Raffaele Family

"My great grandfather Francesco Raffaele married Santa Valenti. He came out to Fremantle with his two sons, Calogero and Antonio and likely signed off their ship in about 1899 to fish at Point Peron. Besides Point Peron, there were other fishing camps between Rockingham and Fremantle along the beach.

These early pioneers were Merchant Seamen doing the guano route from South America. They were some of the original members of the Rockingham Fishing Company. Nonna Nunziata came in 1910 to join her husband Calogero Miragliotta and her Father Francesco Raffaele and two brothers Calogero and Antonio.

I believe most of the early Rockingham Fishermen were Merchant Seamen and signed on off ships when there was seasonal work and they got free passage between locations or countries. They were desperate to escape poverty on an island with no industry except the sulphur mines or agricultural labour that paid nothing.

The seasonal work ashore and them jumping ship in various countries is probably why it’s difficult to find passage records, although some shipping records do list crews. I’ve not found records of how or what ship my Great grandfather and sons were on when they arrived in Fremantle.

Most of the Men in the famous 1905 Rockingham Fishing Company photo had been in Peru before settling here, including the Cicirello’s and Pensabene’s. Most jumped ship in Freo to avoid the fare out here. The story I heard that they were on guano ship docked in Rockingham or there about off-loading the guano and loading timber and wool when the crew mostly from Sicily noticed fish were plentiful. The word travelled back to Sicily and all the other countries where they had relatives and immigration began in the 1890s.

My great grandfather Francesco eventually went back to Sicily. He was here about 14 years. My Dad was too young to remember him and the only story I know about him was that when Nonna was pregnant with my Father (Francesco), he used to walk from where ever he was with a bucket of fish for his daughter. Dad was born in 1912 at 24 High Street above the Roma restaurant. So, Francesco was walking from his boat tied up in Fremantle to deliver a bucket of fish for his daughter around that time.

Francesco Raffaele returned to Sicily in 1912. Antonio returned a few years later and was engaged to be married but died of Spanish Influenza age 22 before the wedding took place. Calogero remained at Point Peron and married his cousin Natala Raffaele and settled in Safety Bay. My Great uncle Calogero was the only member, as far as I know, that settled permanently in Safety Bay. He was living at 19 Safety Bay Road with his wife Natala, son and daughters for many years."