Sonja Dora Hartmann (nee Kšnig)

Story

Born Sonja Dora Kšnig in Weissenfels an der Saale in Sachsen Anhalt Germany, her mother passed away when she was 10 days old leaving herself and an older brother Manfred. Her father remarried his first wife who she then called Mutti. Her father was in the German Democratic Parliament but when the Nazi Regime came to power he was removed, along with his privileges. The family moved several times during this period, each time their accommodation becoming less amenable. After Sonja had finished her apprenticeship as a housekeeper with her half-sister in OsnabrŸck she started work in her brother-in-law\’s photo laboratory. In her own words she recounts ‘The war got worse, bombs every night, the laboratory was hit and we had to clean it up’. In 1942 she received the sad news that her brother had been killed in the ill-fated Russian campaign.

Sonja joined the navy, was sent to Emden for training and worked there as a radar observer until 1944. When the war ended she went to Hanover where her father lived, took lessons in drawing, worked as an artist and sold cards in her cousin\’s art shop.

Sonja recounts ‘In December, 1947 I answered an advertisement in a German newspaper (two friends in Australia wanted to meet German girls). It puzzled me so I wrote to them. In March 1948 I got an answer from Gerhard Hartmann (see separate story) and that was when our two year duel with the pen began. (After accepting Gerhard\’s proposal for marriage) I went to Wettaburg (near Naumburg) to meet Gerhard\’s parents and sister and saw the home where he had lived before he left for Persia’

After reluctantly saying ‘good-bye\’ to family and friends, she set out for Genoa Italy where she would meet the ship, ‘Surriento\’ which would take her on a six week journey to Australia to be married.

Sonja recounts, ‘We sighted the land of our dreams and hopes. I got dressed quickly and went on deckÉ. we could see Fremantle already. The police came on board and looked at our papersÉ.there were many people on the wharf. I had a funny feeling. Will everything be what I expected? Well it will be up to me to do the right thing.’

Arriving in Melbourne, ‘the steward came with a telegram and letter from Gerhard. This made me very happy’. In Sydney ‘reporters came on board and asked me where I was going. I told them I go to my fiancŽ I had never seen, they took a photo of me which was in the Sydney Sun later in the day’.

Arriving in Brisbane, ‘when I saw Gerhard standing on the wharf I thought I had known him a long time. When he came up the gangway he wanted to take me into his arms but so many pushed there was no room. Reporters asked Gerhard a lot but I couldn\’t understand anything.’ The next day, 20th September, 1949, Sonja and Gerhard were married in the Lutheran Church on Wickham Terrace. ‘After the service we went to a cafŽ and had our wedding lunch also a wedding cake and champagne. Six persons were there. It was all very strange to me but nice.’

It was a difficult adjustment for Sonja as she and Gerhard started life together. Her city upbringing was a stark contrast to the Australian bush sawmilling village of Allies Creek, 70 km from the nearest town where kerosene lamps, meat safes and wood burning stoves were the norm. At first the atmosphere in the small community was quite social with a number of immigrants making their home there. They played tennis, went to the ‘pictures\’ in the local hall and swam in the mill dam when there was enough water to do so.

She learnt English via a correspondence broadcast over the radio. As well as keeping a beautifully clean home despite the smoke from the burning sawdust blowing across the village, a daughter, Hazel was born in 1952 and a son Peter in 1956.

Sonja spent her spare time working on an art course, painting in oils and watercolours, attending to maintenance, sewing for her family and keeping all domestic chores up to date. She seemed to be handy at anything and more than willing to try. When the children had to leave home to attend high school in Gayndah over 100km away discontent started to set in.

Sonja began work in 1974 at a local orchard to save enough money to buy an old house on the property of their longtime friends, Joan and Arthur Albrand just north of Mundubbera. They both worked hard, turning the ramshackle fibro building into a comfortable retirement home. When Gerhard suffered a fall leaving him a semi-invalid Sonja continued the work assisted at intervals by others including her son Peter. Before Sonja succumbed to cancer, they spent many happy years doing things together especially the woodburning projects which they sold at the local markets and tourist spots. Sonja passed away on 30th May 1988.

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