Woman wins presidency at Italian club

A woman is in charge of Wellington's Club Garibaldi for the first time in its 123-year history.

Ginette Toscano Page said the Italian cultural club had allowed women to be full members only in 1992.

"But they were allowed to be part of the social committee because that had something to do with food - Italians love food," she said.

The club organised the Italian food and cultural fiesta at the Overseas Terminal which attracted between 12,000 to 14,000 people every year, she said.

It also offered other weekly things that "Kiwi Italians" enjoyed - bowls, beauty competitions, housie, Italian lessons, and feasts "groaning with food".

"It's our little bit of Italy: We drink a glass of limoncello [a lemon-flavoured liqueur], the 'in' drink at the moment, and watch Italian television ... We watch more soccer than opera nowadays, though," she said.

The 320-strong membership was made up exclusively of Italians and their families, though sister society Circolo was open to everyone.

She was humbled the Italian community had confidence in her for the job.

"I have big shoes to fill. When I was elected, the previous president said, 'We have a woman governor-general, a woman prime minister, and now we have a woman president.' I don't want to let them down," she said.

Italians had great heart and respect for their old people, she said.

"We are in harmony, but we are loud. Guests think we're arguing, but it's just us, and those beautiful Italian words."

Ms Toscano Page's parents migrated to New Zealand from the tiny volcanic island of Stromboli, near Sicily.

Her given name was Luigina but, "after the war it wasn't hip to have Italian names".

The club was named after Giuseppe Garibaldi, the 19th-century peasant hero who unified Italy.

- NZPA