Humble Beginnings..
Twenty-one year old Matteo Gazzola came to Australia in 1925, one of a group of five young men from the town of Pove del Grappa, North-West of Venice, Italy.
For the next two years, the group produced potatoes at Iona in West Gippsland. Matteo went on to work as a drainage contractor in Melbourne, a coal miner at Kilcunda and at a tobacco operation near Myrtleford.
In 1932 Matteo Gazzola and Dominic Favero formed the Favero & Gazzola partnership on 72 acres at Narre Warren South. Here they grew Cabbage, Carrots, Beetroot, Asparagus and Lettuce for the Government.
By 1939 they had expanded production to market these crops at Melbourne’s Victoria Market.
Next Steps…
In 1954 Luis Gazzola joined the business full-time, marketing F&G produce at the Victoria Market.
In 1957, Matteo and Dominic retired, leaving the partnership to their sons Aldo and Luis Gazzola and John and Silvio Favero.
By this time, F&G had become leading producers of Celery, Lettuce, Cabbage, Beetroot and Carrots for Melbourne and interstate markets. The F&G partnership was to continue for over 53 years.
Melbourne Market
Following the dissolution of the F&G partnership in 1985, Luis and his sons Paul and Colin operated a wholesale produce business at the Melbourne Wholesale Market, Footscray.
Bundaberg here we come!
By 1988 Colin and the following year Paul, were operating farming businesses at Bundaberg QLD, producing Sugar cane, Avocado and a variety of seasonal crops including, Capsicum, Eggplant, Zucchini, Watermelon and Pumpkin.
Somerville EST.1992
In 1991 Luis and youngest son Andrew, began to develop a vegetable farm at Somerville on the Mornington Peninsula.
Paul returned from Bundaberg in 1992 and continued to develop the Somerville Farm and the business of L&G Gazzola & Sons P/L.
