Hatto Duffner - Wollongong Building Designer
Gunther Herman Heinrich Hatto Duffner was born in Karlsruhe, Germany early in 1902. He preferred to be known as Hatto. His family moved around south-western Germany and at some stage Hatto undertook engineering studies. He arrived at Sydney on the Osterley on 2 January 1929. In 1932 married Dorothy Winfred Enright. In 1930, Hatto had an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald that sought to explain the rise of Hitler and the failure of the Weimar Republic. The article was very considered and warned about the rise of Hitler and fascism. However, it did not unequivocally condemn and that was later held against him.
Dorothy and Hatto moved to Wollongong. Hatto established himself designing houses and commercial buildings. The local newspaper reported approvals by the Central Illawarra Shire Council for Hatto to build cottages on behalf of clients at Port Kembla and elsewhere in the Shire. During World War 2, he was arrested and interned as an enemy alien.
He returned to Wollongong at the end of the war and became a naturalised Australian citizen. Hatto continued designing and overseeing the construction of homes for a range of clients. He designed a suite of 33 homes as part of an Illawarra Daily Mercury campaign to provide inexpensive house plans and specifications. Hatto is reputed to have been associated with the building of over 3,000 houses locally.
Hatto had other interests including car racing. He entered the 1954 Reddex car trial which circumnavigated Australia anti-clockwise. The race attracted a field of 246 starters only 120 reached the finish line. Unfortunately, Hatto and his team were forced to withdraw.
Hatto returned to building design, motor sports and involvement in community issues. He died in 1965 and Dorothy died in 1983.
| Hatto Duffner biography | IHS Bulletin article 2026 |
| Housing Wollongong 1950s | IHS Bulletin article 2026 |