When athletes were forbidden from the opening ceremony of the Cortina 2021 World Ski Championships due to the coronavirus risk, local man David Peterlin stepped in as Australia’s flag-bearer, paying homage to his great-grandfather who migrated Down Under exactly 100 years ago.

When Australia’s attention was focused on the Australian Open, on the other side of the world, on the same day, the

FIS Alpine World Ski Championship

began on 8th February.

The COVID-19 precautionary measures at the championships resulted in an unexpected focus on local man Davide Peterlin and his fellow townspeople.

Davide - a ski instructor at the local ski school - was asked to be part of the group standing in for international athletes at the inauguration ceremony as they were not allowed to participate in the traditional parade because of COVID-19.

Davide gleefully accepted the opportunity to sport the Australian flag.

Davide Peterlin bearing the Australian flag at the Cortina 2021 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. Source: Davide Peterlin

The story begins in 1921 in Wonthaggi, Victoria.

It wasn’t just a coincident that Davide decided to become the flag-bearer for Australia.

His relationship with the land Down Under is a real family affair, and it began precisely 100 years ago.

In 1921, his great-grandfather Giuseppe Tumolero, born in Camporovero di Asiago in 1894, migrated to Australia in a desperate search for work.

Leaving his family behind, Giuseppe came to Wonthaggi, Victoria, where he found a job at the local coal mine. 

His son Giovanni was born the same year. In 1927 Guiseppe's wife Caterina took him to the port of Genoa and put him on a boat to join his father in Australia.

The six-year-old boy spent 45 days travelling unaccompanied on the boat.

Davide's great-grandparents Giuseppe and Caterina, along with granparents Giovanni and Esterina. Source: Davide Peterlin

“Those were definitely different times”, Davide tells SBS Italian. “My great-grandfather had started to send money to Italy and asked for his son – who barely knew him - to join him on the other side of the world."

Italy was recovering from the Great War and people had to find difficult solutions to survive.

Later, they returned to Italy, and after a short stint there, Giuseppe and Giovanni came back to Australia a second time.

Giuseppe – Davide’ great-grandfather – lived there until 1953, while Giovanni – Davide’s grandfather – stayed in Melbourne until 1963 along with his wife, Esterina Tisocco.

Davide's grandfather Giovanni Tumolero's ID, currently shown at the Immigration Museum, Melbourne. Source: Davide Peterlin

In the 60s, Italy was a different country compared to how it was after World War I. The economic boom allowed many people to exit poverty and created a good environment for the Tumolero family's return.

Before the couple returned, Giovanni and Esterina's daughter was born in 1957 in Melbourne. She would become Davide's mother later on.

Italy-Australia-Italy

The whole family settled back in Veneto in 1964.

In 1984, Davide was born. Making good use of her dual citizenship, his big sister decided to move back to Melbourne over ten years ago.

Wanting to meet his nephew, Davide flew to Australia in 2019. He had no idea of the big surprise waiting for him.

During a visit to Wonthaggi, he found his great-grandfather's name in one of the logbooks from the 1920s. 

A local guide suggested calling a second local guide, an old Italian man, who could have had further information.

Luciano Storti migrated from Recoaro in 1951 to work in the Wonthaggi coal mine.

"What’s your great-grandfather’s name? Giuseppe? He’s the man who welcomed me when I got to Australia," Davide recalls Luciano telling him. 

Not only did he remember Davide’ great-grandfather Giuseppe, but he also revealed that he had spent some time in his house after arriving in Australia.

After 70 years from that encounter and after 100 years since his arrival, Giuseppe Tumolero’s memory in Australia was still alive.

I knew your great-grandfather: Wonthaggi resident Luciano Storti with Davide and his mother Anna. Source: Davide Peterlin

100 years later, in Italy

A year after the serendipitous meeting with a man who personally knew his great-grandfather, Davide was back in Italy when the coronavirus pandemic hit the world.

Months later, the country is still dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, but the Cortina 2021 Alpine World Ski Championship must go ahead as planned on the 8th of February.

Davide (36) is the president of the

local ski school

. He has been collaborating for a couple of years with the World Ski Championship organisation.

The Italian Ski Federation has decided to stop the athletes from participating in the inauguration ceremony to prevent possible infections.

Davide's ski school was made in charge of the parade, with locals bearing flags of participating countries.  

”Being a dual citizen, I asked to be the one carrying the Australian flag, and I was granted this honour," he explains.

“During the parade, I carried the flag 100 years after my great-grandfather set foot on Australia for the first time. I was very moved, and when I reached the main stage, I looked to the sky thinking of him."

Davide Peterlin parading proudly at the Cortina 2021 Opening Ceremony with the Australian flag. Source: Davide Peterlin

During his 2019 visit to Australia, Davide and his wife Giulia decided that it was time for their family to grow.

Their son Leonardo was born nine months later, the latest link in an ongoing relationship between the Italian family and Australia that began 100 years ago in Wonthaggi.

The latest addition to the family Leonardo, between Davide and his wife Giulia. Source: Davide Peterlin

LISTEN TO

Cent'anni fa il bisnonno emigrava a Wonthaggi, ora Davide è il portabandiera dell'Australia

SBS Italian

17/02/202112:23

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