Valenti Family

He worked as a line fisherman at Geraldton, Abrolhos and Shark Bay and began skippering line fishing boats in the 1920s including the 50-foot, two masted Queen for Winter-Brandt and later the 48-foot, two masted Lapwing, a Fremantle owned boat.

He married Lavinia Alice Johnson in 1920 and went on to have 7 children including 3 boys who became successful fishermen;

1. Rosa Valenti was born in Geraldton in 1920 and died in 2002 age 82. Rosa married Louis Giovinazza.

2. Angelo Mauro was born in Geraldton in 1922 and died in Geraldton in 1987, aged 64.

3. Freda was born in Geraldton 1924 and died in 2021, age 97. Freda married another prominent fisherman, Orazio (Rincie) Miragliotta.

4. Alfredo “Alf” was born in September 1926 in Geraldton, married Peggy Ruddaway and died in Geraldton in March 2002, aged 75

5. Joseph was born and died in Geraldton in 1928

6. Roma F was born in Geraldton in 1929, and died in Fremantle in 1934, aged 5

7. Mauro “Mick’ was born in Fremantle in 1931, died in Geraldton in 2006, aged 74

The Valenti’s resided in Augustus Street, Geraldton in 1926, when Mauro Snr was naturalised. In 1933 Mauro’s 1st wife Lavinia tragically passed away at the age of 32. At the time they were living at 73 Hubble Street, Fremantle. They also lived at 307 Marine Terrace, Geraldton. The five surviving children were juggled around from relative to relative until Rosie, the eldest, was old enough to help raise the siblings.

Mauro later re-married his Sister-in-law Kenny Johnson, who had lost her husband Charlie Longva. Three Johnson sisters (Lavinia, Kenny and Laura) all married Fishermen. Their brother, Dick Johnson later worked with the Valenti family.

In the early 1930’s Mauro Snr purchased a share of the 50-foot two masted ex-pearling lugger Essie. The Essie was listed as a licenced fishing boat in 1940. At that time there were 25 licenced fishing boats in Geraldton. Unfortunately, in 1940 Italian fishers were interned if they were not naturalised. Fishing was also hampered by conscription and fuel rationing. In 1942 fishing licences of non-Australian-born fishers were cancelled. At age 13, Alf started fishing with his father on the Essie. When it was calm they would use great big paddles (sweeps) to row the boat. On one occasion, Alf rowed the Essie from Rat Island to Geraldton.

In January 1943, Alf was working aboard Conti Ciano with Victor and Vincent Basile. It was a 30-foot open boat and had about a 15 to 20 horsepower engine. They would carry the crays up to the Bocco’s Canning factory on their backs or on bikes, then go to work there themselves to make a few extra bob. They would cook and can them, and give them to the Americans.

At that time the Australian Navy was commandeering fishing vessels for the war effort, and the Basile brothers used two cray fishing boats, as Francesco Merendino had sent their Fremantle boat Conti Ciano to Geraldton hoping to avoid commandeering of it. As it turned out, the Basile’s own boat, the Derna was commandeered as the government did not see they needed both boats to feed the Geraldton Crayfish Cannery. By April, Alf had started work on the carrier boat Betty Margaret, with skipper Erik Gudmundsen. Erik and Alf lived aboard and carried cray fish from Pigeon Island. Alf was 16 years of age and earned £4 per week.

In 1943 fishing bans for those born outside of Australia were being relaxed and some Italians were declared Br. Italy (born in Italy, but not considered Italian). Vincenzo “Chief” Basile, father of Vincent and Victor, had been conscripted into the Australian Army in 1942. He was transferred to Geraldton in 1943, and Vincenzo returned to fish on the Conti Ciano, and fished for the army. Mauro Valenti Snr was one of the first to gain permission to return to his profession, and he returned to line fishing on the Essie. Alf left cray fishing to join him. By this stage, Mauro Snr was a licenced fisherman and was considered a seasoned line fisherman. Italian fishers still needed a permit to work more than five miles offshore.

In 1944, Conti Ciano reverted back to her owner, Francesco Merendino and he and his son Luigi line fished from the Southern Group of the Abrolhos Islands. In 1946 the cray fishing season began on 15 February and ended on 30 September. Mauro Snr and George Travia were friends and long-time fishing partners. In 1946 Mauro Snr worked on board the catcher/carrier boat Pacific (previously Colonen) with George and his son Frank, operating from a camp at Big Rat Island. It was common for fishers to work the cray fishing season and work in another fishing industry when the cray boats returned to Geraldton for the months in between. Mauro and partner George worked the cray fishing season with George as skipper, and the line fishing season with Mauro as skipper, and they caught well, as both were experienced in their own industry.

