The Life of Lou
- Oct 28, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Nov 2, 2025
In 1954, at the age of 16, Luigi Rulla left his life in Italy and set sail for Australia. Having completed a certificate in carpentry from the college of Verona, Lou was headed to a new country that held the promise of a better life. His Zio had written to him, promising a country full of work and money. So, the plan was made, Lou would come over for 3 years and send any money he made back home.
The boat ride over was a test of strength and determination. Lou spent the 40-day-long trip in bed, seasick. As did the other 2,000 migrants on that cattle boat. 40 days later and a lot skinnier, Lou Rulla arrived in Melbourne, Australia. He already had family here, his Zio and Nonna. And the work he was promised came at a German company that built caravans and boats.
But after working at the company for a few years, there was still something missing: a girl. He had met her a few times back home in Italy, so he decided to write her a letter, asking her to marry him and come to Australia. In 1958, Edda Caon boarded a much nicer boat than a cattle ship and headed for Australia. With the reassurance that if Lou wasn’t as bello as she remembered, she could go back to Italy.
Luckily, Lou had been preparing for her arrival and had built them, entirely himself, a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom home in Fern Tree Gully. It must have been some house, as in 1959, Edda Caon became Edda Rulla. And not only did Lou love her, but he loved her cooking. Working as a kitchen hand in Italy, Edda had a natural gift when it came to creating delicious food.
After honeymooning in Adelaide and Edda falling in love with the ‘continental city,’ they packed up and moved. Edda had some family in Adelaide, so Lou and Edda’s brother Jim went into business together. Lou worked as a carpenter, but soon work started to slow and he decided to go out on his own. He had saved enough money to put down a deposit on a block of land in Tea Tree Gully. Again, he built a house and sold it for a decent profit. He then brought another two blocks, built two more houses and made twice the amount. Within his first year as a self-established builder, Lou Rulla had built 107 homes from scratch. In these years, he also welcomed his son Silvano and two daughters, Anna and Sandra.
Lou and Edda in 1962
Lou and Edda in 2024
As the kids grew and started looking for work, Silvano wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and find a carpenter apprenticeship. Instead, he found a mechanic one and would come home covered in grease, which drove Edda mad. So, naturally it was up to Lou to fix it.
One of his buildings had become vacant, and he established a building store. Selling doors, frames, furniture and tiles. Ceramic World Homes Improvements Centre was created, and it was all “Silvano’s fault”. But when the building industry became quiet, they needed to make a change. Focusing more on renovations and bathrooms, Ceramic World Homes Improvements transformed into Ceramic World, now Australia’s largest stockist of quality Italian tiles.
Luigi Rulla started his journey as a seasick, 16-year-old and is now retired and has since travelled the world on much nicer boats and found a love for golf. But his main pride comes from his family. His still beautiful wife, 3 grown-up kids and 4 grandchildren. The Rulla’s, if you will.
Comments