Divna Bolanca

I would like to bid a tender farewell from this world to our lovely “teta” Divna. She was the best Croatian “aunty” and “baka” we could have in Sydney when most of our relatives were in Europe. Divna really was one of those larger than life characters we cherish in our memories, and mine in particular is etched with her role in my childhood and upbringing. She was truly generous of spirit. You always knew you would be fed real well with a visit to Jure and Divna’s! Her kitchen had wonderful smells, and terrific noises and lots of chatter. And sometimes I’d be shooed away just with that raising of her eyebrow, which clearly warned it was not time to eat just yet. Sometimes there was a curt “Get lost!” To be honest I didn’t like squid that much as a child, but now when I go to the Croatian coast and seek out “lignje” I feel it was Divna’s Dalmatian cooking influence that gave me that smell and taste for seafood. (My family was from the inland.) And her cakes were always delicious too! Many a time would a Divna kifla or fritula satisfy my insatiable sweet tooth. I remember Saturday nights at the Bolančas in Berala and Auburn where we had Bill Collins on the tellie, and the adults would sit at one table and the kids would sit together at another. Later in the evening you felt you had made it with the grown-ups when you could sit at the big table and listen to the adults chatter in Croatian and laugh at their banter. Divna’s laugh in particular was infectious and she was always quick to share a joke. Later when the Bolanča family moved to west Ryde I had grown up and been elevated to the adult table and was fortunate to practise my Croatian with Divna. Although I had left Australia later in my 20s, when I returned to Sydney for my holidays and I could visit the Bolančas there was always another generation of the family emerging, flocking around their grandmother and great grandmother. What a lovely to sight to see! Rest in peace dear Divna - we will miss you. Pokoj vječni daruj joj Gospodine!

Posted by Mladen Bruning 13/11/2020