Sydney Italian Fruit Shops: Our Collective Memories

Where was your local Italian Fruit Shop?

Co.As.It., in collaboration with ACPH (Australian Centre for Public History) at UTS have worked closely over a number of years with the families of Italian fruiterers, 'the gatekeepers' of the stories and images, to record for posterity the important legacy of Sydney's Italian fruit shops. This collaboration has resulted in the following outcomes:-

- Recorded over 40 oral history interviews
- Collected over 150 heritage photographs of this industry
- Collected items of material culture (memorabilia)

Photographic Exhibition: Co.As.It. is now seeking funding from the City of Sydney, and Sydney Markets Ltd to mount an exhibition entitled, 'Sydney's Italian Fruit Shops - Our Collective Memories. The exhibition will be launched at NSW Parliament House, Sydney in June 2010 and then move to Leichhardt for July - Sept 2010.

Co.As.It. On-line Fruit Shop Register: To accompany the exhibition Co.As.It. is creating an On-line Fruit Shop Register to facilitate the input of a wide range of Italian fruit shop data, photographs and memories. The on-line information will include:- Name of the original fruit shop, name of proprietors, street address, suburb, postcode and years of operation. There will also be a space for photos and a section to record 'Memories of your Italian fruit shop'.

Check out the 1st draft of Sydney's Italian Fruit Shops Website Homepage by downloading the file below.

Pictorial Publication: Depending on funding availability, there is also the possibility of a pictorial publication that will invite its readers to celebrate the role of Sydney's Italian fruit shops and to leave behind a lasting legacy for all those who fondly remember the Sydney Italian fruit shop that touched theirs, or their families' lives.

If you have photographs of old Sydney fruit shops or wish to include your local Italian fruit shop on our on-line register, please contact Linda Nellor, Heritage Officer at Co.As.It. on 9564 0744 or linda.nellor@coasit.org.au

Download file