Best airline, hub for Melbourne to Rome?

Wow! My husband came home tonight with the possibility of a mid December flight to Rome for the whole family (2A2K). I’m keen (obviously!) but want to make good choices for making the most of it. We adults should both be Silver QFF by then (he is already).

Plenty of good options but i'd probably go via Asia! Cathay are a good option - you can fly their nice new A359 out of MEL. They'll also recognise your QF status and so earn you points. QR is probably the other main oneworld option - A388 out of MEL and, I believe, B789 from DOH to FCO.

I would look at Qatar or Cathay to keep your travels within he Oneworld Alliance.

Via the Middle East is my preferred option. Both Emirates and Qatar are great options service-wise and will earn you Qantas points. You will earn status credits by default on Qatar flights, but not on Emirates. If you book an Emirates flight with a QF flight number though you will earn status.

Both airlines fly to all the destinations you mentioned too.

Singapore, Cathay, China Southern are all decent options depending on budget/how attached you are to loyalty programs/flight timing..

Look at flying into Oslo (OSL) or Stockholm (ARN). They're two of the cheapest airports to fly to or fro Asia/Australia from Europe. Not sure how much time you have allotted as it wouldn't be the most direct route but I've saved a lot of money flying to Australia via Oslo.

I am sure there is a QF flight number on an EK flight so that is worth checking as well for SCs. But Cathay maybe the first choice.

Cathay on way back from FCO will require a stay over in Hong Kong due to flight timing, at least that was true 6 months ago. That’s not a bad thing necessarily, just something to factor in.

If you are keen on QF status, fly EK from MEL to DXB and then FCO.

If you want to earn points, (revenue ticket), then maybe MEL - SIN with QF in premY and then maybe AY (FinnAir) from SIN - HEL to get a taste of the various OW services, and then something from HEL - FCO.
Flying QF as a QFF will earn the most QFF points and QFF SC.
Flying OW airline (apart from QF) as a QFF, you will earn less of both QFF points and QFF SC.

I second the Finnair recommendation Helsinki is an excellent option and Finnair is generally good value for money. The draw back I find is the layover in Singapore or Hong Kong can be a bit long.

Without being flippant - what's the issue with EK ?

I am actually flying from Rome to Helsinki then onwards to Asia with Finnair in 2 weeks. Give Finnair a go! Great service and Helsinki is a nice hub to go through - less chaotic than the major European airports!

SQ/LH. Fly to FRA or MUC, connect to Rome. Then after finishing work, fly back to Germany and take a stopover there, taking advantage of probably the best connected hubs in Europe to get anywhere you want to go.

You can also go via Bangkok, A350 operates to both Melbourne and Rome so there's plenty of options!

If wanting to fly TG (Thai), join KF (Krisflyer) to earn KF miles, which can then be transferred to VFF.
Personally, now with the end of the VFF and Air NZ program, I have joined KF, can be done online.
Life of miles is 3 years, but if you put your future travel needs to VFF for any possible flights to KF, this should build up the balance to 5,000 KF miles, which can then be transferred to VFF points.
SQ in Y, earnings are low, but points can be earned with various hotel groups to build up the points tally, (Agoda/SingaporeAir) as well.
Nothing wrong with EK, I like the in flight bar! Just they no longer fly a lot of the city pairs I used to use to NZ, those were good QF earning flights, especially in discJ.