Help Translating Back of Photo

[AngelaGrace56]

Hi Angela
Here is the link to the document I found. They had his last name as Morelli instead of Morello. When his half brother (Leo Morello) came to Australia they spelt his name wrong so it was changed to Morelli. Sebastianos half brother sponsored him to come to Australia. You can see on the very first page of the document there are many folios which are all restricted.

https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au/SearchN ... ?B=3318445

Also Tindaro is Sebastianos full brother who came to Australia also just before Sebastiano did.

Thanks Angela for your help.

Great!!! Thanks Joe for posting the link to the documents you found. I hadn’t realised that there was a name change so maybe that’s why I wasn’t transported to those files.

I'll get back to you later.

Angela

[AngelaGrace56]

I've just been reading through the documents. It is such a sad story. I wonder if things would've been different for Sebastiano if he had stayed in Italia.

My understanding is that the reason that was given for wanting to deport Sebastiano was because of his failure with regard to Section 8A(1)(C) of the Australian Immigration Act. Is that what you understand?

I noticed that there was a stipulation included on the Landing Permit Cards (July 1948) for both Tindaro and Sebastiano to be employed as labourers for two years. Both brothers later each requested a Certificate of Exemption from the provisions of the Immigration Act 1901-1940 for a period of two years, which was issued in their favour. The exemptions were granted for two years in 1949. I didn’t see any further requests for exemptions amongst those documents. The next letter is August 1953 re Sebastiano’s admission to hospital. Initially I thought that maybe Sebastiano was considered an overstayer which would’ve been grounds for deportation but that doesn't seem to be the case... I think I've ended up with more questions than answers....

Best to you.
Angela

[porta1412]

I've just been reading through the documents. It is such a sad story. I wonder if things would've been different for Sebastiano if he had stayed in Italia.

My understanding is that the reason that was given for wanting to deport Sebastiano was because of his failure with regard to Section 8A(1)(C) of the Australian Immigration Act. Is that what you understand?

I noticed that there was a stipulation included on the Landing Permit Cards (July 1948) for both Tindaro and Sebastiano to be employed as labourers for two years. Both brothers later each requested a Certificate of Exemption from the provisions of the Immigration Act 1901-1940 for a period of two years, which was issued in their favour. The exemptions were granted for two years in 1949. I didn’t see any further requests for exemptions amongst those documents. The next letter is August 1953 re Sebastiano’s admission to hospital. Initially I thought that maybe Sebastiano was considered an overstayer which would’ve been grounds for deportation but that doesn't seem to be the case... I think I've ended up with more questions than answers....

Best to you.
Angela

Hi Angela, you came to the same conclusions I came to. A very interesting case indeed. Tindaro was not naturalised until 30th July 1954 which was after the two year period, and I’m yet to find any extension documents so if Sebastiano was to be deported due to overstaying then Tindaro would of also been in that category.

I did not see that part about Section 8A(1)(C) of the Australian Immigration Act but found online that this allowed for the deportation of immigrants who, within five years of entering Australia, became inmates of a mental hospital or public charitable institution. As far as I have found he was not in a mental hospital but maybe due to his sickness which it seems he had in Italy, he went to a Public Charitable Institution for help and this was grounds for deportation?

To me this is possible because at the time his brother Leo was going through having facial cancer passing in 1958 and was unable to run his farm losing it to the bank, having 7 young children money was probably very tight and Sebastiano was living with them also, and with him being sick maybe he went to a charitable place for help.

Again more questions than answers. The military got back to me and said there were no accompanying medical documents with his records so fingers crossed the hospital will release some details.

You are right, it certainly is a sad story.

Thanks so much for all your help with this one, I would have missed that important detail if you didn’t look also. Much appreciated.
Joe

[AngelaGrace56]

Hi Angela, you came to the same conclusions I came to. A very interesting case indeed. Tindaro was not naturalised until 30th July 1954 which was after the two year period, and I’m yet to find any extension documents so if Sebastiano was to be deported due to overstaying then Tindaro would of also been in that category. - Exactly. That same thought had also crossed my mind.

I did not see that part about Section 8A(1)(C) of the Australian Immigration Act - Check the titles of the memos/letters on the following pages – 17, 12, 11, 7.
but found online that this allowed for the deportation of immigrants who, within five years of entering Australia, became inmates of a mental hospital or public charitable institution. As far as I have found he was not in a mental hospital but maybe due to his sickness which it seems he had in Italy, he went to a Public Charitable Institution for help and this was grounds for deportation?

To me this is possible because at the time his brother Leo was going through having facial cancer passing in 1958 and was unable to run his farm losing it to the bank, having 7 young children money was probably very tight and Sebastiano was living with them also, and with him being sick maybe he went to a charitable place for help. - So much sadness and tragedy for this dear family. I can certainly relate a little, but this is their story.

Again more questions than answers. The military got back to me and said there were no accompanying medical documents with his records so fingers crossed the hospital will release some details. - I'm pleased that the state archives got back to you. It's too bad they were not able to supply any additional information. Hopefully the hospital/s are able to supply some more information about his time with them.

You are right, it certainly is a sad story.

Thanks so much for all your help with this one, I would have missed that important detail if you didn’t look also. Much appreciated. - You are very welcome. I'm so glad I pitched in with those Australian clips. While I've found it a really sad tragic story, I've also learned a lot.
Joe

Just some more re Section 8A(1)(C) as I understand it.

Basically what Section 8A(1)(C) involved was a bizarre dictation test which was offered to certain ethnicities and types of people whom immigration didn’t want to remain in the country. I doubt anyone would’ve passed the test. I’m understanding that anyone who was asked to do the test would’ve been “setup” for failure and consequent deportation. He may have gone to a Public Charitable Inst but my thinking is that because Section 8A(1)(C) has been quoted several times he must have been invited to do the dictation test – although I would like to think that this very ill man wasn’t asked to take the test. (I don’t believe he was asked to take the test because of his ethnicity – "everybody loves Italians and wants to be one" (so I heard from a Priest at an Italian funeral during the week), but because of his illness – possibly he, an Alien, was considered a financial burden by immigration – not sure.
(There is a little bit here about the dictation test if you scroll down: https://www.naa.gov.au/explore-collecti ... 20at%20all.)


Angela