Abstract of Mabel Christina WACHNER , 2010
Item — Box: 24
Identifier: H00820002
Abstract
MABEL CHRISTINA WACHNER MBE
Interviewer: Edith Ruddenklau Abstracter: Unnamed
TRACK 1
00:03 Mrs MABEL CHRISTINA WACHNER born at DILLMANSTOWN, WESTLAND New Zealand in 1892 – Now resident at VICKERY COURT, North Road, INVERCARGILL
00:20 [FATHER]: THOMAS WILLIAM RICE – GOLDMINER
00:23 [MOTHER] MINNIE JEAN HARVEY – a trained TEACHER
00:26 Two brothers – THOMAS WILLIAM – HERBERT JAMES SAMUEL
00:29 Four sisters – ALICE JANE – LAUREL – ELVA MINNIE – RUBY HANNAH
00:40 [EDUCATION]: DILLMANSTOWN – KUMARA – GREYMOUTH District High School
00:46 Employed as MANAGERESS of Ladies Department – HANNAH'S STORE in GREYMOUTH
00:50 [HUSBAND]: ABRAHAM WACHNER – employed at TIMMINS – large store in GREYMOUTH
00:66 GRANDMOTHER HARVEY from MELBOURNE in sailing ship – With three children landed at ROSS on West Coast First night in New Zealand HOUSE BURNED – Lost everything
00:94 Three children – Boys aged eleven years – Little girl (MABEL'S Mother) aged three years – Into convent in ROSS
01:04 Brothers trained as MASTER BAKERS
01:09 Mrs WACHNER'S mother was 15 years old – Father decided no place for young woman with 200 young men looking for wives – He married her. MOTHER aged 15 ¾ years – FATHER aged 45 !
01:84 Goldmining everywhere
01:90 GRANDFATHER from ENGLAND to TASMANIA – POLICE INSPECTOR. Later that year goldmining – KILLED by FALL OF EARTH – 800 men walked behind coffin
02:63 Each night children watched 'WASH UP' to see how much GOLD was there
02:84 6,000 people in square in DILLMANSTOWN – All nations
03:10 [GRANDMOTHER]: Business in AUCKLAND importing English antique furniture
03:74 Own PARENTS married Holy Trinity ANGLICAN CHURCH in KUMARA Frocks made by hand
04:18 Parents had 7 children
04:30 Sister died aged 16
06:60 Family to KUMARA – Rang school for first BRITISH VICTORY during BOER WAR
04:77 QUEEN VICTORIA'S FUNERAL – Dresses in black – Men wore black arm bands Two bands – Death march – Muffled drums draped in black
05:01 Everyone cried – All churches in situated in CHURCH STREET
05:41 Mr SEDDON elected PRIME MINISTER of New Zealand – Goldminer of KUMARA – Gave first speech there
05:85 Mr SEDDON sent MABEL to buy a bottle of beer from Mrs ANDERSON at THEATRE ROYAL HOTEL
07:19 FLU EPIDEMIC – No communication with CHRISTCHURCH
07:94 Went to Trades Peoples' Picnic at MANAPOURI – WESTCOASTERS very sociable
08:90 Husband in FIRST WORLD WAR – Badly wounded by shrapnel blast
09:39 Should be no more wars
09:58 Mr WACHNER to INVERCARGILL – Helped war-time friend prepare for wedding Started business by buying handkerchiefs wholesale from ROSS and GLENDINNING LTD – Went house-to-house in the country
11:38 Kept proposing until MABEL accepted
11:84 Husband a great worker – MABEL helped during Christmas – 100 blouses sold in one day – 21 shillings each – Blouses in one style
12:21 MARRIED in WELLINGTON by Rev TAYLOR
12:30 To new premises in DALGETY'S – Had largest FOOTWEAR RETAILERS in NEW ZEALAND
12:38 Gave poor families shoes – Pain of war wounds made him lose his head sometimes
12:58 When he was made MAYOR threw keys of shop to MABEL said “Now you look after the shop, I have to look after the city” – 15 staff in shop
12:78 Always had excellent live-in house keepers
12:91 Bought 75 year old house – Oldest one in EYE STREET
13:17 Moved to ALICE STREET
13:70 Some of highest honoured people in ENGLAND very poor – Upkeep of stately homes so high
13:85 Watched QUEEN play croquet
14:04 QUEEN and DUKE to INVERCARGILL – Mrs ADAMSON was Mayor
14:20 Husband received O.B.E in GRAND HOTEL (INVERCARGILL) – Would not go to WELLINGTON
14:25 MABEL to GOVERNMENT HOUSE (Wellington) to receive M.B.E.
