Summary

Driver's identification card with photograph and registration number that was displayed by taxi driver Michael (Michele, Mike) Attardi in the window of his car.

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.

Physical Description

Single piece of laminated card. Front side is light blue background with dark blue borders. Printed title and large black and white photograph of Michael Attardi. Certificate number is stamped in large, black ink lettering. Red ink date stamp on reverse side.

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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