London Wine Butler
- Joanne Tapiolas
- Feb 20
- 1 min read
Giacomo Barovero was born on the 24th May 1903 in Pica d’Asti (Asti) Italy. In 1930 he was advertised as being at 40 Frith Street London under a category of Restaurants/Cafes/Refreshment Rooms. In 1934 he had a listing at 40 Church Street: café bar.
Giacomo was arrested on the 11th June 1940. On his Australian records, he listed his occupation as ‘wine butler’. He worked as a hospital orderly in the camps before being released to work with the Civil Aliens Corps on 16th May 1944.
In 1946, while still in Australia, Giacomo made his application for Naturalisation. In December 1949, brothers Maurice and George Johnson of the Oxford Hotel, Swanston Street, Melbourne employed Jimmy Barovero as an Italian chef with a ‘big reputation’. One of Jimmy Barovero’s signature dishes was Jimmy’s Cream of Seafood Soup. The soup included braised lobster, oysters, mussels, milk and cream with fish stock.
His wife Luigia was living in Pica (Asti) Italy when Giacomo was interned and it appears that she came to Australia in 1948 as there is an immigration record for Margharita Luigia Barovero.
Giacomo was listed as living at 135 Gertrude Street, Fitzroy, Melbourne on the 1954 Electoral Rolls. Australian records indicate that Giacomo and Luigia Barovero departed Australia c. 1956.
Giacomo’s immigration record is a stark reminder of the arrival of the Dunera Italians in Australia on the 3rd September 1940. He is the 39th internee to be registered. In contrast was his c.1946 photo also attached.
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