Larrikin pioneer remembered
Jack Romano was known for his wicked sense of humour and love of practical jokes. The former motel owner died at Atherton last month and Our Lives pays tribute.
JACK Romano was known for his wicked sense of humour and love of practical jokes.
Jack died at Atherton last month after living in Far North Queensland his entire life and what he would have considered “a bloody good innings of 89”. He was preceded by wife Gwen, who died in 2014 aged 82.
Married nearly 65 years, Jack and Gwen made friends easily, but were also known for their hard work and business acumen.
Although he was one of six siblings, three died of the Spanish flu in Italy after WWI. Jack was the only one born in Australia, his parents migrating here in 1922 in search of a better life.
While the name Romano may suggest a devout Roman Catholic, Jack was mistakenly christened into the Church of England.
As a young man, he had a reputation as a scallywag and comedian, but also a generous and loyal friend.
He was also someone you could have a laugh with and people would go out of their way to meet him.
As a Freemason, he was a philanthropist and tirelessly helped others in need. Making wooden toys for children was just one of his passions.
Jack’s father bought an Innisfail sawmill in the 1920s, where Jack began his working life and which he later took over. It was here that he lost a thumb in an accident – his remaining thumb becoming his signature greeting and the prop for many jokes.
He and Gwen built a motel at Mission Beach, Motel Moonglow, now known internationally as Castaways Resort. In those days, the motel would stand idle during the wet season, but Jack never did. He developed a shop and the first restaurant and bar at Mission Beach.
In the mornings, he and Gwen would deliver breakfast trays to guests. In the evenings, Jack would share tales at the bar. His late night shindigs became folklore.
Travelling sales reps couldn’t wait to stop at Mission Beach to share a beer with Jack, but he was equally at home with film stars, prime ministers, media barons, artists and other notables.
When The Age of Consent, starring Helen Mirren and James Mason, was filmed on Dunk Island in 1968, Jack collected eight of the cast and crew in his tinnie, including the stars, and brought them back to the Moonglow for a meal cooked by Gwen.
He became great friends with the late Prime Minister Harold Holt, who regularly visited his hideaway at Garners Beach.
The pair went fishing and diving with another mutual friend, artist and conservationist John Busst.
After 12 years at the Moonglow, the family shifted to Cairns, where Jack worked for a gas company.
Later, they bought the Hinterland Motel at Atherton, retired to Tolga and returned to Atherton for their twilight years, keeping busy and making even more friends.
Known as “Uncle Jack” to many young people, he and Gwen were godparents to several children and had two of their own, Peter (Perth) and Marita (Tolga). They also had three grandchildren and six great grandchildren.
As in life, Jack and Gwen were inseparable, with instructions that their ashes be mixed and buried together.