Overview Peter tells his family history, the birth of his twin and himself prematurely, and his siblings. He talks of the effects on Otautau and his upbringing of the outbreak of World War 2. His family was more self-sufficient on the farm having eggs, homemade butter and wiener pigs to sell. He attended secondary school in Invercargill returning home to the farm. He gives a description of running their dairy and sheep farm and hay making. He took over the farm in 1961 and when it became too small he...

Overview This interview is a topic based interview about the 1984 flood and was recorded following the 25th anniversary of the flood. In this interview Peter gives a brief overview of his family and his occupation before going on to detail the events around the 1984 flood and its impacts on Otautau and surrounding areas. He covers the flood and the eventual clean up and the lengthy process that this was.

Overview Photograph to accompany Peter Ayson's interview for the Southland Oral History Project. Taken on his retirement from Environment Southland.