Bronwyn Simes is manager of Olveston historic home, and its collections, which were gifted to the City of Dunedin by Miss Dorothy Theomin following her death in 1966.
What was the best birthday present you ever received, and why?
Mum put a lot of effort into birthday and Christmas presents and every year we got a book of our choice. I kept my books for years and re-read them until they fell apart.
What smell do you find irresistible?
Coffee.
If you were going to an island and could take only three things, what would they be and why?
I'd need a subscription to a magazine like the Listener or New Yorker, pencil and pad for sketching and fishing gear so I could learn to fish.
What's something only your family knows about you?
As kids, we all got huge amounts of sunburn and after a day outside got put in a warm bath to take out the heat. No-one knew about sun block or staying in the shade. My skin is paying for that exposure now.
You are a new addition to the crayon box. What colour are you, and why?
Dark blue. A good colour that is well placed on the spectrum, not in the shadow and not in the spotlight.
