Abstract of Colin Alexander GRAY, 2020
Item — Box: 23
Identifier: H00490002
Overview
COLIN ALEXANDER GRAY
Interviewer: Nancy Burnett
Abstractor: Robyn L Powley
Date: 1 March 2011
TRACK 1
00:00 Interview introduction
00:53 COLIN ALEXANDER GRAY – Born 19 April 1934
01:12 Interview agreement
01:47 Father FRANCIS JOSEPH GRAY – Draper – Born in LAWRENCE, OTAGO
02:02 Mother MONA ELIZABETH McLAY - Born in MATAURA, SOUTHLAND, COLIN born in LAWRENCE in 1934
02:24 Schooling – primary and secondary in LAWRENCE, District High School, then two years at boarding school in DUNEDIN, JOHN McGLASHAN COLLEGE
02:49 Occupation on leaving school – LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENT, Drafting Cadet 1952 – Land Information NZ and the Department of Conservation the equivalent nowadays
03:24 Two years training as a DRAFTS person – then applied for SURVEY CADETSHIP – details
05:23 Appointed STAFF SURVEYOR, INVERCARGILL - marginal lands 50s/60s – describes
06:05 OHAI No 6 Morley Mine – describes
06:53 Applied for position at ICC – various jobs – TOWN PLANNING OFFICER – describes
09:26 CIVIL DEFENCE – trained for flooding problems – describes
11:27 A MAJOR FLOOD was expected in and around INVERCARGILL and especially WAIKIWI AREA – AIRPORT – BORSTAL FARM AREA – vulnerable areas – describes
13:46 3.15 am – Phone Call – Information Officer in Headquarters – describes his job
TRACK 2
00:17 Called into headquarters – 18 inches of water flowing down JOSEPH STREET – much flooding in various streets on way into headquarters – describes
02:48 EVE POOLE, MAYOR, declared a CIVIL EMERGENCY – word-of-mouth reports of flooding – Describes
04:29 People evacuated from GLADSTONE TERRACE 5.00 am to 6.00 am – Describes
05:33 OTEPUNI CREEK – flooding – limited access to CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT – Describes
05:59 Rural Area information –ORETI RIVER, WAIHOPAI RIVER, EVE POOLE declares STATE OF EMERGENCY – Describes
07:28 11.00 am received news WAIHOPI RIVER STOP BANK likely to breach – PETER CRUICKSHANK’S property – KENNINGTON SAW MILL – timber floated down the WAIHOPI – flooding described
09:12 Combined overflow of the stop banks – TOMPSONS BUSH, PRESTONVILLE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREA – NORTH ROAD – RAILWAY LINE – LOWER GRASMERE – Describes
11:41 WAIKIWI STREAM flooded – Describes
12:30 Prepare Situation Reports – BILL EARLY – JIM BRASS - Information report to the PRIME MINISTER A promise of $1 million – Describes
14:00 CIVIL DEFENCE people from WELLINGTON – Headquarters visited – MR HYATT, Minister of Civil Defense – NORMAN JONES – Describes
TRACK 3
00:16 Mentions that at this stage many people had been at headquarters for 24 hours and were becoming extremely tired so COLIN GRAY asked the visitors from Wellington to ‘please leave’ and they did.
00:44 Learnt a lot - BACK-UP TEAMS – WELFARE CENTERS – WARDEN CENTERS – Explains
03:06 Danger of damage caused by the flood at BAY ROAD/NORTH ROAD INTERSECTION, GRASMERE – Explains
04:20 Flooding in residential areas – Moves from RECOVERY to WELFARE – MRS STODDART, MRS EARLEY – well organized – BILL OBERS SNR and JNR – Mentions/Describes
05:56 No sleep for two days or nights – NO BACK-UP TEAM – viewed the extensive Flood Damage by HELICOPTER – Describes
08:14 Was relieved in HEADQUARTERS – went home – then to GRASMERE to help friends – furniture and bedding at curbsides – dumped - SALVATION ARMY, VOLUNTEERS, PEP WORKERS –Describes
10:08 Many frustrated residents - WELFARE CENTRE – PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – GRASMERE- pets rescued – Describes
11:16 Recalls – FERRY ROAD – JET BOAT – last bottle of whiskey!
12:25 Recovery Period – ROSTER SYSTEMS AT HEADQUARTERS – Welfare period – MR BAINS – Disaster Recovery Co-Ordinator – MRS STODDART – Traumatic problems – Describes
13:55 Recalls - Written Reports – many discussions – United Council – Protection System for Invercargill – NEIL MCMILLAN
TRACK 4
00:02 GARY GOODMAN, ALAN BALLINGER – Engineers – Storm Water Upgrade – Realigning Stop-banks – Retention Dams – Details
01:30 Recalls – NEIGHBOURS, GARAGE SUMP, PONDING IN BACK OF SECTIONS – OVERLOADING OF STORM WATER SYSTEMS
04:02 Recalls - No loss of life – running of Headquarters worked well – Adequate Civil Defense training.
