Martino Bruno first came to Australia as a prisoner of war in January 1944, after being captured at Tobruk. He worked on a sheep farm for two years, before being repatriated to Italy. Martino kept in touch with his former boss, who sponsored his return to Australia in 1951. He worked on the farm where he had been a prisoner for another two years, then left and turned his hand to any work that was available to support his wife and family. “I’ve done every type of job,” he says.
Martino has been gardening for as long as he can remember – somewhere around 75 years he thinks. He is 83 years old now and after 5 hip replacement operations he finds it difficult to use tools like shovels and forks, but he still manages to dig planting holes and seed drills using a hoe. When Don visited Martino and asked him what he grows, Martino showed him his impressive vegie garden and replied, “Everything”. As well as vegetables he grows around 70 fruit trees, including peach, plum, nectarine, apple, pear, apricot, fig and chestnut. He has also produced an excellent, beetroot-red peach variety which Don thinks might even be worth patenting by applying for Plant Breeder’s Rights. Martino says that when it comes to growing fruit and vegetables “Water and sun are the keys”.
The kitchen used to be the domain of Martino’s late wife Anna Maria, but after her death he had to learn to cook. He recently came across her preserving recipes and set to work preserving all this season’s fruit, and he also makes his own wine. Any excess produce is distributed to family, friends and the local hospital. Over the years Martino has been a regular exhibitor at the Geelong show. He has won many awards for his fruit and vegetables, including the coveted ‘Best Overall Exhibitor Prize’. He was also very proud to be named ‘Citizen of the Year’ by his local shire council, which is an amazing achievement when you consider that he started life in Australia as an “enemy” of the nation.
