Sad passing this week with a family patriarch of Cardillly Fireworks, Jimmy Cardilly, brought fireworks to w A seventy years ago, passed away sadly, aged eighty six on Monday, and Rob Cardilly from the Cardivi Fireworks joins us. Now, gooday, Rom, I'm sorry sorry to hear of your family passing.
Thanks Simon. Yeah, it's never good and yeah, yeah, it's still a bit bit fresh for us all. You know, it's only been a few days, but we're getting through it. Yeah.
And I know with great interest that jim he passed his name onto one of your kids, didn't you.
I did, Yeah, my son and who's also involved in the business, and he's he was so proud of his grandfather and dad was off him. And Dad's got six grandkids in title and he loved them all dearly, you know. But yeah, it's just it's the way things go, and you know, we'll keep on going.
Yeah, I appreciate you talking to us today.
Rob.
It's been andie's fairly fresh and raw for you. I was reading this morning. I had no idea that the Cardilli name goes back and fireworks and pyrotechnics as she goes back to the eighteen eighties in Italy.
That's correct. Yeah, we're five generations, so great grandfather, grandfather, Dad, myself and my son Jim. Yeah. So you know, in the early days, there wasn't much. The business isn't what it is today. Obviously things have developed and grown over the years. And Dad was very keen, as I remember as a kid, to push the industry here in Western Australia to give fireworks throughout the state. And he wanted to give everyone. You know, I really are really given
that experience and he did it. And I can remember as a kid going all over the place with Dad, and I've got some really fond memories.
Yeah, life will live, hey, And I hope I got this pronunciation right. He's great, His dad, your girl grandfather is a Gauitar. Is that he pronounced it?
That's correct?
Yeah, yeah Gaetano, Yeah, yeah, he was the same, right. He took him around as well.
Yeah. Yeah, Gaetano came out from Italy and he learned his craft over in Italy. Over in Europe there's a lot of religious festivals and stuff, so that's where they sort of you know, sort of learnt their craft down in southern Italy and then he came here, my grandfather and they were working in Osmond Park. They had a market garden and my grandfather would go to the Ostmen Park co op on Main Street and by the chemicals
that he needed to make fireworks. So it's an interesting story, you know because back in the day they made everything and and you know, like my dad had, his life was not all roses because in the early days he was making black powder, you know, as the propellant for fireworks. And he had a big accident when he was making it, and he was three months and in the hospital he had skin grafts to his arms, his arms. Sorry, he pulled through that. He was eighteen at the time and
he kept on going. So, you know, his vision was so strong.
I would imagine when Rob card Dilli says, my granddad had a big accident and he's working wing fireworks. That's a that's a that's a big accident that involves an explosion.
Yeah, well that's my dad. Sorry, but he was My dad was making black powder. Yeah, yeah, at eighteen years of age. So you know, he spoke about that. He didn't really bring it up a lot, but you know it's it's you know, there's a there's a lot of history that goes in behind it all, and and you know, we're just so proud of him.
Yeah, and that's ultimately how he's I did see the post on social media and that came through loud and clear. How proud of him was he just in the phot didn't like a really big bloke, Rob like a little blokes, a little feller.
He wasn't he wasn't too tall. Yeah, he had a great sense of humor. He started out with the Ostend Park Agricultural Society. He went to them and he said, listen, I want to put fireworks on and they told to go away. It was Ron Beaver actually. Then he went back the next year and Ron Beaver said, okay, we'll go in tonight and we'll give you. I think mum and Dad. I think I can ask my mum, but I think it was like a shilling on the gate.
It was something silly, you know, after six o'clock, and Dad did it, and the crowds grew and everything grew, and you know, like Dad went from there and built some really strong relationships and they're like family to us, Like the Royal Aguacultural Society. Dad's been there for seventy years. You know. Wanna roue Osbond part show, the Claremont Speedway with the Migros, the it just goes on and on kelm Scott Show, Cannington Show. It's just endless. All the
Crown Wester Strating Troding Association. Dad brought in the first five weeks for New Year's Even Perfect at Gloucester Park with Rob Bovale, you know, and it grew to be so big that they had to close the gates when I was in my teenage years because the crowds were so massive, you know, and everyone would go to the trots on Newyear's Eve, you know, it was so big and sorry, no, you're right.
I was going to say, when when Gaetano was involved with fireworks in Italy, I'd imagine they'd been very different to it. Because a lot of your stuff now is electronic timing and sequencing, a digital type work, which you know, for ignition sequencing purposes. I'd imagine it'll be very, very different in the eighteen eighties in Italy it.
Was and even as a kid growing up, we all we still Dad fired to fireworks manually with what we called a portfio, which was like a it's like a long cigarette with a flame at the end. So and that's and that's what Dad knew. And it's only the last twenty odd years, I suppose, or you know, or twenty five years that we've gone this other way with computers. And obviously it's it's just changed the industry one hundred percent,
you know, so what you can do now. But you know, Dad always was old school as well, and and fireworks for a funny industry, you need that bit of old school with you all the time. And you need the and you need the new, and you need and you mix it with the technology and you just create, just create, wondering the sky, you know. And that's and that's what he did. And even until last week, my dad would
we were talking. He was in Charlie Gardner's and we'd still talk a little bit of shop a little bit, you know. We'd ask me about certain things and I tell him I'm going to a meeting and he and he wasn't well, but he was always you know, asking me what's going on and how we're going, And in his blood, it's just it's in his blood. It's just incredible. You know. I know we've all got dads and we all love them dearly, and parents and siblings and it's but it just really hits his home, you know.
Yeah, of course, Hey, thanks for chatting this us today and again, sorry for your loss and it's and I have I have heard you talk about the family connection, but I didn't realize it was so it was so long running and the tradition started back in the home country, Rob, So take care, give give James Jimmy a cuddle for us, and look after yourself. Thanks for chating to us today.
Thanks, Simon, appreciate it. Thank you very much,