His Wife Paints

A Brett Hilder Profile

Bruno Plants While

BRUNO FREDERICK KROENING was born at Kieta, Bougainville, on July 27, 1914, only days before World War I started.

SINCE then several flags have flown over the island, and we wonder what the next one will be.

Bruno’s father was Dr. Bruno Karl Kroening, of the German Administra

tion, who arrived in the Territory about 1911. He was first stationed at Namatanai, New Ireland, under the famous Bulominski, and later set up a fine hospital at Kieta.

He relieved Captain Dellinger as District Officer about 1913. Bruno’s mother was Frances Highly, born in the Mortlocks, her father being English and his mother a Samoan member of “Queen Emma’s” group.

Emma gave the young couple her rights in the Mortlocks as a dowry, and they later bought Toboroi plan tation near Kieta.

Mrs. Highly remarried and became Mrs. Calder, and was well known in that part of the world until her accidental death in the Mortlocks about 1929.

When Australia occupied Bougain ville, Dr. Kroening, as a German official, was sent to Germany with his family. During the war years two daughters arrived to keep Bruno company, Irmgard, later Mrs. Jimmy Joyes, of Bougainville, and Beatrix (or “Muschi”) who is Mrs. James Tandy, of Sydney.

At the end of the war the Toboroi plantation was not expropriated be-

cause it belonged to Mrs. Calder as British subject.

The Kroenings’ fourth child, He mut, was born in Sydney in 192 While the parents and two younge children went to Bougainville, Irmgai and Bruno remained in Sydney ; school.

Bruno went to “Shore” in di course. He left school at 17 and afh six months at the Hawkesbury Agr cultural College went on to Bougab ville to join his father on the plant: tion.

In 1934 he moved up the coast 1 Raua, working under Fred Urban : the Rugenhaven Coffee estate, ar spent four very interesting years ther His next job was at Bulolo, wor] ing for BCD, and he was there whe the Japanese arrived on the coast.

Bruno had tried to enlist in tl NGVR, but failed medically. He le Bulolo with a group of civilian mostly miners, under John Murph for the long trek overland to tl South via Bulldog and so on to Yu Island and Moresby. They sailed f( Sydney in one of the last voyages ( the Macdhui.

In Sydney Bruno tried to enlist i the AIF and the American force but was rejected as an enemy aliei He worked in Sydney at a variety ( jobs until he could get back to Ne Guinea.

Then he took a job with Mic Leahy in Morobe Transport Con pany. After leave in Sydney he r turned to the Territory in the Malau in 1951, meeting and later marryir Miss Olive Rossiter at Madang.

Bruno was keen to get back t plantation life, so they went 1 Kayieng where he got a job wit Fred Patten on a plantation c Squally Island, owned by W. R. Ca penter. He has since bought tl property and is paying it off.

Apart from a few spells at Toborc Bruno and his wife recently cam South for their first leave since the were married. This included a vis to the Games at Perth.

Olive was born in Australia, bi spent most of her girlhood in Enj land. Four years ago she took u painting, at first in watercolours, an later in oils, and with her determin; tion and natural ability she hu achieved marvellous results.

Last year she had a portrait of Pai Mason accepted for the Archibal competition in Sydney, and a lan* scape of Kieta for the Wynne com petition This year her Archibald entry is portrait of Kevan Gosper, and whe it is exhibited a lot of people, as we as Bruno, are going to be very prouj of her.—BRETT HILDER.