EILEEN ELLEN MCARA and DONALD KEITH MCARA

Interviewer: Nancy Burnett

Abstracter: W. Brent Coats

First Interview: 22 May 2017

DISC 1: TRACK 1

00:00 Interview introduction

01:07 EILEEN ELLEN MCARA born in 1929 - details

01:19 DONALD KEITH MCARA born in 1924 - details

01:37 Interview agreement

02:34 [EILEEN] – Grandfather and Grandfather from IRELAND – Father born in FOLLY FARM, GORGE ROAD, SOUTHLAND Self born INVERCARGILL - details

03:42 [Interview paused]

04:13 [EILEEN] – Birth – Mother rode to from GORGE ROAD to INVERCARGILL – Father could not use phone – Sister as midwife – Describes

04:37 Father butcher – Mother embarrassed to ring local JIMMY LEWIS – Rode to INVERCARGILL – Describes

05:33 SIBLINGS – Brothers FRANK – BOB – Sisters FOLLY – ROSEMARY – Details

06:18 FARM – Scrappy – Bush – House on hill – Many floods – 3 lagoons on land – Lots of BIRCH TREES – Big FIRES – Lived on STEEP HILL – No ELECTRICITY – Petrol motor MILKING MACHINES – Self and siblings MILKED WITH MOTHER – Pushed children in PRAMS up hill to milking shed – Details

08:42 Father bought BUSH 1938 from PINE COMPANY – BULLDOZED bush – Describes

09:42 Concrete HOUSE – High ceilings – Dark big KITCHEN – Black coal RANGE – Large windows – Details

10:30 HEATED WATER – Water jacket on RANGE – Filled with water – Heated – Describes

11:08 BATHROOM not used often – WASHED in kitchen SINK – Describes

11:48 HOUSE belonged to GRANDMOTHER – PARENTS moved in after marriage – Also with brothers and grandmother – Describes

12:30 Mixed FARM – Four draught HORSES – Machinery – Details

13:21 Farmed 60 to 160 COWS – MILK taken to GORGE ROAD DAIRY FACTORY – Used horse and dray – Bought 1936 CHEV TRUCK – Collected others’ milk during SECOND WORLD WAR – DONNALLYS milk – Describes FACTORY steam and “milky” smells

14:43 [DONALD] – Memory of FACTORY NOISE from cans

15:00 End of Track 1

DISC 1: TRACK 2

00:00 … FACTORY receiving platform for WEIGHING – CLEANED on floor – Loud rattle NOISE - Lived nearby – Could not SLEEP from noise in morning – Describes

01:10 WHEY sent to EDENDALE – Used in sugar and milk plant – Describes

01:56 [EILEEN] – Father had many PIGS on farm – Broke into PADDOCK “rooting it all to bits” - Describes

02:33 Parents FARM corner of HAMILL and SHEPHERDS BUSH road – Describes BUS shelter GORGE ROAD SCHOOL – Teachers – Miss ANDERSON – MCILWRAITH – Mrs MCLEAN – CLEM WALKER – Details

03:38 Enjoyed SCHOOL – Self usually played with brother – Enjoyed chance to PLAY with other girls at SCHOOL – GAMES – “Gathering nuts in May” – Cricket – Netball – Tig

04:40 Describes school LUNCH – Parents enjoyed FRENCH bread –Lunch with friend NORMA SELLERS – Well fed – Describes

06:02 HENS and DUCKS on farm – Use for eggs – CHORES included dishes – Mentions

06:56 [DONALD] – First time saw EILEEN at kitchen sink – Mentions

07:34 [EILEEN] – SPORTS – Netball – Rifle shooting – No SUMMER sports – Too busy on FARM – Details BIKED and drove in truck to Netball – Describes

09:06 School HEATED with “big open fire” – TOASTED bread over fire – Describes

09:43 No BATHROOM at home – Longdrop” TOILET outside SCHOOL toilets – “DRY” lavatories had to be emptied – Caretaker JIMMY SHAND – Describes

11:45 Attended ST CATHERINES CATHOLIC High School INVERCARGILL – Biked to RAILWAY STATION – BOARDED in town throughout week – HOME on weekend Goods TRAIN – Boarded 8 am – Reached INVERCARGILL about 10 am – Dependent on Describes

12:42 [DONALD] – Tuesday LORNVILLE sale day – Left GORGE ROAD earlier Tuesday for STOCK – 2 ½ hours to INVERCARGILL 13:39 BORN in INVERCARGILL - Aunt ELIZABETH WITHINGTON’s (sp?) home – Lived at GORGE ROAD Father SAWMILLER - Press bench – Sizes to cut written on BOARD – Large timber cuts – 8” x 1” – Describes

15:00 End of Track 2

DISC 1: TRACK 3

00:00 [DONALD] …Mill EXTENDED through years – DRESSING timber – White pine made into crates for EDENDALE DAIRY FACTORY cheeses – Describes 02:52 KAMAI wood used at SAWMILL – Lignite pit ASHURST – BOXWOOD drains – Describes

