Four generations of the Valentini family (L to R): Carson Best, Sarah Best, Florence Josephine Best (baby), Pippa Best, Kate Schirripa, Josephine Valentini and her son Michael Valentini holding a photo of Val. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
Griffith Council has voted in favour of naming a new walkway bridge on Macedone Road in Yoogali after the pioneering Valentini family, who are known for their extensive charity work.
“I’m overwhelmed,” 90-year-old family matriarch Josephine said.
“My husband Val and I were involved in everything, but we never sought any honour or glory.”
Valentino, who was born in 1931 and passed away in 2019, was a refrigerator mechanic, cropping farmer and jeweller. He volunteered at Pioneer Park Museum for many years. Along with Josephine, he also raised money for the blind and advocated for the arts.
“One of my proudest moments is my work for the arts and crafts society. We were the instigators in getting the art gallery opened in Griffith,” she said.
The family’s legacy began with Val’s father, Battista, a war veteran who migrated from Italy.
“He came to Adelaide in 1926 and then walked to Broken Hill, where he worked in a mine for three years before coming to Griffith to buy farm land,” Josephine said.
Josephine’s daughter Joanne Fitzpatrick paid tribute to Battista, who also had a nearby industrial estate named after him by the Forlico family builders.
“He worked so hard. We all ended up having a wonderful life thanks to him,” Ms Fitzpatrick said.
Four generations of the family came to see the new Valentini bridge on Wednesday (23 July), including Val’s great-granddaughter Pippa.
“My Bisnonno would be so proud,” Pippa said.
“I want to be an artist when I grow up and help people like he did.”
The Best family jump for joy on the new bridge. Photo: Oliver Jacques.
The younger generations are following in the footsteps of the Val, working in creative or charitable fields. Daughter Joanne Fitzpatrick and her daughter Kate Schirripa have both worked for the support service Centrecare, while granddaughter Sarah Best is an art teacher. Son Michael lives with Josephine, and her other son, Paul, is a welder now living in Batemans Bay.
At the council meeting to decide on the naming of the bridge, Councillor Mark Dal Bon proposed the Valentini name.
“The family have done a lot of charitable work and is very well known in Griffith,” he said.
The public was given 28 days to provide feedback on the proposal. According to the council papers, four submissions were made in favour of renaming the bridge, and four opposed it.
Councillor Jenny Ellis proposed laying the matter on the table (delaying a decision to a later meeting).
“I totally agree that Valentini is a worthy name for the bridge … however, in going out to the public … we had other suggestions, four for them and four different suggestions. What I would like to suggest is that we take it back out to the public and have a larger representation from the public on this important landmark,” she said.
Councillor Scott Groat disagreed, saying there was no need to delay the vote as they’d already been a public consultation.
“What’s the point of rehashing it?” he asked.
A majority of councillors opposed Cr Ellis’ proposal to delay the matter, so the new Valentini bridge name was endorsed.