Interviewer: Nancy Burnett
Abstractor: Robyn L Powley
Date: 1 March 2011
TRACK 1
00:00 Interview introduction
00:53 COLIN ALEXANDER GRAY – Born 19 April 1934
01:12 Interview agreement
01:47 Father FRANCIS JOSEPH GRAY – Draper – Born in LAWRENCE, OTAGO
02:02 Mother MONA ELIZABETH McLAY - Born in MATAURA, SOUTHLAND, COLIN born in LAWRENCE in 1934
02:24 Schooling – primary and secondary in LAWRENCE, District High School, then two years at boarding school in DUNEDIN, JOHN McGLASHAN COLLEGE
02:49 Occupation on leaving school – LANDS AND SURVEY DEPARTMENT, Drafting Cadet 1952 – Land Information NZ and the Department of Conservation the equivalent nowadays
03:24 Two years training as a DRAFTS person – then applied for SURVEY CADETSHIP – details
05:23 Appointed STAFF SURVEYOR, INVERCARGILL - marginal lands 50s/60s – describes
06:05 OHAI No 6 Morley Mine – describes
06:53 Applied for position at ICC – various jobs – TOWN PLANNING OFFICER – describes
09:26 CIVIL DEFENCE – trained for flooding problems – describes
11:27 A MAJOR FLOOD was expected in and around INVERCARGILL and especially WAIKIWI AREA – AIRPORT – BORSTAL FARM AREA – vulnerable areas – describes
13:46 3.15 am – Phone Call – Information Officer in Headquarters – describes his job
TRACK 2
00:17 Called into headquarters – 18 inches of water flowing down JOSEPH STREET – much flooding in various streets on way into headquarters – describes
02:48 EVE POOLE, MAYOR, declared a CIVIL EMERGENCY – word-of-mouth reports of flooding – Describes
04:29 People evacuated from GLADSTONE TERRACE 5.00 am to 6.00 am – Describes
05:33 OTEPUNI CREEK – flooding – limited access to CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT – Describes
05:59 Rural Area information –ORETI RIVER, WAIHOPAI RIVER, EVE POOLE declares STATE OF EMERGENCY – Describes
07:28 11.00 am received news WAIHOPI RIVER STOP BANK likely to breach – PETER CRUICKSHANK’S property – KENNINGTON SAW MILL – timber floated down the WAIHOPI – flooding described
09:12 Combined overflow of the stop banks – TOMPSONS BUSH, PRESTONVILLE LIGHT INDUSTRIAL AREA – NORTH ROAD – RAILWAY LINE – LOWER GRASMERE – Describes
11:41 WAIKIWI STREAM flooded – Describes
12:30 Prepare Situation Reports – BILL EARLY – JIM BRASS - Information report to the PRIME MINISTER A promise of $1 million – Describes
14:00 CIVIL DEFENCE people from WELLINGTON – Headquarters visited – MR HYATT, Minister of Civil Defense – NORMAN JONES – Describes
TRACK 3
00:16 Mentions that at this stage many people had been at headquarters for 24 hours and were becoming extremely tired so COLIN GRAY asked the visitors from Wellington to ‘please leave’ and they did.
00:44 Learnt a lot - BACK-UP TEAMS – WELFARE CENTERS – WARDEN CENTERS – Explains
03:06 Danger of damage caused by the flood at BAY ROAD/NORTH ROAD INTERSECTION, GRASMERE – Explains
04:20 Flooding in residential areas – Moves from RECOVERY to WELFARE – MRS STODDART, MRS EARLEY – well organized – BILL OBERS SNR and JNR – Mentions/Describes
05:56 No sleep for two days or nights – NO BACK-UP TEAM – viewed the extensive Flood Damage by HELICOPTER – Describes
08:14 Was relieved in HEADQUARTERS – went home – then to GRASMERE to help friends – furniture and bedding at curbsides – dumped - SALVATION ARMY, VOLUNTEERS, PEP WORKERS –Describes
10:08 Many frustrated residents - WELFARE CENTRE – PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH – GRASMERE- pets rescued – Describes
11:16 Recalls – FERRY ROAD – JET BOAT – last bottle of whiskey!
12:25 Recovery Period – ROSTER SYSTEMS AT HEADQUARTERS – Welfare period – MR BAINS – Disaster Recovery Co-Ordinator – MRS STODDART – Traumatic problems – Describes
13:55 Recalls - Written Reports – many discussions – United Council – Protection System for Invercargill – NEIL MCMILLAN
TRACK 4
00:02 GARY GOODMAN, ALAN BALLINGER – Engineers – Storm Water Upgrade – Realigning Stop-banks – Retention Dams – Details
01:30 Recalls – NEIGHBOURS, GARAGE SUMP, PONDING IN BACK OF SECTIONS – OVERLOADING OF STORM WATER SYSTEMS
04:02 Recalls - No loss of life – running of Headquarters worked well – Adequate Civil Defense training.
Dates
- 2020
Conditions Governing Access
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Burnett, Nancy (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