04:40 EXTRACTING timber out of FORESTS – RAILTRACKS in bush – Built from SLABWOOD with STEEL RAILS – Still PLOUGHED occasionally – Explains

07:03 GORGE ROAD “reasonably” flat – TIMBER from yard to TRAINS – Busy RAILWAY – Describes

08:21 [EILEEN] – MOTHER occasionally travelled to INVERCARGILL via TRUCK – Describes

09:15 [DONALD] – WORKED in WYNDHAM SAWMILL with father – First job aged 15 or 16 -CAMPED in hut – Describes

09:53 Grew up in GORGE ROAD - Mill house - “fourth house from the north end” – 9 houses in GORGE ROAD VILLAGE GROCER shop – Delivered to SOUTH KAPUKA – Describes

11:15 [EILEEN] – Family’s groceries all from SHOP – After work “busiest time of day” – First time visiting shop aged 12 - Describes

12:06 [DONALD] – GORGE ROAD village – Details shops BUTCHER shop – SCOTTY YOUNG last owner - JOE and BURT HANANS (sp?) [EILEEN] - STORE owners – JACK RUTLEDGE – RAMSEYS – MUIRS [DONALD and EILEEN] – Local HALL – Weekly film – MURRAY HOBBS – Details

14:34 [EILEEN and DONALD] – “Vaguely” knew DONALD from school

15:00 End of Track 3

DISC 1: TRACK 4

00:00 [EILEEN]…Both participated in “Learn to Dance” QUADRILLES – IVY BATES pianist – Describes Details types of DANCES learned

01:43 GORGE ROAD HALL – Details events – Cards, meetings, Flower show

02:47 MARRIED 1954 at SACRED HEART church WAIKIWI – RECEPTION at ELMWOOD GARDENS – Details

03:27 GORGE ROAD SERVICE STATION – BRIAN MORETON (sp?) – PETROL sold at shop [DONALD] – Petrol extracted using HAND PUMP – Details Details petrol BRANDS sold

05:05 Area TRANSPORT COMPANY - [EILEEN and DONALD] ROD HOFFMAN – MURRAY HOBBS – Stock transported to RAILYARD – Describes BRIAN GORTON – HENRY ANDREWS – Mentions

06:55 GORGE ROAD DAIRY FACTORY owners – BOB GULLIVER – SMITHS – Details

07:33 [EILEEN] – Details ST CATHERINES uniform – Had to be “dressed like ladies” Gym FROCK – “Bloomers” underwear – “Blazer” jacket - Hats – Gloves – Describes

10:27 Life after school – Lived at home - Did housework – Chamber pot – Baking – Learning skills “for life” – Describes

11:39 [DONALD] – Schooling – GORGE ROAD PRIMARY – SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE – Details teachers – WEBB – CHARLEY STEWART principal – First in class After secondary school –HEEGANS sawmill around WYNDHAM – Details

14:16 Siblings – Two sisters and one brother – Mentions

14:48 EMPLOYED by ARCHIE NICHOLSON (sp?) KAPUKA SOUTH Mill

15:00 End of Track 4

DISC 2: TRACK 2

00:00 [DONALD] … RYAL BUSH mill – Holiday pay began – Owner refused and closed mill – Employed by MEARS & CO. – Details Father was SAWYER – Received PRIZES - Sharpening saws and gulletting – Describes 03:26 Left mills and began at NEDERERS FLAX MILL – “Scutching”, “Paddocking” and Bleaching – Explains

06:54 “Scutching” flax – Explains

08:51 [Mimics noise from flax mill stripper]

09:49 Flax sent to DONAGHY ROPE COMPANY - DUNEDIN – RIVERTON – Self learned to make BALE ROPE – Explains

12:22 [Interview paused]

12:46 [DONALD and EILEEN] - NAMES of WORKERS at flax mill – SONNY HAMILL – BURT and STAN and ERIC SWAIN – BILL THOMPSON (sp?) – Details FREDDIE BOWDEN – Humourous recollection of toilet fire

15:00 End of Track 1

DISC 2: TRACK 2

00:00 ... Fire story

00:34 MILL ORIGINS and closure - Details

02:01 [EILEEN] – Recreation - FISHING - Lake WAITUNA – MATAURA river – Duck shooting BLACK LAGOON – Details Cooking duck – Details stuffing and meal SALMON fishing at GLENAVY – Mentions

05:13 BLACK LAGOON – Changes in farming – Describes

06:21 [EILEEN and DONALD] - GORGE ROAD RAILWAY STATION – Location – Description of station – Details Train and carriages – Description INCIDENTS - Window breakages – Derailment after hitting HELLERS bull – Describes Sidings – Details

09:46 [EILEEN] – CRAFT SKILLS - Dressmaking lessons – HOLLYWOOD SCHOOL OF DRESSMAKING – Made own clothes – Knitting – Embroidery – Describes Home not powered – Mentions

13:02 End of Track 2