14:60 Corresponded with LORD MONTGOMERY for 23 years
14:81 Collected 30,000 pieces of clothing in INVERCARGILL – Sent to BRITISH PEOPLE – Chairman of PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE and LADY GALWAY GUILD
15:03 LADY GALWAY – Governor General's wife
15:28 Mrs WACHNER belong to many organisations
15:77 New Zealand representative at BUSINESS and PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CONFERENCE in GERMANY – 30 country attended
16:43 Table cloth hand made by nuns in ITALY – Table – Cabinet – Cutlery – China – On loan to GRAND HOTEL for QUEEN'S VISIT
16:91 Husband gave to poor of INVERCARGILL at night Husband's father born in POLAND
17:53 Showed her treasures and scrapbooks
18:14 Mined some gold in uncle's GOLDMINE – Gave gold to young RALPH HANAN (Member of Parliament)
18:73 Blind friend calling at Mrs WACHNER'S door to be taken to lunch
19:85 Management skills – played Cricket – Rounders – Tennis
20:75 Two sisters married same man – Two brothers married same woman
21:67 Sister ELVA corresponded with SOMERSET MAUGHAM (author) for many year – Had met in LONDON
22:90 Invitation as GUEST of HONOUR at POLICE BALL
End of Track 1
NOTE: Mabel died in 2001
Interviewer: Edith Ruddenklau Abstracter: Unnamed
TRACK 1
00:03 Mrs MABEL CHRISTINA WACHNER born at DILLMANSTOWN, WESTLAND New Zealand in 1892 – Now resident at VICKERY COURT, North Road, INVERCARGILL
00:20 [FATHER]: THOMAS WILLIAM RICE – GOLDMINER
00:23 [MOTHER] MINNIE JEAN HARVEY – a trained TEACHER
00:26 Two brothers – THOMAS WILLIAM – HERBERT JAMES SAMUEL
00:29 Four sisters – ALICE JANE – LAUREL – ELVA MINNIE – RUBY HANNAH
00:40 [EDUCATION]: DILLMANSTOWN – KUMARA – GREYMOUTH District High School
00:46 Employed as MANAGERESS of Ladies Department – HANNAH'S STORE in GREYMOUTH
00:50 [HUSBAND]: ABRAHAM WACHNER – employed at TIMMINS – large store in GREYMOUTH
00:66 GRANDMOTHER HARVEY from MELBOURNE in sailing ship – With three children landed at ROSS on West Coast First night in New Zealand HOUSE BURNED – Lost everything
00:94 Three children – Boys aged eleven years – Little girl (MABEL'S Mother) aged three years – Into convent in ROSS
01:04 Brothers trained as MASTER BAKERS
01:09 Mrs WACHNER'S mother was 15 years old – Father decided no place for young woman with 200 young men looking for wives – He married her. MOTHER aged 15 ¾ years – FATHER aged 45 !
