Abstract of David LEWIS, 2023
Item — Box: 33
Identifier: H02460002
Abstract
David Lewis
Recorded: 20 May 2016
Interviewer: Janice Templeton
Abstracters: Courtney Ellison/Judith Christie (from Track 2)
TRACK ONE
00:00 Shifted from AUCKLAND in 1975, wife from Southland, joined Crothalls (sp??) (contractors for cleaning staff) in 1976 as a PORTER at the RIVERTON HOSPITAL. Lists names of many colleagues at the time.
02:35 RALPH MAXWELL was House Manager, carried out the administration, stationed at Kew, visited Lorne and Riverton. MIRIAM LAKE was the secretary on site.
04:10 Started as an ORDERLY. In 1977 GARDENER retired and David took over this role, until 1998. DAHLIA DISPLAY.
06:00 Gardening duties, 10 acres. Discusses AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH showing extent of land. VEGETABLE GROWING, PIGS held in styes.
08:30 Cottage across road from hospital, acquired by hospital and known as fireman’s cottage, available for people working on boilers.
09:30 Sheep grazing, people who worked in boilers often came from dairy factories as they closed down. Use of the BOILERS for heating the hospital, engineering involved. Parts of building dated to 1880s.
12:24 Further description of the land that had to be managed. More grounds staff in the past.
13:18 Problems with lawn mowing equipment. Only one ride on mower for the whole board area, and was towed around the various hospitals and aged care places.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00:00 Continuation of description of single mower for the board area
01:20 In-house garage, and butcher shop at Kew supplying meat for patients. Story of mower going in to garage but never repaired. Eventually got a ride on mower at Riverton.
(Judith Christie abstractor)
04:25 Describes HEDGE CUTTING, hedges were enormous. Were done by handheld motorized machines. Board employed a casual worker to do the hedges – took a fortnight to cut and remove cuttings to the tip. KEN TELFER employed to do the work.
07.00 Self picked up Bedford tipping truck from Kew Hospital to load up with clippings. Describes.
07.50 Location of holly hedges described. Escalonias were cut twice a year. Macracarpa and Holly were cut once a year. Between these tasks, lawns cut etc.
09.30 Other support staff at Riverton Hospital included HENRY WICK, who took over as Porter, boiler staff including WALLACE BICKLEY, CLARRIE HAWKINS, DONALD (ALIAS SPUD) WILLS, JIMMIE ROBIE, KEN STEPHENS, JACK BAIRD, COLIN PIERCY, BRIAN STEWART, EARL JENKINS, RON HART, JOE FRISKEN and GARTH BRAYLEY. Four required to staff the boilers at any one time.
11.44 Self describes incidents when a particular boiler man would fall asleep while on duty. Self would have to poke him with a brolly.
14.20 Self worked Monday to Friday. Kitchen would feed boiler men with scones.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.12 DON WILLS – collapsed and died in the middle of the night on shift.
01.10 In 1976 GEOFF BAIRD, a boiler man who had worked at the Dairy Factory, and who was aged over 60, drove over the Fairfax Bridge and DROWNED in the river. Self believed he was tired after his shift. WALLIE BICKLEY was called in to cover Geoff’s shift. Self first saw it in the newspaper. Describes
04.50 More description of DON WILLS’ death.
06.00 BOB ARCHWELL had a job as a nurse aide, initially assisted with hedge cutting. Describes an incident when cutting the 12 foot wide hedges. Local children had made a hole in the hedge for a den, and Bob fell through the hedge from the top.
10.15 Male nurse aides deemed prudent because of awkward elderly male patients. Nurse aides included KEN WILSON, LOU MARES, STAN ANDERSON, BOB ATWELL.
11.05 In the early decade when HENRY WICK was porter 1977-87), JIMMY CUMMINGS was a patient at Riverton Hospital and had a birthday so was allowed home for three days. Had a turn there so ambulance required Not available, so private vehicle used. Describes
End of Track Three
TRACK FOUR
00.00 No surgery carried out while self was there, but there was an OUTPATIENT FIRST AIDE POST. Doctor’s accommodation on the grounds (in Dr Harris’s day) so doctor available.
02.00 Self on staff when HOSPITAL GOT SOLD. 1990s difficult time for staff because of PRIVATISATION. Describes
03.30 ELM COURT had been built to replace LORNE HOSPITAL. Describes
04.10 Riverton Hospital had 100 elderly patients – by the time sold there were only 28 patients. Southland Hospital board accommodation had been run down and was not attractive. Private elderly care homes were proving more attractive.
06.25 CONSULTANT’S REVIEW meant self did general maintenance as well as gardening. When decision made to sell hospital, everybody presented by ALISTAIR WRIGHT, new owner, with their new hours and conditions. Self was on $12.20 an hour and was allocated a 40 hour week. Mr Wright reduced this to 20 hours a week at $10 an hour, so self left and received a redundancy payment. Then retired and kept the farm until he was 71 – left the gardening job at age 55. Replacement soon went up to 40 hours a week. NEW HOSPITAL BUILT.
