Carlo Ceruti was born in Italy (where?? + research) He arrived in Australia at the age of 20 ready to start a new life. In the decade before Carlo arrived, the Gold Rush of the 1850’s had led many people to the Gold Fields. As the fields went into decline however, much of the mining population returned to the city, resulting in the growth of the population in those urban areas, and a boom in industries such as manufacturing and building. In addition to this, at the time that Carlo arrived, the Australian population was increasing rapidly, at an average of almost 4% per annum. Over 40% of this increase was due to immigration from the British Isles, but immigrants were also arriving from other countries, including Italy. Many of the Italian immigrants found work in the booming building industry as stonemasons in the Hunters Hill area of Sydney. They would have felt very welcome there, as wealthy entrepreneurs were commencing building programs in the area offering ready employment. In addition to this there were Italian missionaries from Milan staying at Villa Maria near Tarban Creek. One of these missionaries was Reverend Angelo Ambrosoli, who was later joined by his brother Giosne. In August 1859, regulations were introduced by the government allowing “Any naturalized Foreigner, resident in the Colony, who may be desirous of introducing from the Continent of Europe any of his or her relatives” to do so, at a cost of four pounds for each immigrant between the age of 12 and 40. Those who were eligible were “mechanics of every description, domestic servants and all persons of the labouring class” . Two weeks after the introduction of these regulations, Giosne Ambrosoli became naturalized, and over the next few years several members of his extended family arrived, including Luigi, Ambrose and Giovanni Ambrosoli, Pietro Zanolla, and the young Carlo Ceruti, a cousin of the Ambrosoli family.. Carlo arrived in Australia in 1860 on board the “Donald Mackay” (any info???). He would probably have gone directly to the Hunters Hill area and worked for someone like Jules and Didier Joubert, who were the major developers and speculators in the area. We know Carlo lived in Joubert Street and Figtree Road in the area before 1878, and also that he married Mary McMahon in 1872.(what do we know about Mary???) On the 15 August, 1877 he became naturalized. It would appear that Carlo had no difficulty finding regular and ongoing employment, because in 1878 he bought some land (now 62 Gladesville Road) from Didier Joubert and by 1879 had built a house there, which can still be seen today next to the Commonwealth Bank. The house was named ‘Hillrest’, because horses were rested at this point after the pull up the hill. At the time, the Police Station stood on the block next to ‘Hillrest’ and there was a coalyard to the east. Carlo sold ‘Hillrest’ to George A. Moore, the Secretary of I.S.N Co, in 1886, and moved to ‘Glenrosa’, a house he had built between 1883 and 1884 at 12 Mark Street. Within a short period of time, three other stonemasons lived nearby, probably because it was close to the major stone construction taking place at the time, St.Joseph’s College. Originally a rural part of Hunters Hill, the Mark Street area was starting to develop as part of suburbia, although at the time Carlo built ‘Glenrosa’, it looked down a valley towards orchards, dairies and piggeries. Carlo and Mary moved into ‘Glenrosa’ with their four children. A fifth child, Guthrie, born in 1878 had died in infancy. Mary gave birth to another son after the move to Mark Street, but he too died as an infant. Their children were: Mary Sarah b. 1876 Guthrie b. 1878 d. around 1880 Alfred William b. 1880 Clara Anne b. 29 November 1882 Luca E b 1885 Walter P b. 1887 d. 1887 Clara, known as Annie, married Henry Kelly, the son of William Kelly and Dorothy Morris, in 1903, when she was 20 and he was 36. (What about the others???) Carlo and Mary died ???????? Government Gazette, Friday 26 August, 1859 CARLO CERUTI