Mareeba almost like pair’s homecoming

RENATO Avolio travelled halfway around the world to meet the love of his life – only to find she was born in the same Italian village as him.

Renato arrived in Australia in 1960, while Anna Pompea De Rose arrived five years later in 1965. They met soon after she arrived.

“They migrated to Mareeba as they both had siblings here in Mareeba,” says daughter Patty Poutanen.

“They met in Mareeba even though they both came from the same village back in Italy – Fagnano Castello in Calabria.”

Arriving in Mareeba was almost like a homecoming for Renato and Anna, who found themselves surrounded by many others from their village and in a town of similar size.

When it came to their wedding at Saint Thomas’s Catholic Church in Mareeba on June 12, 1966, they were among friends and family who shared their connection to Fagnano Castello.

The move from Italy to Australia brought new opportunities for the young couple, says Patty.

“They came for a better life. Back home, they did domestic duties and other jobs. They came out to Australia for the opportunities,” she says.

“Since they’ve been married, they have worked hard and sacrificed a lot to support their children, initially as tobacco farmers.

“They then diversified into mangoes, lychees and avocadoes and to this day they still work and will never retire,” Patty says.

“Dad is 76 and mum is 69 and dad says nobody ever died of working.

“They have four children – Laura, myself, Angela and Marcello.

“They also have 10 grandchildren who give them great love and joy – Domenico, Gianni and Sebastian Poutanen; Georgia and Jordan Tunnie; Christian Humphrey, Daniel Gibbs, Stephen Gibbs; and Sienna and Liam Avolio.”

The family celebrated the 50th anniversary recently with a special dinner at the Pullman Reef Hotel Casino.

“We treated it like a wedding pretty much. They had proper invitations. I got a cake made and on the cake we had the bride and groom from the original cake,” Patty says.