FOWLER Carl James

Interviewer: Jenny Campbell

Abstracter: Jean Hawkes

TRACK 1

00:00 Interviewer identification.

00:31 Born in TAURANGA, moved to ROTORUA where he grew up.

01:15 Parents – second marriage. CARL oldest of second marriage. Father's first wife died, possibly at childbirth. Fifteen children of first marriage. Seven children of second marriage. Father – HENRY FOWLER. Mother – MARY born in OAMARU died aged 56. [BDM check suggests these may be HENRY HERBERT JAMES FOWLER and ALICE MARY DONNELLY] Father believed to be past his 80s when he died (no one really knew his age)

04:27 Second family – two boys and five girls. CARL born in 1915.

06:24 Gave mother's name as MARY DUDLEY [This may be incorrect]. Family of seven children and two adults lived in small house (2 bedrooms, sitting room and kitchen) in ROTORUA – Described. 07:35 Cooking done on coal range. Candles and kerosene lighting. Bathing and laundry work – Described.

08:50 Father came from ENGLAND, dairy farmed at TARANAKI – Described. His brother came to NEW ZEALAND, sent to HAMNER SPRINGS – Explained. Property in ROTORUA – Described. Father also worked on roads. Children helped hand-milking cows. Cream collected for dairy factory.

13:36 Good garden. During slump lived on rabbits and rice. Conditions on farm – Described. Pig hunting and deer stalking – Mentioned.

15:00 End of Track 1

TRACK 2.

00:04 Schooling – rode horse about 10 kilometres. Rough treatment – Described. Went to work as soon as possible, did not enjoy school.

01:56 Moved closer to ROTORUA onto uncle's farm. Reason for move – Explained. 03:03 CARL too young to get the dole.

03:29 When old enough sisters worked in hotels and boarding houses. Brother worked on farms, left school when 12 or 14. CARL two years older than brother, left aged 15 or 16.

04:39 Effects on future life – Mentioned.

05:37 Left school to work on a farm at TE KAUWHATA – Described. Paid plus 'keep' – Explained. Lived in single men's quarters. Jobs – Described. Farm owners – Described. 08:51 Returned to ROTORUA. Worked in Forestry at WAITAP [WAIOTAPU]. Conditions – Described. AUCKLAND – Mentioned. Forestry work – Explained. Smoking and cigarettes – Described. About 30 miles from ROTORUA.

End of Track 2.

TRACK 3

00:01 Forestry Camp entertainment – played Two-Up, cards. Did own washing by hand. Five-day working week for nine shillings [90 cents] per day. CARL never gambled. Actions of others – Described. Not much fighting. Alcohol a problem for some. WAITAP HOTEL – Mentioned. Forest now in Maori hands. Pinus Radiata. Age of trees when they were pruned. Road bulldozed through forest unit. Transport from camp to job – Described. 04:59 Injury or illness – first aid kit available, transport to hospital if needed. Model A pick-up trucks. CARL working in forest when first sawmill put in. WAIPA sawmill in ROTORUA – Mentioned. Changes to WAITAP mill – Explained. Employment of mill staff – Explained.

07:49 Start of WW2. Call-up of men. CARROLL from GORE – Mentioned. No accidents in the sawmill.

08:50 Skills learned in the mill – Described. Not a lot of turn over of staff. Lots of Maori people in the area.

09:54 Mill contract, TAUPO, native bush. Maori workers under contract. Lot of timber sent to AUCKLAND. Use of rail transport. 10:49 Manpower lifted, CARL moved south to DART [RIVER] culling deer for skins. Manpower – Explained.

12:02 Camp about 30 miles from ROTORUA. Women, hotels, boarding houses, weekends, dance halls, movies at ROTORUA. Dances – Explained. Biggest dance hall in ROTORUA now a store.

13:54 Spent a season shearing at HAWKES BAY. TE KAUWHATA shearing – Mentioned. 15:00 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:02 Shearers' pay and conditions – Mentioned. HAWKES BAY – Mentioned. Machine shearing. Shed conditions – Explained. Contract shearing.