End of Track Four
Recorded: 20 May 2016
Interviewer: Janice Templeton
Abstracters: Courtney Ellison/Judith Christie (from Track 2)
TRACK ONE
00:00 Shifted from AUCKLAND in 1975, wife from Southland, joined Crothalls (sp??) (contractors for cleaning staff) in 1976 as a PORTER at the RIVERTON HOSPITAL. Lists names of many colleagues at the time.
02:35 RALPH MAXWELL was House Manager, carried out the administration, stationed at Kew, visited Lorne and Riverton. MIRIAM LAKE was the secretary on site.
04:10 Started as an ORDERLY. In 1977 GARDENER retired and David took over this role, until 1998. DAHLIA DISPLAY.
06:00 Gardening duties, 10 acres. Discusses AERIAL PHOTOGRAPH showing extent of land. VEGETABLE GROWING, PIGS held in styes.
08:30 Cottage across road from hospital, acquired by hospital and known as fireman’s cottage, available for people working on boilers.
09:30 Sheep grazing, people who worked in boilers often came from dairy factories as they closed down. Use of the BOILERS for heating the hospital, engineering involved. Parts of building dated to 1880s.
12:24 Further description of the land that had to be managed. More grounds staff in the past.
13:18 Problems with lawn mowing equipment. Only one ride on mower for the whole board area, and was towed around the various hospitals and aged care places.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00:00 Continuation of description of single mower for the board area
01:20 In-house garage, and butcher shop at Kew supplying meat for patients. Story of mower going in to garage but never repaired. Eventually got a ride on mower at Riverton.
(Judith Christie abstractor)
04:25 Describes HEDGE CUTTING, hedges were enormous. Were done by handheld motorized machines. Board employed a casual worker to do the hedges – took a fortnight to cut and remove cuttings to the tip. KEN TELFER employed to do the work.
07.00 Self picked up Bedford tipping truck from Kew Hospital to load up with clippings. Describes.
07.50 Location of holly hedges described. Escalonias were cut twice a year. Macracarpa and Holly were cut once a year. Between these tasks, lawns cut etc.
09.30 Other support staff at Riverton Hospital included HENRY WICK, who took over as Porter, boiler staff including WALLACE BICKLEY, CLARRIE HAWKINS, DONALD (ALIAS SPUD) WILLS, JIMMIE ROBIE, KEN STEPHENS, JACK BAIRD, COLIN PIERCY, BRIAN STEWART, EARL JENKINS, RON HART, JOE FRISKEN and GARTH BRAYLEY. Four required to staff the boilers at any one time.
11.44 Self describes incidents when a particular boiler man would fall asleep while on duty. Self would have to poke him with a brolly.
14.20 Self worked Monday to Friday. Kitchen would feed boiler men with scones.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.12 DON WILLS – collapsed and died in the middle of the night on shift.
01.10 In 1976 GEOFF BAIRD, a boiler man who had worked at the Dairy Factory, and who was aged over 60, drove over the Fairfax Bridge and DROWNED in the river. Self believed he was tired after his shift. WALLIE BICKLEY was called in to cover Geoff’s shift. Self first saw it in the newspaper. Describes
04.50 More description of DON WILLS’ death.
06.00 BOB ARCHWELL had a job as a nurse aide, initially assisted with hedge cutting. Describes an incident when cutting the 12 foot wide hedges. Local children had made a hole in the hedge for a den, and Bob fell through the hedge from the top.
10.15 Male nurse aides deemed prudent because of awkward elderly male patients. Nurse aides included KEN WILSON, LOU MARES, STAN ANDERSON, BOB ATWELL.
11.05 In the early decade when HENRY WICK was porter 1977-87), JIMMY CUMMINGS was a patient at Riverton Hospital and had a birthday so was allowed home for three days. Had a turn there so ambulance required Not available, so private vehicle used. Describes
End of Track Three
TRACK FOUR
00.00 No surgery carried out while self was there, but there was an OUTPATIENT FIRST AIDE POST. Doctor’s accommodation on the grounds (in Dr Harris’s day) so doctor available.
02.00 Self on staff when HOSPITAL GOT SOLD. 1990s difficult time for staff because of PRIVATISATION. Describes
03.30 ELM COURT had been built to replace LORNE HOSPITAL. Describes
04.10 Riverton Hospital had 100 elderly patients – by the time sold there were only 28 patients. Southland Hospital board accommodation had been run down and was not attractive. Private elderly care homes were proving more attractive.
06.25 CONSULTANT’S REVIEW meant self did general maintenance as well as gardening. When decision made to sell hospital, everybody presented by ALISTAIR WRIGHT, new owner, with their new hours and conditions. Self was on $12.20 an hour and was allocated a 40 hour week. Mr Wright reduced this to 20 hours a week at $10 an hour, so self left and received a redundancy payment. Then retired and kept the farm until he was 71 – left the gardening job at age 55. Replacement soon went up to 40 hours a week. NEW HOSPITAL BUILT.
End of Track Four
Dates
- 2023
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Templeton, Janice (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
