Adele Forlani

When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

Adele in Perth in the 1960s. 
Credit: Adele Forlani

Raised in the hill town of Casoli after the war, Adele grew up with little but dreamed of more. While her father Luigi travelled as a cattle trader, her mother Rosa urged her to keep studying. That encouragement gave Adele the confidence to picture a life beyond the one expected of her. As Adele grew older, so did her wish for a life beyond Casoli.

At age 13, Adele was fascinated by vehicles. This photo was taken on a family day trip near Casoli, a hill town in central Italy. 
Credit: Adele Forlani

Teenage Adele on the outskirts of Casoli, Province of Chieti, Region of Abruzzo, Italy.
Credit: Adele Forlani

Adele, in her early twenties, joins the Feast of the Madonna in Pianibbe, a hamlet of Casoli, May 1960. Later that year, she left Italy for Australia.
Credit: Adele Forlani

Adele with her mother Rosa during a return visit to Pianibbie. Rosa always encouraged Adele to follow her dreams.
Credit: Adele Forlani

After becoming engaged to Angelo, she persuaded him to migrate to Perth ahead of her. A year later, she boarded the Roma alone, relishing the freedom of shipboard life – her first drink in a bar, learning to swim, making lifelong friends. Stepping onto Fremantle wharf on 8 December 1960, she told herself: ‘This is now my life, and I have to accept it and make a success of it.’

Adele on the deck of the Roma with her new companions – the women she shared a cabin with during the voyage. 
Credit: Adele Forlani

Aboard the Roma, Adele stepped into a licensed bar for the first time. Enjoying a drink with new friends, she felt an exhilarating sense of freedom. 
Credit: Adele Forlani

Passengers crowd the deck of the Roma as it docks in Fremantle, 8 December 1960. This was the day Adele’s new life began!
Credit: Adele Forlani

In Perth, Adele quickly found work and was amazed by the opportunities around her. She and Angelo married at St Brigid’s in Northbridge, moving into a bare asbestos house in Tuart Hill to begin life together. Determined to make it a home, Adele furbished it piece by piece and soon welcomed three children – John, Robert and Lorena.

Adele and Angelo at Fremantle Port, welcoming friends from Italy just a month after their own arrival.
Credit: Adele Forlani

Adele and Angelo on their wedding day at St Brigid’s Church, Northbridge, 1961 – celebrating with family and friends. 
Credit: Adele Forlani

Portrait of Adele with her children, taken before her first visit back to Italy to reunite with family.
Credit: Adele Forlani

In 1978, the family moved to Port Hedland, where Adele’s energy and ambition thrived. While Angelo worked as a BHP foreman, she built businesses in hospitality and retail. Her cooking became legendary – people travelled miles for her food, and the friendships formed around her table still endure.  

Adele’s cafe in the Port Hedland Shopping Centre – with air-conditioning that gave welcome relief from the relentless heat.
Credit: Adele Forlani

Adele honed her craft in her Port Hedland kitchen, preparing a steady stream of much-loved meals.
Credit: Adele Forlani

After 17 years in the north, the family returned to Perth in 1992 and settled in Noranda. Three years later, Angelo passed away suddenly. Although grief-stricken, Adele found the strength to carry on. With her daughter Lorena, she ran a thriving supermarket for 12 years, once again turning hardship into success.

Through it all, cooking remained her passion and her way of caring for others. To this day, Adele rises early to light her woodfired oven, filling the air with the smells of pizza, pasta, bread, cakes and biscuits – always ready for family, friends and visitors. For Adele, food is love, nurture and connection, the heart of a life built on courage, joy and pride in her family.  

Baking crostoli with grandson Louis in the outdoor kitchen – ready for a family celebration. 
Credit: Adele Forlani