For 35 years, the City has held a special connection with Sister City Vasto, in the Province of Chieti in southern Abruzzo, Italy, honouring a relationship built on migration and cultural links.
To celebrate the milestone, the City received a delegation from Vasto this week, led by Vasto Mayor Mr Francesco Menna.
Mayor Menna and delegates joined our Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas, Deputy Lord Mayor Bruce Reynolds, Councillors Catherine Lezer, Clyde Bevan and Raj Doshi, and our CEO Michelle Reynolds in a Courtesy Call at Council House today, with a Civic Reception scheduled for this evening.
A commemorative tree planting will also take place at Lake Vasto in Ozone Park in East Perth as part of the visit.
Officially established on 18 December 1989, the Perth-Vasto Sister City ties were initiated by Silvio Petroro, a former migrant who arrived in Perth in 1952.
Today, the ties see the Cities exchange ideas and knowledge about City service provision; generate economic exchanges through the Italian Chamber of Commerce and the presence of many Italian companies and luxury brands in Perth; grow educational ties such as John XXIII College’s Vastese Italian language exchange program; and honour generations of cultural connections.
The 2021 Census noted 137,254 people of Italian ancestry reside in WA, and in 2022 Italy was WA’s 9th largest market for international visitors, contributing $32 million to the State’s economy.
It is also estimated that WA’s Vastese population represents one of the largest number of migrants from a single European town, with thousands of second and third generation Vastese currently living in Perth.
Lake Vasto was officially named in honour of our Sister City ties in 2004.
Coinciding with the visit, Perth has also been named by the Italian Government as the Capital of Italian Creativity in the World 2025, following a submission by the Italian Consulate in Perth. This honour will see Italian heritage, influence, creativity and historical links in Western Australia celebrated during the year.
For more details on the City’s Sister City relationships see: https://perth.wa.gov.au/building-and-planning/future-perth/think-perth/international-engagement
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