Arena marriage a cultural union
LIKE so many children of Italian immigrants who settled in Mareeba, Grace (nee Bianco) and Alex Arena’s lives were already entwined well before they tied the knot 40 years ago.
Their families were wellknown to each other and for a time they both had tobacco farms in Bilwon, on the outskirts of Mareeba.
In 1971, the families became even further attached when Alex’s oldest sister, Rosaria, wed Grace’s uncle, Pasquale.
While Alex and Grace weren’t strangers, it still came as a surprise when Alex announced to his family he was off to see Mr and Mrs Bianco to ask for Grace’s hand in marriage.
Ten months later, on May 24, 1980, the couple were married at Mareeba’s Saint Thomas of Villanova Church, with a reception for 500 people held at the Shire Hall.
Interestingly, Alex’s sisters Rosaria and Elizabeth were tasked to make the wedding dress, which proved a hit as Grace went on to win the prestigious local Bride of the Year competition.
As well as raising family, the couple have also worked together for more than 30 years as managers of Casali’s Mareeba, growing the establishment from a small lawnmower and chainsaw business to today supplying tractors and farm machinery, including being one of country’s leading distributors for Kubota Australia.
The couple, who continue to live on the Arena family farm at Bilwon, have two children – Marie (married to John Villella) and Gemma (married to Jason Cocuzza), and five grandchildren – Milan, 7, Dayba, 5, Lara, 4, Zayde, 3, and Preston, 2.
As they were not able to have a large traditional gathering to commemorate their 40th wedding anniversary due to the coronavirus restrictions, Grace and Alex celebrated with a quiet dinner at home.