 Celestino Foti was one of the few people in
the world who could genuinely be classed a Master Pyrotechnician.
Having spent all his life
making and displaying fireworks, it was his love of fireworks that defined him
the most. Being a pyrotechnician was not just what he did for work,
it was who he was, and what he was.
Celestino was born in Sinopoli, Reggio Calabria, Italy on April 4th, 1913.
He was born into a family for whom the art of fireworks had been a tradition since 1793.
Along with his brothers, this was a tradition he was to continue.
With the advent of World War 2, Celestino was conscripted into the Italian army
where he was sent to North Africa. It was at this time that he was captured and sent to
a prison camp in the small Australian rural town of Cowra where Italian and Japanese
soldiers were imprisoned. He spent much of World War 2 in Australia, returning
to Italy after the War.
Like many post-World War 2 southern Europeans, Celestino looked for an opportunity to
provide his family with a strong future, and saw this opportunity in the country where he
spent the War, Australia.
In 1951, Celestino set out on a voyage of the unknown to establish himself in a new
country. Upon arrival in Australia, he initially found some labouring work to help make
ends meet. However, he soon gained employment at a fireworks factory in Menangle Park,
south-west of Sydney where it immediately became apparent that he had pyrotechnic knowledge and expertise that
was unparalleled in Australia.
Whilst working for Vulcan Fireworks in Menangle Park during the '50's and 60's, he made the
shopgood fireworks enjoyed by generations of Australians at Queens Birthday and Guy Fawkes
celebrations. At this time, Celestino also continued his family's tradition of display
fireworks. The displays he performed were mostly for the local Sydney Italian communities religious
celebrations, as well as for local Agricultural Show Societies.
In 1969, Celestino, with his son Sam, bought Vulcan Fireworks, and thus International
Fireworks was born (the name Foti was added later). From there the company has
grown to where it is today.
Celestino's proudest pyrotechnic moments included winning the Stockholm Water Festival International
Fireworks Competition in 1993 (the first competition the company had ever entered in), his family's
contribution to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and displaying on Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Although Celestino was proud of the international acclaim the company achieved, his proudest
moments also included the small displays the company did for various Italian community events.
Celestino was a proud Australian who was equally as proud of his Italian heritage.
Celestino's legacy to fireworks in Australia is that he was instrumental in setting
the benchmark for the quality of fireworks seen in Australia today. He brought
to Australian audiences fireworks only ever seen before in
Europe. As a result the standard of fireworks displays expected by Australian
audiences is amongst the highest in the world. Apart
from his unique shells, the set piece fireworks he made and developed
were, in the words of various experts, amongst the best in the
world.
Three weeks before his death Celestino broke his hip. He died due to complications
from the subsequent surgery. Until that time, he arrived at work everyday to
do what he loved- making fireworks, which he still did with both pride and passion.
As a pyrotechnician friend wrote upon hearing of his death,
"...Celestino was probably the oldest active, living firework man in the
world". He was buried on 22nd June, 2001. He was 88 year's old.
Celestino Foti
(second from right) with other family members in Italy. Circa 1934
|
Back