ALTINIER Antonio (Tony)
The Family of: Antonio (Tony) ALTINIER
Edited – September 2022
1913
1913 – Antonio ALTINIER was born in Codogne in the Province of Treviso, Venice.
1930
1930 – Tony arrived in Western Australia at the age of 17.
His first job was at a market garden in Wanneroo where he worked hard for a number of years.
1934
1934 – Tony heard that land was being sold through the Agricultural Bank (now Bankwest) in the area of Pickering Brook,
where he purchased a block of land in Bracken Road.
The land was still a bush block and worked hard to clear his land, mainly by hand and with a horse.
He planted fruit trees as the main produce, but before the crops could bear fruit he planted vegetables.
1939
1939 – Tony decided that it was probably time to find a wife and so wrote a letter with photos to a girl he had known in his village, Regina CODOGNOTTO.
Regina accepted his proposal and they were married by proxy that same year.
Tony’s brother-in-law and Regina’s father stood as proxies. They renewed their wedding vows when Rina’ arrived in Western Australia.
Photograph: The young ALTINIER family
Louis, Rina, Robert and Tony
1940
1940 – Regina (Rina), which she preferred, arrived in Western Australia. On arriving at Pickering Brook, she found life was hard, but worked tirelessly alongside her husband. Rina’s jobs consisted of milking their cow and making butter and cheese. Rina also helped with growing and picking of vegetables. Washing was done at the creek with homemade soap. There was tap water in their house but Rina preferred the creek as she felt that it cleaned the clothes better.
1941
1941 – Tony & Rina’s first son, Louis was born.
1947
1947 – Their second son, Robert, was born six years later.
1952
1952 – Tony sponsored Emilio and Giovanna FANTUZ with their children Corrado (Peter) and Angela (Gina) to come to Western Australia to start a new life. The FANTUZ family eventually purchased a property in Merrivale Road, Pickering Brook.
Tony loved his game of bocce and Sunday afternoons would find him with other locals in the bushy area on Charlie DELLA FRANCA’s property playing bocce. Tony’s love of bocce transferred to lawn bowls at the local Pickering Brook Sports Club, where he was a champion player.
Rina loved cooking at which she excelled and shared with their family and friends.
1964
1964 – Louis – married Angela (Gina) FANTUZ at Lourdes Monastery, Lesmurdie and they have three children, Sylvia, Danny and Adrian.
Sylvia – married Terry VAN GRONINGEN and they have two children, Brett and Jodi.
Adrian – married Danielle JENKINS and they have four children, Jade, Jordan, Tyson and Brooke.
1980
1980 – Sadly, Gina’s mother, Giovanna FANTUZ passed away.
1988
1988 – Gina lost her father, Emelio FANTUZ.
Rina also lost her beloved husband Tony.
1997
1997 – Rina passed away
The Family Property
Tony and Rina’s three sons, Louis, Robert and Danny continue to run the original family property in Pickering Brook.