Tuscany down under in the Melbourne suburbs

Mon, 02/27/2012 - 04:55 — Anonymous by Ian Lloyd Neubauer In the mid-19th
century, some 2,000 Swiss-Italians from the cantons of Ticino and Grison
joined the great European migration to the Australian goldfields. Many
settled in Hepburn Shire northwest of Melbourne and home to the largest
concentration of mineral springs in Australia. But, unlike Chinese and other
non-English-speaking migrant groups that moved on when the gold ran out, the
Swiss-Italians remained and prospered in Hepburn in the production of
high-quality wine, cheese, fruits and vegetables. Europe in Oz Built in 1864,
Heritage-listed Villa Parma is arguably one of Hepburn Spring's most
impressive architectural treasures. Reminders of their influence can be found
everywhere in Hepburn -- the Old Macaroni factory on Main Road, the
Bathhouse/Pavilion Café at Hepburn Mineral Springs Reserve and at Parma
House -- a stately two-story residence built in 1864 by viticulturist
Fabrizzio Crippa.read more