Minervini Family

Bill Lang built the Doria in 1924 at his Riverside Drive, East Fremantle boat shed for Raffaele Minervini. Doria is a double-ended, carvel planked, gaff-rigged fishing boat, fitted with a centreboard, and is 8.74 m long, 2.94 m wide and 0.62 m deep. The planking is New Zealand kauri, the frames are WA karri while the keel and deadwood are WA jarrah. The deck planking is nyatoh, on Oregon beams and Oregon sheer clamp. It was ballasted with cast iron ingots.

Raffaele and Saverio fished from the Doria with the help of Raffaele’s brother-in-law, Saverio Bufo. Domenico and Ignazio fished from the Benghazi, built along the same lines as Doria in 1926. Until both boats were paid off, each brother had a weekly allowance of two shillings. They lived on the boats all the time when they were at sea, and even when they were in port. At weekends when they were in port, they would be extravagant. They would buy some gravy beef and shinbone for their soup on Saturday, and some stewing steak for their ragu on Sunday. All their other meals consisted of pasta, fish, fish ad more fish.

Both boats would leave Fremantle on Sunday evening and come back on Thursday ready to sell their catch by auction at the Fremantle Fish Market on Friday. While they were at sea, they would keep their fish fresh in an 8-inch thick Oregon icebox, which was insulated with cork. Prices were often as low as threepence a dozen for whiting or squid. At times Raffaele would stop the auction as the price was below cost and sell to the public instead, “at least we have the satisfaction of knowing that we are doing some good, I would rather throw them back into the sea”. They were primarily fishing for dhufish and snapper, along with smaller fish and even shark. They fished as far north as Lancelin and as far south as Bunbury.

Typical of the frugal Molfettese, he and his brothers camped aboard the boats for some years before they made the choice to rent accommodation. At the age of 40, Raffaele married Angela in Molfetta and stayed in Italy for a couple of years. Four months after his son John, was born, Raffaele returned to Fremantle, leaving his wife and son behind. After they had decided to settle permanently in Fremantle in 1937 and they brought their wives and families out to join them. That same year the Doria was fitted with a Volvo Penta petrol engine, the only substantial change to the craft other than repairs needed during its lifetime. They rented an apartment above a continental store in the west end of the High Street where they all lived together until many years later after the War when they bought their own homes.

With the advent of the War, all fishing licenses were suspended. Fishing was no longer allowed and many boats were taken up the river to Canning Bridge. Other boats were taken over for Government use. Saverio and Ignazio were interned, whilst Raffaele and Domenico worked on shore. All three families went to live in Spearwood. The War bought some opportunities. Those that weren’t interned would work ashore or enlisted in the Australian Armed Forces. They learnt to speak fluent English and they learned the Australian way of life.

Like most of Fremantle’s fishers (Sicilian, Molfettese and Austro-Hungarian before 1939, or Yugoslavian/Croatian after 1945), Raffaele was active in protesting against the exposed designated mooring area for fishing boats and the inequitable fish market auctioning system that discriminated against the fishers. This led to the formation of the Fremantle Fisherman’s Cooperative in 1947 that bought and sold its members’ catches and the construction of protective moles around the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour in the 1960s.

The Benghazi started lobster fishing in 1949 out of Lancelin, and continued until she was sold by Domenico in 1952. From 1952 until 1956, the Doria was also engaged in Lobster fishing with a three-man crew pulling all pots by hand. By now Raffaele was 66 years of age and realised he was too old for this work, so he returned to line fishing. By this time Saverio had retired, Ignazio had returned to Italy and Domenico worked ashore because he still had a young family to maintain. Raffaele continued to line fish with a crew for a number of years. Towards the end of his working life as a fisherman, he fished alone; his only companion his dog, Kinney. He retired from fishing at the age of 87.

Doria has only ever had one owner and was then donated to the WA Museum in 1985 by his son John Minervini. Master Shipwright and museum volunteer Jeff Beale restored Doria in 1997 and it is now displayed inside the WA Maritime Museum, Fremantle. Before it went on display at WA Maritime Museum it was fitted with a new stern post, deck, cockpit sole and coamings and some of the frames were replaced.

Raffaele’s only son, John Anthony (Giovanni Antonio) Minervini, was a prominent member of the Rock Lobster Industry. He was born in Molfetta in 1932. He came to Australia in February 1937 with his Mother to join his Father who had been here for some time. In his early life, he was often referred to as “Joe”.

He was educated at Christian Brothers’ College in Fremantle, and at the age of 14 went to work on a corner grocery store. From there, he worked as a cartage contractor with his friend Willie Paganoni, carting crayfish from the fishing boat harbour to the Fremantle Fishermen’s Co-operative depot in Robbs Jetty for processing. They later extended their pick-up area to Lancelin, collecting from Ledge Point on the way.

In 1954, he was working full-time at the Co-op as Works Manager and in 1956 became Production and Transport Manager. He held that position for 20 years and in that time the Co-op grew and increased its output. He worked his way up from this position through the ranks to become the General Manager in 1976, and he remained in that position until his retirement in 1992. In that time, he became entrenched as an integral and important part of the history and development of the Rock Lobster Industry in WA, making the Fremantle Fishermen’s Co-Op one of the largest exporters of any product out of Australia and the largest seafood exporter.

During his working life he sat as a Board member on many committees to do with seafood including the Rock Lobster & Prawning Association, the Rock Lobster Advisory Committee, the WA Fishing Boats Buy Back Scheme, the WA Business Association. He was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

He was first a member, and later a President of the Fishing Fleet Festival Association – a position he held from 1965 until 2010. He was made J.P. in 1971 and became a visiting Justice to Fremantle Prison and Casuarina. In 1976 he was awarded a Knighthood of the Order of Italian Star of Solidarity for his services to the Italian Community of WA. He was the first Italian born member to be elected to the Fremantle City Council as a member of South Ward which he served for 21 years (1968 until 1989), working on many different committees.

His main achievement during his career and on retirement was assisting the development and promotion of the Rock Lobster Industry, seeing it become a multi-million-dollar export industry.

John was dynamic – a true people’s person, but he could be a hard master in business. He was “old school”, he got involved in other peoples lives, getting many of them out of strife over the years. John new everyone worth knowing and would soon work it so that a situation was resolved to the satisfaction and relief of everyone. He was a diplomat and knew how to quickly resolve conflict so that everyone felt a winner – a true and valuable talent. Not being “tertiary educated” did not stop him from his many achievements. He grew up with the Rock Lobster Fishing Industry, learning from it. He had a quick wit and the ability to mix with all people at all times and in all places.

He was married to Frances Camarda (see Camarda Family story) for 56 years and they had four children – Angela, Suzanne, Ralph and John. As well as being a seasoned traveller, he was also a social traveller, especially with a group of friends, dying at the end of an overseas trip. He was many things to many people, but mainly an honest and true friend to all, and he left a lasting legacy through his contribution to the Fishing Fleet Festival, and the Rock Lobster Industry.