Riani's Gaiety Temperance Bar and Ice Cream Palour
- Joanne Tapiolas
- Jul 30
- 2 min read
Colombo Riani was born 26th May 1889 in Castlenuovo Garfagnana (Lucca) Italy. On his Australian records he listed his occupation as musician, for he was a trombone player of repute having played in the Opera House of Florence.
Other documents have him noted as owner of a Café and Ice Cream Palour, in Houghton Le Spring, England named Gaiety Temperance Bar and Ice Cream Palour. At the time of his arrest on the 10th June 1940 in the Durham Police District, Colombo had two sons serving with the British Army.
He was notified of his approval to return for release subject to usual conditions on the 13th July 1942. At the time, Colombo was at Loveday Camp 10, South Australia and was transferred from Loveday Camp, South Australia to Tatura Camp, Victoria via Broadmeadows Military Camp on 7th August 1942. He departed camp on the 12th August 1942 for Liverpool Camp, New South Wales until embarkation for the UK.
The internees boarded the Westernland in Sydney and changed ships at Cape Town, South Africa on 10th October 1942 and boarded the MV Abosso.
The MV Abosso was a British Motor Passenger Ship was transporting 43 internees (36 German internees and seven Italian internees) from Cape Town, South Africa to Liverpool, England when she was sunk by a direct hit torpedo at 22.13 on 29th October 1942. At 23.05 the MV Abosso sank. Colombo was ‘lost at sea’ and his ‘death officially presumed’ on the 26th June 1943.
His wife Nelide had a premonition about her husband’s death: A family story states that Nelide had a nightmare, she saw her husband in the water calling her name; she woke up screaming, frightening everyone, and then they found out Columbo had died at sea. (Houghton Heritage Society, 2013)
Colombo was 53 years old when he died.
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