posted 10-15-2006 03:35 PM            

From Australia:

• Fortunato “Lucky” Rocca
  
  

It was Patrick Street, of the Silver Society of Australia who introduced June & me to Lucky. Patrick said we could share his October 2006 SSA newsletter article with you. In our post Our Visit to Australia you will also find info on Lucky and a photo of Patrick.

posted 03-03-2008 02:05 PM            

quote:

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New mace is gift from down under
By Hywel Griffith
BBC Wales

More than 200 years of history linking Wales to Australia will be celebrated at the opening of the Senedd.

A ceremonial mace has been flown from Sydney, as a gift from the government of New South Wales.

Then ceremonial mace a gift from the government of New South Wales.

Hand crafted from gold, silver and brass, the 4ft (1.3m) mace will become the centrepiece of the new chamber.

The Australian state took its name after 18th Century colonialists likened the hills and valleys outside Sydney to the landscape of south Wales.

New South Wales Parliament Deputy Speaker John Price said the links were still held dear.

"We're fond of the name, and we're also fond of the Welsh people who formed a significant number of our early immigrants, both as prisoners in the early days and as free settlers."

Fortunato Rocca researched Welsh history to design the mace

The mace started life in 2002, when Melbourne goldsmith Fortunato Rocca was commissioned to come up with a design.

At first he did not know much about Wales, or where the mace would be housed.

"I really don't know too much about your parliament house...I've just done some research through the books of how old Wales was - I don't know much about today's Wales," he told me.

The final, simple design was selected after consulting both Welsh and New South Wales governments.

Fortunato - or Lucky Rocca as he is sometimes known - spent 300 hours crafting the mace.

"If a lot of people see it, you like to express yourself in a way that people say 'Jeeze, isn't that nice,'" he said.

New South Wales still has a sizable Welsh expat community, but many feel they are not as visible as other nationalities.

"Most Welsh people evaporate when they come to New South Wales - you can't find them," says Clive Woosnam, president of the Sydney Welsh Choir.

"You can find the Scots and you can find the Irish, but the Welsh blend in so well, they fit in so easily, it's hard to find them."

'Lot to learn'

In the future, the government of New South Wales also hope to send more officials to Wales to build stronger political and economic ties, following up on visits to Australia by Wales' First Minister Rhodri Morgan.

"I think the smaller, provincial parliaments of the world have a lot to learn from each other," said Meredith Burgmann, President of the Legislative Council of New South Wales.

The mace is wrapped ahead of its journey to Cardiff

"The national parliaments have a lot of resources and they are looking at issues which are very different to the provincial parliaments, which are really looking at service issues."

However, Dr Burgmann is disappointed she will not be able to attend the opening of Wales' new assembly building, and the donation of the mace, as the date clashes with the first session of the New South Wales Parliament.

The mace is worth 25,000 Australian dollars (around $10,500).

Once unveiled it will take pride of place in the new assembly chamber - and serve as a reminder of Wales' friends down under.

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