Giovanni Gallo was just 24 years old when he left his family farm in southern Italy and sailed for 52 days to an unknown country (Australia) in search of a better life. Giovanni landed in Cairns in 1927. Once on the Atherton Tablelands, he worked the land picking corn with a horse and cart.

After years working the land, in 1937 Giovanni purchased his very own farm 64ha (160 acres) on the Barron River, Atherton - Malanda Road. The farm had an existing dairy, so the family continued with that alongside growing peanuts and vegetables. Giovanni would deliver the vegetables to grocery shops all along the coast from Innisfail to Cairns once a week that would supply the cane cutters.