Frances Minervini

Fatti fatti tuoi – mind your own business.

Ahead of her time, Frances was a strong presence in the Italian–Australian community, remembered for her ‘cast-iron exterior with a heart of gold’.

Born on 28 October 1932 to migrant parents from Capo d’Orlando, Sicily, Frances was one of six children. Growing up in Fremantle when Italians were few, she faced many challenges. During the Second World War, two of her brothers were interned near Harvey, while the rest of her family endured 18 months of confinement in Rockingham. At just 11, Frances also lost her father, yet through these hardships the family held together with remarkable strength.

She attended South Terrace Primary School and later Princess May High School. Exceptionally bright, she never lost her love of words and puzzles, often keeping a crossword or numbers game close at hand.

Frances went on to achieve many milestones. After leaving school, she worked in a Fremantle accounting firm, where she played a vital role assisting postwar migrants with their Immigration Department paperwork. She flourished in her role and earned the respect of all who worked with her.

Frances was known for her bold, adventurous spirit – challenging social expectations with motorcycle rides and her fearless approach to life. 
Credit: Minervini family

Frances met her future husband, John, while they were both living in Arundel Street, Fremantle. John was smitten with Frances early on and although at first she resisted his advances, his persistence – and friendship with her brothers – eventually won her over. Their first date was a Friday night dance. The couple married at St Patrick’s Basilica in 1954 and raised four children – Angela, Suzanne, Ralph and John – in Arundel Street. In 1968, they moved to Marine Terrace and later to Attadale.

Frances and John on their wedding day, 1954. 
Credit: Minervini family

For more than 40 years, John served as president of the Blessing of the Fleet committee – a remarkable achievement. Frances was his trusted partner throughout, supporting him in countless ways. She drafted and edited many of his speeches, and through the Ladies Committee helped run fundraisers such as dinner dances, quiz nights and raffles.

To raise funds, Frances and her close friend Connie Travia instigated the Queen (Reginetta) of the Fishing Fleet Festival Ball. The first events took place at Perth’s fashionable Pagoda Ballroom and became known as the Blessing of the Fleet ‘ball night picnics’. Guests brought picnic baskets brimming with homemade Italian dishes and sat on tables beneath the ballroom’s grand chandelier. The event became wildly popular, drawing more than 400 guests each year.

Frances retired from the Blessing of the Fleet Festival committee in 2010, after decades of tireless fundraising. She brought the same energy and commitment to many other projects, most notably the founding of the Italian Village Fremantle aged care facility in 1993.

The idea arose when John’s mother entered residential care and struggled in a mainstream setting where few spoke Italian. Frances recognised the need for a place where older Italians could speak their language, enjoy familiar meals and feel at home. The Italian Village began as a 40-bed hostel, with five houses each containing a communal kitchen, lounge and single rooms with ensuites. From these beginnings it has grown to support 100 residents, including a 20-bed dementia care wing.

Frances also served as president of the Esme Fletcher Day Care Centre committee, dedicating many years to raising funds for the centre, which opened in 1967.

Family was at the heart of everything she did. They travelled widely throughout Western Australia and around the world, often joined by friends who shared their adventures. Frances was fluent in Italian and English and even learned Japanese to support John in his work with clients.

Frances laying the first symbolic brick of the Italian Club Fremantle, officially inaugurated on 13 October 1974 by Fremantle mayor, William ‘Bill’ McKenzie. 
Credit: Minervini family

Frances at one of the many fundraising balls she supported over the decades, helping ensure their success. 
Credit: Minervini family

The Minervini household was always bustling with guests, home-cooked food and lively conversation. Frances welcomed everyone – from close friends to off-duty police – for meals and drinks. Monthly afternoon teas with her friends became a cherished tradition, full of recipe-sharing and laughter.

Life was a whirlwind for Frances, who balanced family, community work and countless other roles. She was a driver, tuckshop helper, seamstress and dancer, always ready to lend a hand. Nieces, nephews and godchildren never left her home empty-handed.

Affectionately known as the ‘Rock of Gibraltar’, Frances carried the title with quiet pride. She dedicated her life to family and community, driven by an unwavering desire to care for others. Her legacy endures in the love and respect of her children and grandchildren, and in the gratitude of a community that remembers her as a woman who stopped at nothing to ensure the best for those in need.

Credit: Minervini family