In 1947 the Pacific transferred its operations to an island in the Easter Group known as Roma Island. Another fishing group had expanded and after a dispute resolved in a meeting of all the fishers in the area, George moved east to Roma Island. The Valenti sons Angelo, Alf and Mauro worked as deckhands. George skippered the Pacific with deckhands Mauro and Angelo, and Frank skippered the launch, Margie with deckhand Alf. The men rotated jobs from time to time. Pacific fished 30 to 35 cray pots. In an interview in 1999, Alf was recorded as saying there were “borders” and boat owners could be territorial about the fishing areas. Once, one of the Travia boats strayed over the invisible line into territory that the Big Rat fishers used. One of the Big Rat launches bore down on the Travia vessel wielding a 303 rifle, and shot a float. Alf said they were careful about the ”invisible line” after that.

In 1948 the Pacific and Margie again fished from Roma Island, and the Valenti brothers remained with the Travia outfit. 1949 saw the addition of another two boats, and Margie appears to have been replaced. Pacific G4 was skippered by George Travia, and crewed by Phil Travia and Mauro. Launch Roma G101 was skippered by Alf with Angelo as his deckhand. George’s son Frank worked on the launch Struen G50, which was skippered by Frank Douglas. Pacific was used as a catcher/carrier boat for Roma Island.

In 1950 the Travia and Valenti men returned to Roma Island. Alf and Mauro worked the Roma as a catcher boat. Angelo worked with Frank Travia on a new catcher boat, the Atom G57. George and Phil Travia, and Salvatore Basile worked the catcher/carrier boat Pacific. Again, the men alternated jobs to ensure the boats were manned and the cray fish were carried to town. It also meant that during the season, the men could alternate trips into town. In November, George and Mauro Snr explored new cray fishing grounds at Port Gregory.

In 1951 the Valenti family were founding members of the Geraldton Fishermen’s Co-operative. The local fishermen began digging foundations for their own building in February. Frank Travia and Angelo Valenti are on record as having been on a team of fishers who dug the building’s foundations. Alf and Vince Basile made the first bricks for the building. They went out the river and carted the sand back, mixed it all up and put them out in the sand to dry. The building was opened in May, only three months later. In 1951 George Travia took Pacific to work at Port Denison. She was back as a catcher/carrier at the Easter Group of the Abrolhos Islands the following season (1952) with Roma and Atom.

In 1954, sales of vehicles in regional towns were still quite a news item. The local newspaper printed a list each quarter of the sales from the local car yard, Radio Motors, Pty Ltd. The paper reported Mauro Valenti purchased a new Standard Vanguard Utility from their yard. In 1954 the Pacific was the carrier boat for the Southern Group of the Abrolhos Islands, with George Travia and his son, Phil aboard. In 1955 the Pacific was replaced as a carrier boat for the Southern Group by the Lady Joyous, operated by the Travia family. The Roma was still a licenced fishing boat in 1955. Apparently in 1956, Roma was owned by Frank Kelly. The boat was swamped in Lighthouse passage at Point Moore. She broke up and sank. Frank was carried towards breakers in Hells Gates, but was rescued just in time by Frank Bombara in his boat Suda Bay.

In 1954 Alf married Peggy and they went on to have three children; Vicky, Larry and Ricky. In 1955, Alf built the Oceanus, a 36 foot, 75 horse powered boat and built his own camp on Rat Island.

In 1958 the Valenti family were still fishing from Roma Island. Mauro Snr skippered the Augustus G108 with Angelo Valenti and Angelantonio Magarelli as crew. The Miragliotta boat, the Dove G24, fished from Roma (Rincie and Ronald). Mauro “Mick” Valenti operated the Valma G182, and Alf operated the Vicki Ann G164.

In 1961, Mick’s boat Valma was being used by Dick Johnson for line fishing at Roma Island. The boat’s pump broke, and while trying to repair it, Dick lost the end of two of his fingers when they caught in a drive belt. To get Dick to Geraldton for medical care they transferred him to another boat, which broke down. He was transferred to a second boat, which also broke down. Finally, the Lady Joyous made a run to collect Dick and get him to Geraldton. The story, which merely begins with Mauro’s boat, demonstrates the type of lifestyle the men loved at the islands and in fishing everywhere in regional areas at that time. In 1970 the Valma sank 14 miles north of Geraldton when her bilge pump malfunctioned.

Mauro Snr died of Cancer in 1964. His Son Alf suffered his first heart attack in 1969. None of his boys wanted to take over the boat so he had to sell it. He later received $34,000 for a 108-pot license, the camp and all the gear. Later Alf tried to get back into fishing and purchased his uncles 63-pot license for $8,000. He worked a few years with his sons on the 30-foot Uranus. In 1983 Alf suffered another heart attack and he sold the license to Tommy Carpinin for $30,000. In his later years he joined his brother Mick wet lining and later bought a little carrying business around Geraldton.