Genoveffa Cioni

Genoveffa Cioni was born on the 17^th of January 1896 in Portoferraio, on the island of Elba in the province of Livorno.

After being widowed in Italy, she emigrated to Australia with her daughter Ils in 1924. While working as a maid in West Melbourne, she met Giuseppe Donchi whom she married in 1925 and with whom she had a daughter, Anna.

The couple bought a house in Lygon Street, Carlton (Melbourne's Little Italy), which Genoveffa used as a boarding house, accommodating up to 22 single Italian migrants at a time. After saving up enough money, in 1927 Genoveffa and Giuseppe bought a shop in Carlton, which they called “Dalla Toscana”. Genoveffa stocked the shop with Italian products such as pasta and sauce, attracting many of Carlton's Italian residents who passed her shop on their way to Queen Victoria Market to do their shopping. The shop was a success and began supplying a number of Melbourne's restaurants and making deliveries to other Australian States.

As well as working in the shop, the family also helped many newly arrived migrants by translating documents, sharing information about work, lending books in Italian and offering a flexible credit system to regular customers. At a time when there were still no welfare organisations for the migrant community, the Donchis did what they could to help their fellow Italians.

Genoveffa was known as a smart businesswoman who put a lot of passion into running the shop. She organised events at which she played the guitar and told stories, and was well loved by the Italian migrant community.

The couple sold the shop and retired in the 1940s, due to Genoveffa's deteriorating health.

They returned to the island of Elba in 1955, where Genoveffa died two years later.

Testimonials compiled in collaboration with CO.AS.IT Melbourne.