Margaret Robina Palmer

Interviewer: Tessa Smith

Date: 30 May 2021

Abstracter: Tessa Smith

TRACK 1

00:00 Interview introduction

01:00 MARGARET ROBINA PALMER born in 1934

01:23 Interview agreement

02:10 Named after grandmother, ROBENA LAWRENCE, who married JAMES (JIM) BRUCE

02:46 Name change from ROBENA to ROBINA

03:10 Known as ROBINA not MARGARET. Explains

03:52 Father was from TYREE FERRY. Moved to EDENDALE in 1920s

04:00 Father and his brother-in-law, GEORGE VALENTINE, bought farm in GLENHAM. Lost due to GREAT DEPRESSION

04:34 Grandfather on mother's side was THOMAS PARNELL RABBIDGE who came from ENGLAND Grandmother was MARGARET McClaren and lived at CAMP HILL near WYNDHAM

05:04 Mother, MAY RABBIDGE, helped sick family members during 1918 SPANISH FLU PANDEMIC in WYNDHAM DISTRICT

06:41 Parents got married in July 1929. Started DAIRY FARMING in GLENHAM near TYNE HOLM

08:16 Description of GLENHAM TOWNSHIP during childhood

08:28 Family's PRESBYTARIAN beliefs

09:03 Transport to and from WYNDHAM on horse and gig and to school on ponies

10:40 Recalls school years at GLENHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL and WYNDHAM DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOL

11:08 Going to work at GLENHAM STORE

11:50 WORLD WAR TWO memories

12:53 Uncle, TOM RABBIDGE, was in army band when deployed in CAIRO, EGYPT

14:30 Father failed fitness test so did not go to war

14:45 "DAD'S ARMY type of thing"

15:00 End of TRACK 1

TRACK 2

00:10 D-DAY in GLENHAM

01:07 Size of GLENHAM community & GLENHAM PRIMARY SCHOOL

01:44 Description of home life and chores

02:33 Washing and using 'the copper'

03:42 Weekly routine detailed

03:52 Father made bacon yearly. Explains process

04:50 Involvement in farmwork detailed. Milking process described

08:00 Haymaking process and community involvement in it

09:13 Gathering spring water for drinking

09:56 Playing in the stream and catching cockabullies

11:04 New Year's Day traditions detailed. Trips to FORTROSE and games

12:57 Bible class in WYNDHAM

13:59 First telephone. Party line detailed

15:00 End of TRACK 2

TRACK 3

00:55 Holidaying in FORTROSE at the boarding house

01:20 Holidaying in BLUFF at WEST FAMILY house

03:26 Details extreme weather in GLENHAM

04:10 Sledding in the paddocks during the winter

05:18 School holiday activities detailed. Rabbitting, ferreting, and 'scrubbing gorse'

07:22 Seeing AURORA AUSTRALIS

08:47 Mother getting measles

10:06 Illnesses in childhood. ROXBURGH HEALTH CAMP mentioned. DOROTHY BRUCE getting sick numerous times. DR BAIRD administering treatment.

11:39 DOROTHY BRUCE getting pleurisy at 19. Inpatient care at WAIKARI HOSPITAL in DUNEDIN

12:19 Being a shop assistant at GLENHAM STORE

12:54 Move to ROXBURGH

13:11 Married in 1960 to EDWIN (TED) PALMER

13:19 TED was a 'Southland boy'. Moved back to INVERCARGILL

13:52 Meeting foreign people for the first time in ROXBURGH

15:00 End of TRACK 3

TRACK 4

01:18 Meeting TED

02:04 Visiting TED's sisters in TUATAPERE and ORAWIA

02:41 Discusses SOUTHLAND accent

03:47 End of TRACK 4

TRACK 5

00:06 Riding ponies to school. HUNTER HOWE on his horse, PEGGITY

01:22 Living in INVERCARGILL. TED working on DEE STREET and biking through QUEENS PARK

01:54 Working in a shop owned by BOYES FAMILY on CHELMSFORD STREET

02:53 Parties at SYLVIA HUNTER'S farm in MABEL BUSH described

03:19 Election Night parties discussed

04:49 Trips to the coast; WAIMAHAKA, FORTROSE, TITIROA, and PINE BUSH

05:35 Outgrowing horses and buying bigger ones

06:12 'Welcome home parties' for soliders from the GLENHAM area after WORLD WAR TWO

07:35 FRANK BULLING, owner of GLENHAM STORE, and grocery ordering and delivering. Describes

09:46 Life after leaving SOUTHLAND; moving amongst TIMARU, CHRISTCHURCH, and NELSON

11:24 Getting a job at SEALORD as a Fish Line Processing Worker

12:28 Adoption of daughters, GILL PALMER and JAN SMITH

15:00 End of TRACK 5