FEATURE - Sheila’s Story

Known by many hinterland locals for her incredible curries at Shali’s Cafe in Montville (now closed), most of us are unaware of the incredible life story of Susheila ‘Sheila’ Ramanand. It’s truly worthy of a book and a film. This is part two of an account of Sheila’s life, based on interviews with Sheila and her daughter Shali, July – October, 2025.

by Cate Patterson

Now, in January 1973, John Carnevale was bringing his Indian wife home to the farm in Montville. A telegram to the neighbour, Graham Butt, ensured they were met at the airport and driven to the farm. 

Sheila’s first impressions of Montville and the farm were favourable, even though the little farmhouse was rundown, she would be happy to make her new life here. 

Over time she met the neighbours – Graham’s wife Heather, a teacher at the school, Barbara and Philip Stevens (builder) right next door, and Vince and Betty Sinclair, dairy farmers just across the road, but there was little time to develop friendships as Sheila was needed to work the farm right from the beginning.

John would tell Sheila what work needed to be done each day and she was the sole labourer; although for a time, John could drive the tractor around as she weeded, mulched and fertilised the trees and harvested the nuts.

However, one person Sheila did become friends with was Lorna Power. John had known the couple from his time in Mt Isa, and took Sheila with him to visit at their brick home along Balmoral Road. Lorna became a second Mum to Sheila. 

Sheila’s mother arrived from India on September 16, 1974, and John drove Sumitra and Sheila to visit Lorna a few days later. After a pleasant visit, they arrived home, and getting out of the car Sheila’s waters broke, so John was sent into the house to fetch the little suitcase Sheila had packed for the hospital and they made their way directly to the Nambour Hospital.

Sheila remembers the maternity ward was busy, and when she arrived in the early evening around 6.30pm old Mrs Polley from further along Western Road was the midwife. She asked Sheila, “Can you hang on for a bit?” 

But there was no holding back the baby, and little six-pound Shalini Carnevale was born around 7.30 that Thursday night. Mrs Polley told John, “Sorry, you don’t have a tractor driver.”

When John went around to tell Lorna that Sheila had a baby girl, Lorna was shocked, because she, like all the other neighbours, had no idea that Sheila was even pregnant. Sheila had seen no doctor and had told no one of her pregnancy. It just never came up in conversation. 

On returning home from hospital with her tiny daughter, it was the usual routine of work for Sheila. At this time John was getting about using two walking sticks. She was grateful for her mother’s company, and Sumitra stayed for six months. Sheila was caring as much for John now as she was for Shalini – along with doing all the work on the farm.

John modified the trailer, creating a little wooden playpen that Sheila padded and covered with a mosquito net, filling it with rugs and toys for Shalini.

Sheila made a cake for Shalini’s first birthday, and set it up on the table. In an offhand remark her father said to Shali, “If you want some, get up and get it.”

So, she did! It was Shali’s first steps and a fitting first to mark the occasion of her first birthday.

Despite the long hours managing the farm and caring for Shali and John, Sheila gained her citizenship in 1978. 

With John’s deteriorating health, Sheila knew she couldn’t continue to manage 23 acres on her own. So, in 1979 Sheila and John sold the farmhouse block to Tony and Shirley Carmichael and their four children, and built a long driveway to their new modular house site further back from the road. They lived here for the next 27 years.

Sheila’s farm routine was to get up around 5am in the morning and jump on the ranger tractor, mow around the trees and do other jobs before returning to the house to make breakfast at about 7am and have Shali ready to be picked up for school. Back out on the farm, Sheila had 300 macadamia trees to manage, so there was always a rotation of mowing, weeding, spraying, harvesting, drying nuts and then boxing them ready for market. In addition to the macadamia trees, there were avocados, custard apples, guava, pear, apple and coffee trees in the ‘fruit salad’ corner of the farm.

It was about this time that John met a fellow called Kingsley (King) Hancock, a plant operator in Nambour who needed help reconditioning, and repairing diesel engines for machinery and equipment, especially water pumps. He brought the first engine to John, who was unable to work with the small pieces of the engine, and it was not long before Sheila, and later Shali, dismantled, cleaned, degreased and reassembled, first one, and then many other engines. No wonder her friends thought she was remarkable!

In 1987 Shali started at Maleny High School, and Sheila had an operation for a bowel obstruction at Nambour where it was discovered that she had non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. There were trips to Brisbane, the ordeal of a spinal tap, and then treatment using oral therapy.

There were side effects, but Sheila pushed through it all and continued working on the farm. John was unsupportive and showed little compassion at this difficult time; his attitude was “Just get on with it.”

And Sheila did! Shali did all she could to help her Mum and with her support Sheila was declared free of the disease. 

Shali began working at the old Montville Village General Store when she was 14. She loved that it was a one-stop shop with a grocery, newsagency, takeaway and fuel bowsers as well. The year Shali completed her Year 12 she met Matt Carroll and a friendship developed. For a time, Matt worked as a baker and chief pastry chef at the Montville Patisserie and Bakery.