Centenarian Rosa Tominich has marked a rare milestone at Carinity Wishart Gardens, where residents and visiting family gathered to honour her remarkable journey from Italy to the heart of the local community.
A Life Spanning Continents and Change
Born in Frosinone, Italy, Rosa grew up as the only daughter in a family of four children. She spent her childhood helping her mother mend clothes, walking long distances for bread during wartime shortages and swimming with her brothers whenever they could find a free moment.
She later married Stelio Tominich in Trieste before the couple migrated to Australia by boat. After arriving in 1954, they spent two years at the Bonegilla immigration camp in Victoria before moving to Sydney, where they built a new life through persistent work and community ties.
Building a New Life in Australia
Rosa became an Australian citizen in 1960 and worked across industries that reflected the growing nation’s needs, from producing garments in a Bond’s factory to assembling glasses components and tending a tobacco farm in Tenterfield. Her family described her as someone who was always in motion, committed to caring for those around her. Her granddaughter said Rosa’s life showed how duty shaped her days and how she made sure her family felt supported wherever they lived.
A New Chapter in Wishart
After her husband’s passing and later the loss of her youngest son, she lived in several parts of Queensland before settling at Carinity Wishart Gardens. Staff and family say she continues to bring warmth into the aged care community, especially when watching animal videos that never fail to make her smile.
Rosa is also remembered for quietly bringing home a kitten hidden under her shirt when she was 80, a moment that her relatives still enjoy retelling. Her family travelled from across Australia, including the Gold Coast, Gladstone, Bundaberg and Canberra, to celebrate her milestone at the Wishrt home.
With six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Rosa is regarded as the heart of her growing family. They describe her as a source of strength who encourages them with her favourite saying, reminding them that every day brings another chance to keep going.
Published 17-Nov-2025
