Umbrellas must have been big business in Warrnambool at the turn of last century if the gravestone of Giuseppe Cinquegrana is anything to go by.
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The story of the Italian immigrant who arrived in Warrnambool in the 1890s forms part of this year’s history walks at the Warrnambool cemetery which start on Wednesday at 6pm.
Graves on this year’s tour feature notable tradespeople including a milliner, fellmonger, builders, plumbers and gasfitters.
Mr Cinquegrana was born in Viggiano in 1861, a region famous for its music and construction of harps.
He arrived in Melbourne as a 20-year-old and spent some time in New Zealand where he imported strings for musical instruments.
By 1897, he had moved to Warrnambool and operated an umbrella shop at 100 Liebig Street. Known to everyone as Joseph, he would travel to the region’s towns to repair umbrellas, walking sticks, tennis racquets and surgical instruments.
Both his brother and brother-in-law also ran umbrella businesses in other parts of Victoria.
Mr Cinquegrana remained Warrnambool’s “expert umbrella maker” for 50 years until shortly before his death in 1945 at age 85.
He is buried in a ornate grave in the Warrnambool cemetery with his wife and mother, who is believed to have lived with the couple until to aged 95.
Warrnambool family History group president Mike Roche said there was no record that he and his wife had had any children.
However, his nephew Francis had come to Warrnambool to work in his umbrella business until WWI broke out.
Francis was killed on August 7, 1915, just two days after arriving in Gallipoli. He was listed as missing in action for eight months until his family was officially informed he’d been killed in action.
Newspaper reports over the years reveal that in 1899 Mr Cinquegrana survived a fire which broke out when a candle flame ignited gas that had leaked from a gas meter he’d unscrewed.
He was also injured in 1915 when, on his way home from the races, his motorbike and a car collided at the busy Raglan Parade and Liebig Street intersection. In 1932 he suffered a severe head injury when his bike collided with the back of a car.
Tours will be held January 2 at 6pm, January 5 at 10am, January 6 at 2pm, January 9 at 6pm, January 12 at 2pm, January 13 at 6pm and January 27 at 2pm.
Meet at the Rotunda. A donation of $5 is appreciated. For more information contact: 0405 440 231.
