New Italy, New South Wales
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New Italy () is a village near Woodburn in the
Northern Rivers Northern Rivers is the most northeasterly Regions of New South Wales, region of the Australian state of New South Wales, located between north of the state capital, Sydney, and encompasses the catchments and fertile valleys of the Clarence Ri ...
district in
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. The busy Pacific Highway passes nearby. New Italy is 693 km north-east of the state capital,
Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
, and 12 km south of Woodburn. New Italy is part of the Richmond Valley Shire, the administrative headquarters of which is in nearby
Casino A casino is a facility for gambling. Casinos are often built near or combined with hotels, resorts, restaurants, retail shops, cruise ships, and other tourist attractions. Some casinos also host live entertainment, such as stand-up comedy, conce ...
.


History

In 1882 Italian immigrants from the region of
Veneto Veneto, officially the Region of Veneto, is one of the 20 regions of Italy, located in the Northeast Italy, north-east of the country. It is the fourth most populous region in Italy, with a population of 4,851,851 as of 2025. Venice is t ...
in northern
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, most of them survivors of the ill-fated De Rays Expedition, took up a conditional purchase farm of near Woodburn at what was initially called Cèa Venessia (Little Venice) and later renamed New Italy. By the mid-1880s, about 50 holdings of an aggregate area of more than 3,000 acres (12 km2) were under occupation, and the Italian population of New Italy had increased to 250. It was a small farming community growing fruits and vegetables including grape vines. The school was opened in 1885 but ceased operation in 1933 due to decreasing enrolments. The New Italy settlers built mud brick houses, a church, school and community hall in traditional style of northern Italy. Due to its remote location the population of settlements was stagnant. In the 1930s a Park of Peace was established to remember the pioneers of the settlement. In the late 1950s the regional significance of the settlement began to be recognised. The Bicentennial Museum was opened in 1989. Following the
World Expo A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...
in Brisbane in 1988 the Italian government presented the contents of their Expo Pavilion to the New Italy Centenary Committee and the Italian Pavilion at New Italy was opened in May 1993. The Museum presents the history of Italian migration to Australia and the memorabilia from the New Italy settlement. The Pavilion celebrates all Italian migrants and their contribution to the culture of Australia.


Heritage listings

New Italy via Woodburn has a number of heritage-listed sites, including: * 1 Forest Road: Vineyard Haven * 2 New Italy Road: New Italy Settlement


See also

* Historical overview of Italians in Australia


References


''New Italy celebrates''
by Pam MacIntosh ( ABC North Coast, 8 April 2010)
''Journey To A New Life''
(
NSW Government The Government of New South Wales, also known as the NSW Government, is the executive state government of New South Wales, Australia. The government comprises 11 portfolios, led by a ministerial department and supported by several agencies. Th ...
) "The Phantom Paradise" by J.H.Niau. Published by Angus & Robertson 1980


External links

* *
New Italy Museum website
Towns in New South Wales Northern Rivers 1882 establishments in Australia Richmond Valley Council Italian-Australian culture {{NorthernRivers-geo-stub