Italian born Alfred Cavalchini arrived in Sydney at the age of 16 in 1900. Soon afterwards he moved to Wingham where he established himself as a well-known baker and confectioner at 89 Isabella Street.
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In 1908 Cavalchini and his family moved to Lorne to take up farming but they returned to Wingham in 1916 to open a bakery and photography business at 49 Isabella Street.
During World War I, Cavalchini took photographic portraits of young men as they headed to war in their uniforms, several of whom did not return. Cavalchini’s most memorable photographs are of Victory Day celebrations in Wingham. His daughter Mabel recalled that her father set up a backdrop on the side of the house that day to take photos.
In June 1919 influenza, brought back by returned servicemen, swept across NSW, including Wingham. Cavalchini was struck down and as a consequence suffered a seizure that paralysed his right side. He spent six months in hospital where he learned to walk again. This illness left him permanently injured.
Cavalchini continued to be an active community member until his physical condition forced him to give up work. He retired to Coffs Harbour where at the age of 52 he was hit by a lorry truck and killed.
Cavalchini’s photographs live on to remind us of his precious contribution to Wingham.
This story, written by volunteer Janine Roberts, is just one of a million stories from the MidCoast region’s past just waiting to be told.
Right now the local community is encouraged to share their stories of our colourful history, to be featured on a website dedicated to preserving our local heritage. The project, made possible through a $97,000 NSW Government “Heritage Near Me” grant, will come to life with the launch of the MidCoast Stories website in September.
The aim of the MidCoast Stories project is to drive interest in our local heritage and an understanding of why it’s important, and ultimately to get the local community involved in preserving our past.
Stories are already being collated and community members are invited to contribute short, interesting submissions of around 200 words on any topic connected with the MidCoast.
An initial bank of stories will form part of the website launch during History Week in early September, with an objective to have a minimum of 200 stories uploaded by April 2019 when the grant funding is finalised.
Education forms a key element of the project, and a dedicated educator will assist local school students to research and write stories, building an interest and love of local history among our younger community members.
A series of free workshops will also be offered to assist local community participation.
“Keep an eye out for upcoming workshops that will help you bring your stories to life, including how to research your property’s history, and how to use resources such as ‘Trove’ to delve into the past”, Janine said.
To find out how to submit your story, email info@midcoaststories.com or visit their website at www.midcoaststories.com. The site is still under construction however there is a contact form on the landing page.
Further information will be made available once the educational workshops commence, and to announce the launch of the MidCoast Stories website in September.
Locals can also keep an eye out for a series of family history workshops to be held in MidCoast Council’s libraries during August, coinciding with National Family History Month.