01:84 Goldmining everywhere
01:90 GRANDFATHER from ENGLAND to TASMANIA – POLICE INSPECTOR. Later that year goldmining – KILLED by FALL OF EARTH – 800 men walked behind coffin
02:63 Each night children watched 'WASH UP' to see how much GOLD was there
02:84 6,000 people in square in DILLMANSTOWN – All nations
03:10 [GRANDMOTHER]: Business in AUCKLAND importing English antique furniture
03:74 Own PARENTS married Holy Trinity ANGLICAN CHURCH in KUMARA Frocks made by hand
04:18 Parents had 7 children
04:30 Sister died aged 16
06:60 Family to KUMARA – Rang school for first BRITISH VICTORY during BOER WAR
04:77 QUEEN VICTORIA'S FUNERAL – Dresses in black – Men wore black arm bands Two bands – Death march – Muffled drums draped in black
05:01 Everyone cried – All churches in situated in CHURCH STREET
05:41 Mr SEDDON elected PRIME MINISTER of New Zealand – Goldminer of KUMARA – Gave first speech there
05:85 Mr SEDDON sent MABEL to buy a bottle of beer from Mrs ANDERSON at THEATRE ROYAL HOTEL
07:19 FLU EPIDEMIC – No communication with CHRISTCHURCH
07:94 Went to Trades Peoples' Picnic at MANAPOURI – WESTCOASTERS very sociable
08:90 Husband in FIRST WORLD WAR – Badly wounded by shrapnel blast
09:39 Should be no more wars
09:58 Mr WACHNER to INVERCARGILL – Helped war-time friend prepare for wedding Started business by buying handkerchiefs wholesale from ROSS and GLENDINNING LTD – Went house-to-house in the country
11:38 Kept proposing until MABEL accepted
11:84 Husband a great worker – MABEL helped during Christmas – 100 blouses sold in one day – 21 shillings each – Blouses in one style
12:21 MARRIED in WELLINGTON by Rev TAYLOR
12:30 To new premises in DALGETY'S – Had largest FOOTWEAR RETAILERS in NEW ZEALAND
12:38 Gave poor families shoes – Pain of war wounds made him lose his head sometimes
12:58 When he was made MAYOR threw keys of shop to MABEL said “Now you look after the shop, I have to look after the city” – 15 staff in shop
12:78 Always had excellent live-in house keepers
12:91 Bought 75 year old house – Oldest one in EYE STREET
13:17 Moved to ALICE STREET
13:70 Some of highest honoured people in ENGLAND very poor – Upkeep of stately homes so high
13:85 Watched QUEEN play croquet
14:04 QUEEN and DUKE to INVERCARGILL – Mrs ADAMSON was Mayor
14:20 Husband received O.B.E in GRAND HOTEL (INVERCARGILL) – Would not go to WELLINGTON
14:25 MABEL to GOVERNMENT HOUSE (Wellington) to receive M.B.E.
14:60 Corresponded with LORD MONTGOMERY for 23 years
14:81 Collected 30,000 pieces of clothing in INVERCARGILL – Sent to BRITISH PEOPLE – Chairman of PATRIOTIC COMMITTEE and LADY GALWAY GUILD
15:03 LADY GALWAY – Governor General's wife
15:28 Mrs WACHNER belong to many organisations
15:77 New Zealand representative at BUSINESS and PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S CONFERENCE in GERMANY – 30 country attended
16:43 Table cloth hand made by nuns in ITALY – Table – Cabinet – Cutlery – China – On loan to GRAND HOTEL for QUEEN'S VISIT
16:91 Husband gave to poor of INVERCARGILL at night Husband's father born in POLAND
17:53 Showed her treasures and scrapbooks
18:14 Mined some gold in uncle's GOLDMINE – Gave gold to young RALPH HANAN (Member of Parliament)
18:73 Blind friend calling at Mrs WACHNER'S door to be taken to lunch
19:85 Management skills – played Cricket – Rounders – Tennis
20:75 Two sisters married same man – Two brothers married same woman
21:67 Sister ELVA corresponded with SOMERSET MAUGHAM (author) for many year – Had met in LONDON
22:90 Invitation as GUEST of HONOUR at POLICE BALL
End of Track 1
NOTE: Mabel died in 2001
Dates
- 2010
Conditions Governing Access
For access please contact the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator at sohp@ilibrary.co.nz.
Conditions Governing Use
The contents of Southland Oral History Project collections are subject to the conditions of the Copyright Act 1994. Please note that in accordance with agreements held with interviewees additional conditions regarding the reproduction [copying] and use of items in the Southland Oral History Project collections may apply. Please contact the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator for further information at sohp@ilibrary.co.nz.
Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Ruddenklau, Edith (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
