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26 October 2005
The growing phenomenon of Australians heading to Italy to live and work was the focus of a workshop conducted at the Monash University Prato Centre earlier this month.
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| Mr Woolcott (second from right) with Professor Kent, Monash University Prato Centre director Dr Annamaria Pagliaro and the centre's associate director, Dr Cecilia Hewlett. |
'Australians in Italy', believed to be the first workshop to analyse Australia's ongoing engagement with Italy, was conducted by Monash's School of Historical Studies and hosted by the Monash Institute for the Study of Global Movements.
Australia's ambassador to Italy, Mr Peter Woolcott, travelled from Rome to officially open the event. Professor Ros Pesman from the University of Sydney delivered the keynote lecture.
The workshop convenors were Professor Bill Kent, Australian professorial fellow at Monash's School of Historical Studies and founding director of the Prato Centre, and lecturer Dr Camilla Russell. Dr Tony Pagliaro from La Trobe University provided advice on the academic planning of the workshop.
Professor Kent said the workshop attracted enthusiastic participants including Australian and Italian academics and members of Australia's expatriate community.
"The workshop was very productive and yielded much information on the growing interest in Italy," Professor Kent said. "Monash's Prato Centre was the perfect venue for the conference and the physical embodiment of the growing presence of Australians in Italy.
"There is a long tradition of Australians going to live in Italy or making extended visits there. Australians with Italian partners, business people with European interests, second and third-generation Italian-Australians and retirees seeking the good life -- the Australian literary, artistic and cultural fascination with Italy shows no sign of waning.
"But the trend is extending to professional couples and singles and those seeking an alternative lifestyle, as part of a wider world movement centred on a mobile labour-force. Many are drawn by the culture and Italy 's historical past, but Italy is still the land of dreams, particularly for those interested in love, passion and art," he said.
Professor Kent thanked the director of the Monash Institute for the Study of Global Movements, Professor John Nieuwenhuysen, for his support and said there were plans to publish a book of the workshop's papers. Ambassador Woolcott has agreed to write the foreword. | 
