special contributors

Stefanelli Family

The City of Swan was delighted to accept a $1 million contribution from the Stefanelli family towards a new children’s playground in the New Junction precinct.

The Habitat Playspace is part of stage two works for the development and is scheduled to commence construction in 2021. The playground will reflect elements of the classic Australian backyard - a place to tell stories, catch up with friends and play.

The concept is based on the habitats of 11 insects unique to Western Australia. It is designed to inspire play, discovery, curiosity and delight.

It includes a chrysalis slide tower, wetland play area, snout-nosed katydid climbing cubby, habitat cubbies, parent’s bench and toddler’s corral. Joseph Stefanelli, Director of Stefanelli Nominees Pty Ltd said the Habitat Playspace will provide a safe and inclusive space for children to grow and play.

“The Stefanelli family has had a strong connection to Midland and its people. We value this opportunity to give back to the community so the next generation of children and families are encouraged to work together, play together and create a bright future for all who choose to call Midland their home.” — Joseph Stefanelli

City of Swan Mayor David Lucas said he is grateful to the Stefanelli family for their generosity and support for the project, which is testament to the business community’s confidence in the City’s growth and development.

“The Stefanellis have been associated with the business and local community of Midland since December 1950 when the founding director, Giovanni Stefanelli, arrived from southern Italy to settle in the Swan Valley. They have helped the Midland Community grow into a vibrant and diverse place to live, work and play. Now they are cementing their place in our future.” — Mayor Lucas

Giovanni Stefanelli OAM, known to the locals as John, was born in Acquaviva, Italy in 1925. He describes a simple life. From a town of 2,500 people, his days were spent at school or in the fields. His family grew broad beans, sweetcorn and wheat. They also kept cows and a donkey to help work the land.

John came to Australia looking for opportunity. It was 1950 and he was 25 years and 12 days old. He spent his first night in Midland, sleeping on the ground and looking up at the stars.

His is a story of hard work and persistence. John’s first big break came when he applied for a job at Bell Brothers transport. The workshop manager, Reg Boorne (senior), asked John what he could do, and John replied “hard work.” Reg asked him to pick a shovel and took him to the nearby Lilac Hill loam pit where a gang of workers was shovelling loam into a Bell’s vehicle.

Each day he rode his pushbike to Guildford for the 11pm-6am shift. He was soon promoted to the boss of the yard. After three years at Bell Brothers, and following the arrival of his two brothers Tony and Pasquale, they scraped  just enough money together to purchase the sawmill on Great Northern Highway.

In 1954, John married Maria by proxy. Maria, also from Acquaviva, took the journey to Australia aboard the Surriento. The day of her arrival, large bouquet in tow, John managed to evade customs officers so that he could be the first to meet Maria at Fremantle wharf. With a smile lighting his face, John tells of sharing their first kiss. Together they raised five children - two twin boys and three girls.

The Stefanelli family have prospered in Midland. They ventured into and built new businesses, including crayfishing, concrete product manufacturing, farming, tyre re-treading and property development. They are part of the fabric of our City, having established the Swan Italian Club and our local paper, The Echo.

John is passionate about giving back to the community, having served 28 local organisations in his lifetime, including the boards of Swan TAFE, La Salle College and the Swan and Perth Chambers of Commerce. He has also served the Swan Rotary club for over 20 years.

John shares his recipe for success, “always stay calm, try to understand others,” he said. “Don’t make decisions when you’re upset. Sleep on it.”

John says that Midland is a fantastic place to live, “no matter which direction you come from, Midland is in the middle.”

The Stefanelli family recently invested $1 million into the New Junction development in the heart of Midland. Their contribution goes towards a children’s playground, a fitting outcome given John’s outlook on life. “It’s important to give young people a helping hand in life. Be open and share what you’ve got. You can’t take it with you.”

Steve De Mol

Steve is the man behind the eight-storey mixed use retail, commercial and residential development  on The Avenue in the New Junction precinct. This is an important project, and is the first of three blocks Steve has purchased in the precinct.

The first building, Catalyst, has recently been completed, and is a mix of one, two and three bedroom rental apartments.

Steve has recently applied for Development Approval to commence his second building, which is adjacent to Catalyst.

Steve has lived in the City of Swan for 48 years. This is the place where he got his start and made his name.

Steve recalls Midland as a very different place - reliant on workshops, the abattoirs, sale yards and business from the wheatbelt. La Salle College, where he was educated, had only 200 students (where now there are 1,400). Steve made his own opportunities, and his first job was packing groceries at Centrepoint. He completed an apprenticeship as a vehicle bodybuilder in Bellevue and went on to pack bricks for Midland Brick. Since starting his own business 34 years ago, he’s employed thousands of people.

Steve references the changes he’s seen over time, from the excitement of the Rollerdrome through to the opening of Midland Gate, Swan Active (formerly known as Swan Park Leisure Centre) and the advent of seven day shopping. He describes a town that celebrates its industrial and military history, and is now meeting its increasing population with the services needed to sustain it over the long term.

When asked about the secret to his success, he laughs. He says hard work is most of the equation, the rest is good timing and seizing opportunities. “In the City of Swan, there are so many opportunities for business,” he said. “Midland truly is the junction between the north and the east.”

Steve leans in when he talks about his investment in New Junction. He is an astute businessman and he describes his investment as a no brainer. “New Junction is going to help Midland reach its potential and make our CBD a hub for community activity,” he said.

But it’s not all about the money. Steve says his heart, soul and family are all in Midland. Of his seven children, three have businesses in Midland and five still live in the City. Part of being involved in the development of New Junction is about his legacy to his family and giving back to the community that has given so much to him. With a wry smile he says, “there’s no point being the wealthiest person in the cemetery.”