Invercargill Archives

Overview Sylvester Hoffman was born in Gore in 1926. Talks about origin of Hoffman name and about his mother's family, the Schultz family and their emigration from Austria to Charlton. Talks about his childhood, his father's work at a foundry, their diet, clothing, Christmases, attitude to alcohol and smoking, discipline and chores. Recalls primary school at St Mary's and high school at St Kevin's in Oamaru. Mentions sport and the strictness of the Christian Brothers who ran the school. Describes...

Overview Bert Horrell was born in Gore in 1917. Describes how his grandfather emigrated to New Zealand in the 1880s. Talks about their farm across the Mataura River and the difficulty of crossing it to get to school. Mentions how his father, as a child, had learned how to cross the river with a horse and dray full of school children. Talks about his father buying a farm at Mandeville. Describes going to Mandeville school, conditions, teachers Alan Prentice and Miss Barclay and sitting Proficiency....