02:29 Returned to Forestry for a while. War finished.

03:10 Brother-in-law lived at GLENORCHY, PARADISE. CARL stayed with him while culling deer. No value in deer meat. Prices for deer skins. State of deer skins when sent away – Described. 05:05 Deer populations in forests – Described. Camped under rocks. Brother-in-law good shot (had been a butcher), CARL did most of skinning. 07:35 Brother-in-law sold butcher business.

07:50 Possums present in forest but not caught. Habitat of deer – Explained. Horses to carry skins out. Skins to DUNEDIN.

09:22 Mill at SHOTOVER, QUEENSTOWN. Not paid. Pine timber from the area.

10:42 Moved to LUMSDEN to BILL HEENAN'S at FIVE RIVERS. Cutting trees out from MOSSBURN at YOUNG'S.

11:46 Mill at TAPANUI. CARL started on his own as BARROW BOX LTD. Timber used for fruit boxes. ROXBURGH, ALEXANDRA – Mentioned. Preparation of timber for boxes – Described. Not allowed to truck timber – Explained. Had house beside the mill. Some staff travelled from LUMSDEN and MOSSBURN. Manager travelled from INVERCARGILL.

14:19 Married in NORTH ISLAND. Met at a dance. Wife worked in motel. IRENE BUCKHAM.

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:01 BUCKHAM'S CORDIALS – Mentioned. IRENE from QUEENSTOWN. Married in ROTORUA in Registrar's Office. 01:21 After marriage went to mill outside ROTORUA until moving south. IRENE'S sister was at PARADISE. LLOYD VEINT (Irene's brother-in-law) artist. 02:26 When milling at CASTLE ROCK, IRENE ran the cook house. IRENE worked in the mill with CARL when he started out. WEST COAST, BILL HEENAN at ORETI GARDENS, LUMSDEN, BARROW BOX – Mentioned.

04:37 Timber needed for houses, wool sheds, yards. Contract for MANAPOURI Power House and huts. FLETCHERS, DEEP COVE – Mentioned.

05:20 Transportable mill from SWEDEN. Borrowed money to buy mill. BARROW of BARROW BOX, ORETI GARDENS – Mentioned.

06:43 Groceries bought in LUMSDEN. Business shared between two shops. 07:40 Moved to LUMSDEN. Difficult for CARL to buy land for mill. Built on PASTURE STREET. TOMLIN, THOMSON – Mentioned. State of land (bull paddock) – Described. Growth of business – Described. 10:11 Mill at PASTURE STREET, post place at FLORA ROAD. TE ANAU – Mentioned. Business sold about 1993, theoretically retired when about 70years old. 12:00 IRENE became 'Office Girl' (manager). 12:54 Brought 3 huts in from HEENAN'S at ORETI, lived in them. SANDY MUIR built house. 'Hay Day' of MANAPOURI, LUMSDEN, FLETCHERS – Mentioned. 14:38 CARL built two houses for his workers on GARDEN STREET, LUMSDEN ARMSTRONG – Mentioned.

15:00 End of Track 5

TRACK 6

00:05 Also 'Single Men's Corner' on PASTURE STREET, LUMSDEN. TAKEAWAY BAR – mentioned. Buying of various properties including Station Master's House – Described. 01:29 Staff movement and abilities – Described. Pay rates – Mentioned. Very low accident rate. Saw sharpening technique – Described. 03:22 Other saw milling skills – knew good timber, treating posts.

03:59 Before retirement built bigger house in GARDEN STREET, LUMSDEN. Manager lived in house where CARL had lived. 04:17 Since retirement – 10 years on farm with POTTS'S, they thought he got too old to driver tractor. Work – Described. 05:02 Built flats about 12 years ago. CARL & IRENE FOWLER FLATS – Described. 05:41 Special things in CARL'S life – helping people, mainly old people. Gifts of firewood – Mentioned.

06:41 Reason for staying in LUMSDEN – Explained. Not many visits from CARL'S family (in North Island) Special Events, Friendships – Mentioned.

08:25 End of Track 6