The Viewpoint: What makes an Italian Australian?

First held in 1986, the Festa was established by the Capuchin Priests at St Fiacres Church, inspired by the religious festivals of Italy. Four decades later, it is one of Australia’s largest annual street festivals, attracting more than 180,000 visitors each year to celebrate Italian culture, food, family and community.

Norton Street has long been at the heart of Sydney’s ‘Little Italy’. For generations of Italian migrants, Leichhardt was one of the first places they called home, helping to shape a community and cultural legacy that continues today.

In this episode of The ViewPoint, filmed at an earlier Norton Street Italian Festa, Daniel Nour speaks with festivalgoers about culture, family, food, language and belonging, and how Italian-Australian identity continues to evolve across generations.