Hawker resident Frank De Marco came to Canberra from his native Italy in 1955 with his mother, elder brother and 2 sisters, to join their father Antonio, who had migrated 2 years earlier to become a gardener at The Lodge.
Frank was among almost 300 fellow long-time Canberrans who received their Chief Minister's Gold Awards on Canberra Day, recognising their unique contribution to our city.
Frank also proudly collected an award on behalf of his now 94-year old mother Concetta who lives in an aged care residential facility in Page and who Frank visits daily.
Frank's father tragically died from cancer within 2 years of the family's arrival, and Concetta raised her children, now numbering 5 following the birth of another son, on her own refusing offers from St Vincent de Paul, saying that there were others more needy than her family.
Concetta grew her own vegetables, and Frank and his older brother Dominic took part-time jobs after school and on weekends to help make ends meet.
In 1966 Frank and Dominic opened their first supermarket in Lyons and, 10 years later, established another supermarket in the then new suburb of Charnwood. Whilst they no longer own that supermarket, having sold it to Woolworths in 2004, they are still active in a number of business ventures whilst their brother Tony owns the Jamison Centre which is currently being extensively refurbished .
"I have never lived anywhere in Australia other than Canberra," Frank reflected. "And I love it as much now as I always have."
"Frank and the other members of the De Marco family have made a lasting contribution to Canberra," Mary Porter said. "They, and many other migrants like them, have helped make this the vibrant, prosperous place that it is."
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