Tales from a suitcase 1

This acclaimed SBS series presents the stories behind migration to Australia during the 1950s when many people fled post-War atrocities, the rise of Communism and impoverishment. This tape contains three separate stories. Episode 1: Restaurateurs Beppi and Giuseppe de Carlo both came to Australia from Italy in the early 1950s founding restaurants that maintained the principles of Italian cooking. In interview and utilising stills and archival footage, these pioneering individuals discuss their past and the challenges faced introducing new ingredients and flavours, many of which were scarce and largely unheard of at that time. Episode 2: Rona and Krys Pawlowski both lost their families as a result of Hitler’s invasion of Poland during World War II. Ron became a partisan at age 14 and Krys was sent to Siberia as a schoolgirl, surviving innumerable hardships. This intriguing couple discuss their incredible history hunting crocodiles and selling the skins whilst raising children in remote and inhospitable areas of Australia. Episode 3: Hideko Coombes was born into a very strict, respectable family in Kure, Japan. At the end of WWII she married an Australian soldier and was one of 300 war brides that came to Australia in the 1950s. In a revealing interview Hideko discusses the resistance of her family, and his, to this couple’s union. Some quite remarkable tales emerge about these interesting times, told with finesse by various raconteurs and are an appealing mix of pathos and humour.