Josephine Antoinette Vincent Oral History

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DescriptionThis interview consists of three audio recordings and transcripts. Josephine Antoinette Vincent was interviewed on 6 September 2001 at Seven Hills by Shirley Kingsford McLeod.
Interview SummaryJosephine (Josie) Antoinette Vincent, nee Ragonesi, was born on 29 December 1932. Her Sicilian-Italian parents had migrated to Australia in 1924.

Her father was Frank Ragonesi and he went to Queensland initially to work in sugar cane cutting as did many Italian migrants of the time. A few years later he came to live in Sydney and purchased land in what is now The Horsley Drive at Horsley Park. He built a small house and in 1930 returned to Italy to marry. He and his new wife initially returned to Innisfail, Queensland, where Josie was born. When the young family moved back to Horsley Park they established a market garden, mostly growing vegetables and later grapes as well. Frank bought a small truck to take their goods to the markets in Sydney.

The house they lived in was very small and had no electricity. There was no sewerage and water was sourced from a tank and later a dam. Their neighbours were mainly Italian and included the Pretti and Crestani families. Ice, milk and bread were delivered. There was much bartering among neighbours for food.

Josie has memories of learning to play the mandolin at Gallagher’s Music Store in Fairfield. She also remembers the shops and the Crescent movie theatre. She also remembers learning to drive so that she could drive her ill father around.

Her life was happy until the Second World War broke out. Her Italian father was classed as an alien and interned in 1942. She, her mother and younger sister were forced to work the farm in his absence. They were able to visit her father when he was camped in Liverpool and later on occasions in Cowra where they went by train. Then he was sent to Loveday in South Australia where they were no longer able to visit. He returned home when the war ended and passed away of multiple sclerosis in 1957.

Josie’s first schooling was at Horsley Park Public School and later at Our Lady of the Rosary in Fairfield. Her secondary school was Holy Trinity in Merrylands when she left at age 15. She then attended Granville Tech at night and learnt dressmaking and worked in the office at Askew and Arnold in Burwood by day. She would soon make her own wedding dress when she married.

Her memories of her life in Horsley Park include the Horsley Show that was held annually and dancing after. Because of the large influx of Italian women who did not speak English she often acted as an interpreter.

Josie married Dallas Vincent just before her 18th birthday at Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Fairfield. The reception was held at the Literary Institute at Smithfield. In the next few years they had four children Stephen, Helen, Jenny and Christine. At the time of this interview she had 13 grandchildren. She and Dallas built a home in Greenacre where she still lives, alone, after her marriage broke down.

Josie has excellent memories of her life in the Fairfield area and of living there in the early days of Italian migration.

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