My Italian Terreni relations came to New Zealand in 1878. They came from Livorno, caught the ship from Liverpool UK, and had assisted passage. They traveled on The Hermione, and when they arrived in Wellington the passengers were quarantined on Soames Island due to a case of Typhoid on ship. They arrived just before Xmas in '78 and were there for Xmas and the New Year. They were: Fabio Terreni, his wife Isola and their young son Oreste (10 years old). They first went to Wanganui to join an Uncle (Georgio) who had been in NZ for 3 years. Oreste remembers going to school there and learning English. They then settled in Newtown, Wellington and had a grocery store in Riddiford Street (cnr of Union and Riddiford). Oreste and maybe his father, started market gardens in Khandallah, growing tomatoes and grapes in hot houses. He also has a delivery service in the surrounding area, delivering his produce by horse and cart. Then, when ill health determined another move, Oreste returned to owning and running a grocery store at 29 Kent Terrace, on the corner of Elizabeth Street in Mt Victoria. Oreste married Alice Sophe (of French extraction) and had three children - Elsie (Elesea) Lotty (Carlotta) and Lance (Lanciotto). Lance was my grandfather and he married Marjory Dockery and together they produced one son, my father Vince (Vincenzo). Vince married my mother Jane Anderson and they had me (Lisa Gabriella Terreni) and my sister Anna Francesca Terreni.

I now live in Newtown (Green Street)
and look out over the local school where my great grandfather, grandfather and father all went to school! I was a kindergarten at Wellington South kindergarten for many years, but now am a Senior lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington. I have a true sense of turangawaewae living in Newtown because of my ancestors. Consequently, my neighbourhood is all very steeped in family history and feels like the right place for me to live.

The big problem for me is that I think I am the only Terreni left in New Zealand. My parents and grandparents are now dead and my sister is married...so I am definately on the look out for more relations! My e mail address is lisa.terreni@vuw.ac.nz if you have any information that might be useful in my quest.

thanks

lisa terreni