He’S Seen Service
p. 89 · Read in the full issue
A Brett
Milder
Profile
He’S Seen Service
In 38 Ships
Captain H. A. Gyllenberg (pictured), of the MV Rona, which was recently in the news in Fiji, was born in Finland in 1917 of Swedish and English parents.
At the height of the Russian Revolution, his English mother took him to England and from there to New Zealand, where he was educated and matriculated.
Young “Gyllie” went to sea in the tradition of his mother’s family who were without excep tion seafarers.
His first ship was RMS Aorangi in which he had his first introduction to Fiji waters. Since then he has served in 38 vessels all over the world.
He served in the three-masted barques Winterhude and Killoran from South Australia, round Cape Horn to Falmouth for orders, Glasgow, and return to Australia by way of Cape of Good Hope.
He saw service in the ill-fated but courageous Jervis Bay, Komata and Hauraki.
He served in vessels trading to Spain during the Civil War and to North Africa during the evacu ation of Greece and Crete.
He served for 10 years as an officer with the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand, Ltd.
In 1949 he made his home in Sydney and was for several years first officer of SS Carlisle. In 1952 he joined the Colonial Sugar Refining Company Ltd., and in 1957 was promoted to temporary command of the SS Fiona and later to temporary and permanent command of SS Tambua and MV Rona.
Captain Gyllenberg is married and lives at Turramurra, New South Wales.
Hobbies? He has played Rugby Union and tennis and has been a member of a gliding club; he has studied drawing, painting, sculpture and etching. But nowa days he settles for a bit of brick laying and gardening.
The MV Rona is on a regular service from Sydney to Suva, Lautoka, Ellington and Labasa.
She carries general cargo from Sydney and brings back molasses.
This ship has modern, self contained accommodation for eight saloon passengers. Her voyages take 18 days from Sydney back
to Sydney.-