Graeme McKenzie Leitch

Interviewer: George Taylor

Abstracter: Libby Frampton

Track 1

00:00 Interview identification – introduced Graeme LEITCH, of WYNDHAM, has been connected with MOKORETA for the past 70 years.

00:55 Father hunted POSSUMS in MOKORETA during DEPRESSION. Hunted at Doctor RODGER’S place and at WYNDHAM STATION. No charge at Dr Rodger’s, BEGG’s did (WYNDHAM STATION). Would get STAMP from the post office, 6 pence a skin to hunt them, when sold them, had to have personal stamp on the skin or they weren’t bought. Not a PEST. When SINGLE.

02:05 Father also chased RABBITS. Father then MARRIED and MANPOWERED during WAR to TITIROA DAIRY FACTORY. Shifted to Wyndham and worked at the WYNDHAM DAIRY FACTORY until 1953/4. Then FOREMAN on RABBIT BOARD (WYNDHAM RABBIT BOARD – MOKORETA, MIMIHAU, later GLENHAMD, WAIMAHAKA, then TOKONUI).

02:59 Father was BRUCE, often known as MICK. BUSTER LEES worked for him. Modern farmers don’t quite have the time to have the yarn.

03:49 When father took over rabbit board, would take 500 SHELLS (FULL CASE) for a night’s work or cover 500 ACRES - whatever came first. Sometimes shoot 600-700 rabbits on a farm. Would go back 3 months later and shoot the same. Set traps during springtime, keep away from lambing. Traps on MOUNT EGREMONT.

05.49 PIGS and WILD PIGS. Shoot 80 a year at night.

06:37 Once they’d get rid of rabbits, HARES would come in - live in bush.

07:36 Father MARRIED before start of the war, before he was shifted to Titiroa. JEAN MCKENZIE from DUNROBIN. Mother was one of three sisters. Graeme has 2 brothers, 3 sisters. One brother BRUCE next door and younger. Work for FERN MCKEOWN. Other brother ALAN lives local. Oldest sister JENNIFER married IAN IRWIN, live TRINITY ROAD. TRISH married SANDY IRWIN, live in GORE. VIVIENNE, the youngest, widow, lives in OTATARA.

09:07 Graeme 70 years old. PLUMBER all his life. Apprentice with DIGGER EUNSON’S father TED. Worked there 1972, then last 42 years at the MATAURA FREEZING WORKS. Has seen four owners. SOUTHERN FROZEN EXPORT COMPANY, then CHALLENGE, then FLETCHERS, then sold to WAITAKI, then ALLIANCE. First 3-4 years mean but then treated their workers pretty good since then.

10:23 ALLIANCE bought a lemon from Waitaki – took debt. 14 banks owed money, now debts clear. Finished reading CLIVE LYNS (sp?) latest book FARM TO FORK – 50 YEARS OF ALLIANCE FREEZING WORKS. SILVER FERN closing plants in CHRISTCHURCH, Alliance still doing well. Last half of Alliance ownership very good workers.

12:34 Retired since 2005. Volunteer at FIRE BRIGADE, worked for POLICE issuing and renewing firearm licenses in the Wyndham police district and the southern half of the MATAURA police district. Still go to Mokoreta and hunt odd deer or two. Don’t hunt in the roar now – too many people out there without the right bush skills.

13:30 Remember interviewer’s grandfather - JB. GEORGE CLOCKLEA (sp?) built his father’s place in early 60s and others in Mokoreta.

15:00 End of Track 1

Track 2

00:00 Recalls JB built RUSSEL STEWART’s house, which was built for BILLY LAWRENCE; built WALTER HUMPHREY’s, which is now WARREN SMITH’s. Built the interviewer’s grandfather’s place and parent’s place. Built where LORRAINE MCLLENAN lives. Graeme worked on all those houses.

00:46 DIGGER was George Clocklea’s sub-contractor. Worked on JACK HUNDRED’s third house and houses for TREVOR STEWART, JIMMY HOLLAND, BOB WALLACE, SHOCK CARNEY, SAM KNAPP, DOUG FREW.

2.10 A lot of houses in Southland built around same era - brick around bottom, roughcast walls. Styles of those days. JACK GEARY built three identical houses.

3.10 Talks about roofing MOKORETA HALL. Wet weather, only three days that it didn’t rain while men working on hall. Took several months. Muddy exercise.

6.10 Rimu and the right materials used in old building days.

8.58 Talks briefly about an Englishman JEFFERIS (sp?).

10.45 Used to have regular COUNTRY DISTRICT HALL GATHERINGS. People move around these days though.

12:05 Isolation gave Mokoreta people a common point of identity.

