Luigi Mario Rocca
Luigi Mario Rocca
Category: Other
| Title | Luigi Mario Rocca |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Geographic reference | Auckland, Bonassola, Liguria, La Spezia, |
| Time reference | 1960s-2020s |
| Online resource | photos only on this archive |
| Topic | Photos,Italian immigrants in New Zealand, Liguri in Nuova Zelanda, Commonwealth Games in Auckland 1990, Italian Dance Group, Tarantella Dance Group, Società Dante Alighieri, Italian builders, Italian masons, Italian tilers |
Luigi Mario Rocca (9 September 1934 - 7 August 2022) was born in Bonassola, in the province of La Spezia, Liguria. He met New Zealander Dawn Grace Taylor of Westmere, Auckland, in April 1961 on the Castel Felice ship. Dawn was on her way to Europe for an OE and Dad was a waiter onboard. Dawn then visited Bonassola on her travels in July 1961; returned later that year and stayed the winter. They got engaged in 1962 in Italy but she had to return to New Zealand at her parents' request (they sent her a ticket). Luigi could not afford to travel, so he applied to work on board a ship going to New Zealand. He was given around 24 hours’ notice to board a ship in Genoa, and had to pack up everything abruptly and leave his family. He arrived in early January 1963 and he and Dawn were married on 16 March 1963, in the Church of Saint Columba, Grey Lynn, Auckland. Luigi worked a builder in Auckland, mainly doing masonry and tiling.
Luigi was always very present in the Italian community in Auckland; in the 80s he was also the president of the Dante Alighieri Society of Auckland and organiser of many events. In 1990 he organised the first Tarantella Dance group and participated to the Opening of the Commonwealth Games in Auckland.
Photos: courtesy of Luigi Rocca's family.
