The Stefanelli Legacy
You may have heard about the Stefanelli family’s $1 million contribution to the New Junction development. We sat down with Giovanni, the head of the family, to talk about his life, what Midland means to him, and the importance of giving to others.
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.
Maria and Giovanni Stefanelli
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.
City of Swan Council pictured with Giovanni Stefanelli at a Special Council Meeting
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.”