bonegilla Migrant Reception and Training Centre near Aubury before moving to Melbourne, where his family joined him on the 'Neptunia' in 1961. Mike worked as a fitter and turner in factories throughout Melbourne and took up taxi driving part-time between 1964 and 1968 to save for a house. His experiences of taxi driving reveal both the dangers of the industry, and its place at the heart of Melbourne's history. Registration badges are usually returned to the TRB after service, but this badge was lost, replaced and then found again by Mike Attardi after it had fallen behind the washing machine at home.

Physical Description

Silver metal crest-shaped badge. The top half of the front side is red with the taxi company name inscribed in silver type. The bottom half is silver with the driver ID number inscribed in black. The reverse side of the badge is silver with two circular hooks extending out of it. At the bottom of the badge the maker's name is engraved.

Significance

One of a small set of objects which contribute to representing the experiences of taxi drivers in metropolitan Melbourne during the 1960s and 1970s. In conjunction with an oral history interview it provides valuable insights into the history of the taxi driver industry in Australia and the daily working lives of taxi drivers. It also further contributes to narratives of European post-World War II migration through the Assisted Passage scheme, and specifically Italian and Sicilian migrant experiences.

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