CERRA FAMILY

This photgraph was taken in 1934.My father Domenico Gerardo Cerra is on the right.The family are,left to right;Franceschina,Marietta,Angelina,my grandmother holding Vittorio,grandfather and Domenico.In front are Fiore,Carmelina,Vincenzo,Sestino and Natale.

My father was born Domenico Gerardo Cerra on May 20, 1916 in a little town called Cerrisi,Decollatura  in Calabria, Southern Italy. My father's parents were Bernardo Cerra and Maria Giuseppa Bonacci. My grandfather went to America on the S.S Duca Degli Abruzzi sailing from Naples, Italy on March 15th,
1911, and arriving in New York on the 27th March, 1911. He was aged 31. He went to join a cousin, Gugliemo {William} Bonacci. He arrived back in Italy just before the First World War.He was about to go back to America but being illiterate he did not realize that he had to renew his passport,so consequently he remained in Italy and made sure all his children went to school to learn to read and write. My grandparents had ten children ,my father being the second oldest . 
Of the  ten children only  three remained in Italy,  four went to Australia,one to Switzerland and two to Canada.My father emigrated to Australia in 1952.

This photo was taken in Fozzano on the 8th of September.My father is on the left,it was taken to mark his two year service in the army
     

 

This is Cerrisi located in Southern Italy. It  is a beautiful place set 1500 hundred metres above sea level, nestled in the mountains of Decollatura.   This photo is of my father on the right,My mothers uncle Tommaso
Cerra {uncle Tom one of my favourite uncle's}who was to
sponser most of my family to
Australia,next to my dad,then a friend and on the left is my
mothers cousin Giuseppe
Cerra

Bernardo and Maria Giuseppa Cerra.
My grandparents. This photo was taken in  1959.		 This was taken in mum and dads Essendon house.

They are : Vittorio,Sestino,Vincenzo,Gerardo and Fiore.

 Dad and his younger brother Vincenzo in Melbourne shortly before we arrived in Australia.
They were to buy a house
together in Brunswick Victoria.Our family  and uncle Vince's family
shared this house for close to six years.My brother Tullio was born
whilst we were living there.

Back to Home Page