“I’m half Irish, half Italian, mate!” O
n the campaign trail Mr Albanese was keen to stress that he wasn’t the typical candidate for the top job. “We’re a diverse country, and the fact that I have a non-AngloCeltic name... I think it sends a message out there hopefully to multicultural Australia that you can achieve anything in this country,” he told reporters in the run up to the May 21 poll. Before and during the election campaign there was plenty of discussion in the media about the correct way to pronounce his Italian surname. The outgoing government party even built one of their main slogans around it: “It won’t be easy under Albanese”. When asked about how he would like people to pronounce his Italian name Albanese is very relaxed about it and tells people just to call him ‘Albo’. His profound love and respect for this mother Maryanne Therese (née Ellery) who was called Mary amongst family members and the discovery of the Italian side of his life story was fully documented in his 2016 biography ‘Albanese – Telling it Straight’, written by political journo Karen Middleton, and extensively reported by the media. He also claims Irish heritage but exactly what that is is much less obvious. The issue came up during a Triple M radio interview in Perth in March this year when he was asked about it directly. “We’ve got the Leader of the opposition in the studio with us,” the show host said. “Anthony Albanese, we learned earlier half Italian, half Irish*. Mr Albanese, are you more one than the other?”. In his response Albo spoke openly about his Italian links. “I was raised very much here in the sort of Aussie culture, I guess,” Albo said. “My mum was, there was just me and my mum at home, and she was very much an Aussie Catholic, I guess….My family are from Puglia,
6 | THE IRISH SCENE
down in the south. And thank goodness for social media. They’ve done it tough through the pandemic over there but I’ve been able to keep in contact with them. And it’s a great thing, being able Schoolboy to talk to the Anthony. other side of the world. Mind you, they ring sometimes at really inconvenient times. They don’t get the time difference.” That was the full extent of his answer to the question! * This appears to be a reference to another Triple M interview Albanese gave in Brisbane in February 2021. One of the presenters asked him about ScoMo, Hillsong, the Christian vote and if “you [will] be joining him?”. The then opposition leader answered: “Mate, I’m half Irish, half Italian, so guess what religion I am? See if you can work that out. I’ll give you I’ll give you the clue. Rome. It begins with Rome.” While he acknowledged his Irish heritage he did not elaborate on it. Albo describes himself as a ‘cultural Catholic’ and while his faith in the religion may have lapsed the faith of his mum was profound. She died 20 years ago but has been the singular and most important influence on him as an individual. From his maiden speech in parliament to the gruelling campaign trail and in his victory speech on election night it is clear that his values and outlook were defined by her.