12.38 Previously would rely on neighbours for help. Farms weren’t mechanized. Neighbours worked together, now it’s done by contractors.

13.28 Talks about when the road would be upgraded by SOUTHLAND DISTRICT COUNCIL.

15:00 End of Track 2

Track 3

0:00 Explains types of roading and the materials used.

4.02 Talks about being a local and working in Mokoreta.

5.20 Worked for the EUNSONs (DIGGER)

6.12 Talks about after the war boom and there being no need for new houses. Oldest houses remaining are CASEY’s and LAWSON’s. By the end of the 1960s, all new houses had been built. Discusses areas where they built and for whom. Once the houses were built, then built haysheds, then covered yards. There was always building going on – booked for 12-18 months ahead at all times.

9.42 Says he’s comfortable working at heights – you build from the ground-up.

10.35 Women would cook the workers’ lunch, “like they were cooking for an army”. “Always treated everybody well”. Couldn’t leave anything on the plate. The best dessert was steam pudding with fresh milk cow’s cream. Made lifelong friends through working.

12.53 Talks about the MOKORETA HALL, shindigs, variety of uses. Had a weekend with DOUG and ARTHUR FREW, parents away. Sunday was just as good as Saturday. Still had good suit and shoes on at work on Monday, told to go home. “…a real typical good Mokoreta weekend.”

13.48 Opening of the MOKORETA HALL, a ball on the Saturday night. It was full. ROGER HUMPHREYS the MC at the ball. Talks about the old-time dances, the ALBERTS and LANCERS DANCES - four couples in a square, a refined form of square dancing.

15:00 End of Track 3

Track 4

0.00 Scottish and English form of dances, the Lancers with the big ball gowns and hold the lady’s hand up. ROGER would announce the dance. He would show couples who didn’t know by pairing them up with ones that did. North and South couples first, East and West would follow what they did. Always finish with the SUPPER WALTZ and AULD LANG SYNE. Sometimes play GOD DEFEND NEW ZEALAND at the start of the ball.

1.58 Discusses formalities of the dance. ALISTAIR HENRY made sure everyone got up. Young people around the outside were gobsmacked at the number of older couples dancing. DAVIE PARR (sp?) ran dancing lessons in woolsheds for the younger ones. Didn’t have wallflowers. A disgrace to be sitting down not doing a dance.

3.55 Talks about GIN TROLLEY, men retire to the bar but ladies weren’t welcome - but gin trolley would go around the hall. Women didn’t drink or smoke like today. 90% of men smoked, a lot smoked in the hall.

5.07 Enjoyed it more in the past. Society today is too mobile Don’t want to be seen out with mum and dad. Parents would teach their children to dance with them. A lot of things have changed for the worse. Family unit not the same. Most young people didn’t own a car until you were 20+ old.

7.04 When people married, always a gift evening at the hall for the lady. Wedding dance was at the hall too. That was two times the hall was used just for that. Price of weddings today, probably cheaper to go to the ELMWOOD, CROYDEN LODGE, upstairs at THE KELVIN – walk in walk out, no hall to get ready.

8.45 Rather hall used and looked after than left to deteriorate. COMMITTEE runs it, sets the hire rules, then goes through any damages and will hold bond if there is. Better if it is used - keeps some people in the district.

10.15 JACK CAREY a perfectionist and every subcontractor had to guarantee their work for 7 years: “Do it once, do it right”.

11.02 Putting roof on the hall, had lunch, then black cloud arrives. Workers straight back on the roof.

12.37 MOKORETA FIRE BRIGADE – doesn’t matter size of fire when it starts, always going to develop. Lost some houses in Mokoreta, arrived too late, also had some good saves. Talks about types of trucks and weight of carrying water. Gives story about JIMMY GEARY at a fire.

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

0:00 Jimmy GEARY story continued – he moved a post with live wires.

0.50 1959 first fire - went to EVAN HUMPREYS. Went to fire at FLAXMILL. Went to SCUTCHING SHED, MCDONALD’s road. ALEC MCKAY a good customer - put ashes beside the building.

1.57 NEW YEAR’s fire at PETER CASEY - put out trees. Lists off dates and fires over the years. One where 97 lambs died from truck and trailer rolling - hold’s the NZ fire record for number of deaths.

4.10 Attended a helicopter crash.

5.10 Didn’t have RADIO CONTACT over the back which was an issue. Talks about turning at LLOYD BELL’s gateway, face west, inform DUNEDIN office what they were going to do. Discusses different ways of communication, range, resources.

7.48 Done 40 years of service in brigade.

9.00 Discloses the background of his NICKNAME STRIDER.

10:01 End of Track 5