Rampollini’s Piggery – Burra Rocks

At the bottom of the wall of the Burra Rocks Dam, a large galvanised two-inch pipe protrudes. It is known that Benny Rampolini, an ex woodliner, had a piggery here in the 1970’s and he had about six pigs. The pipe was to provide water for the piggery. A stone wall had been constructed that enclosed a large boiling drum; it was still in place to prevent animals from being trapped. Wheat was boiled in the drum for pig feed and had a capacity of about 400 litres.

Near the site of the current CALM display in the main visitors’ parking area at Burra Rocks, there are wrecks of machinery that include a harvester, ploughs and two trucks. These belonged to Rampolini and were bought to be used to seed, grow and harvest grain on the cleared area near the rocks. One of the trucks was used by Rampolini when he worked as a contractor on the Lakewood Woodline.

Rampollini’s Machinery – Image SLWA

Rampolini’s house was located between the piggery and the rusting machinery. He initially had a flock of sheep on the cleared area, but lost them all as the area was not fenced. Although he bought all this machinery, he never got around to growing his own grain and brought it in from Coolgardie instead. He supplemented his income by working at the nearby Nepean Mine. It is not known what happened to Benny.

Burra Rocks Nature Reserve is 55 km south of Coolgardie. Granite Rock is surrounded by regrowth woodland. The dam and the catchment wall supplied water to steam-driven engines, bringing timber to the region on a narrow gauge railway during the late 1920s.

Burra Rocks Dam – Image SLWA

POSTSCRIPT:  Since originally posting this story, I have found some additional information on Benny Rampallini from the Book ‘Lakewood Woodline 1937-1964’ by Phil Bianchi. Benny lived at Burra Rocks from the mid 1960s with his wife Norma and his children Ron, Valerie, Brenda and Marlene. He was originally from a town called Melo in Italy and came to Australia with his two brothers in search of a better life. This is a photograph of Benny playing his accordion.

Benny Rampallini

The following information has been supplied by:- John Angelini:  I am related to Benny through my grandmother, Paola Rampellini, who was one of the 6 Rampellini’s (Paola, Abbondio, Cesare, Benny, Alfredo & Maria) who came to WA. They came from the village of Mello in the Province of Sondrio on the Swiss border. Three of them lived in Somerville. My great-grandparents never saw their children again, except for one son, Cesare, who was deported in 1934.  Benny’s brother Alfredo also played the accordion, and they often played at the Albion Hotel in Boulder as well as at weddings. After Benny retired, he lived in Busselton. He passed away at age 88, and his wife Norma and children Ronnie and Brenda have also passed away.

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Moya Sharp

Owner at Outback Family History

My name is Moya Sharp, I live in Kalgoorlie Western Australia and have worked most of my adult life in the history/museum industry. I have been passionate about history for as long as I can remember and in particular the history of my adopted home the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Through my website I am committed to providing as many records and photographs free to any one who is interested in the family and local history of the region.

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