Tim Hammond (Perth, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate a wonderful Australian story that is a vital part of my home community in the federal electorate of Perth. It is the story of Charlie and Rose Tricoli. Charlie was born in 1939 and in 1956 immigrated from Italy to Australia at 17 years of age, not speaking a single word of English. In 1967, he married his wife Rose and started work in a wonderful grocery store at the time called Rosie's. With a lot of hard work, blood, sweat and tears, the empire grew at a rate of knots and, by 1980, Charlie and Rose relocated to larger premises on the same site, on the corner of Walter Road and Brown Avenue in Morley, in the federal electorate of Perth, and renamed the store Charlies.

By that time, Charlies had grown to 400 square metres in size. But, again through continuous hard work and serving the community, it did not take long before Charlies grew to the empire it is today and relocated to larger premises, occupying 1,600 square metres. Charlies is now called Charlies Fresh Food Market, and people come from far and wide to purchase the quality Italian produce and to enjoy the friendly service that it offers. For all those who come to the federal electorate of Perth, I urge you to get to Charlies and have a Charlies special continental roll and an espresso. It is an absolutely wonderful family business, and it keeps the heart of my local community beating stronger than ever.