H0379 Pearl Margaret JEFCOATE

Interviewer: Nancy Burnett

Abstracter: April Milligan

Interview: 24 October 2018

TRACK One

00:00 PEARL MARGARET CATHCART JEFCOATE, born in 1926.

01.45 Father, SAMUEL TAYLOR born 1893, a farmer from DONEGAL, IRELAND, coming to NZ in his early 20s with 2-3 sisters and all settling in the SOUTHLAND area. Mother was JANE PRUDENTIA WILSON, a housewife who came from DIPTON, born in 1886.

03.19 Born INVERCARGILL at ST HELEN’s MATERNITY HOSPITAL. Grew up at MOKOTUA and attended OTERAMIKA SCHOOL at 5 years. There was 3 1/2 miles to go to school. “If walking they set off at 8.00 am but sometimes would get a ride halfway, on the milk cart, standing among the milk cans. Sometimes there was a ride part way with another Farmer”.

04.45 Farm on CLEARWATER ROAD that runs south from MOKOTUA (RAY’s input). Joined with the neighbour’s children to go to school. When older cycled to school, meeting other children on the way.

05.56 Recalls the opening of the MOKOTUA HALL, a big event in the district. Leaving school they wanted to get home early so set a course across the paddocks. They hadn’t bargained on ditches and fences so arrived home later than normal.

06.46 Remembers jam sandwiches for lunch at school. Father used to buy a box of apples and sometimes that was included for lunch. On the farm there was, “cherry trees but not extra wonderful fruit”. Recalls a lot of blackberries on the farm, which were used for jam.

08.01 Father milked close on 30 cows. Older siblings remembered hand milking but PEARL being younger used a machine run off a generator. No power or phone. There was sheep too.

08.58 Had 3 brothers and 2 sisters being born the 5th and 2nd youngest. Chores before school, included feeding calves from a bucket of milk (sometimes they were stubborn). Remembers taking the cows to another paddock via the road. They had wire gates which they couldn’t fasten. SYD MINCHER from the end of the road came along and he managed to shut it.

10.20 Other chores were cleaning; linoleum floors to be swept, cleaned, and polished using a rag to rub it on and another rag to polish it off down on hands and knees. Hands and knees to wash the floor too.

12.22 Washing clothes Mother worked hard at. A copper outside to boil the whites, brought in to rinse in the tub. The copper had a fire underneath to heat the water, (a tub at the top standing 1 1/2 meters high and about a meter across) clothes were added for a short time after the water boiled then lifted out into a cold-water rinse inside. Heavy work to lift the clothes out with a long pole.

TRACK 2

00.02 The clothes went through a wringer to get the water out. A wringer had two rollers and you turned a handle and the clothes were pressed between the rollers to get the water out. “A lot of washing with large families, although they weren’t as particular as we are today”. Mother made her own soap with mutton fat and washing soda. “We virtually lived on mutton”. The soap was made in the copper too.

01.48 Mother had a good vege garden she mostly did herself. Carrots, parsnips, cabbage, potatoes. Desserts would be; rice pudding, sago pudding, bread & butter pudding, junket.

02.48 Recalls they made their own butter. The cream was separated from the milk. Bread was delivered by the Post Mail and the Postman was a neighbour FRANZ MUNRO. His Father was a farmer.

04.48 Remembers a lot of bush and tussock on their farm. “A standing joke in the family was her Father going off on a Sunday afternoon walk and they could tell where he had been from where he had been burning off tussock”. “You burnt it off before you cultivated the land. It was a big job to clear the bush, pick up the sticks and roots into heaps to burn off.”

06.02 All the families around were in the same situation. Played tennis on the school court and recalls her name on the cup 3 times. Boys played rugby.

07.03 Went to INVERCARGILL on the train to Secondary School at SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE. Played cards on the train as the journey was nearly an hour. Went to MOKOTUA to catch the train, a mile and a half from home, getting there on a bike. Lessons were; cooking, sewing, World Affairs. Enjoyed cooking with a motherly soul for a teacher MISS BLAKEY. Left school when 14-15 years old.

09.36 Upon leaving school was asked to help an unwell cousin with a young family as housekeeper; cooking, cleaning & looking after children. Continued as a housekeeper until she married at; MABEL BUSH, EDENDALE, OTERAMIKA. One job she went to twice. At first when the mother was sick then later when she was in the Maternity home for a fortnight.

11.55 Met her husband at OTERAMIKA SCHOOL. The families knew each other well. They both went to Sunday School and Bible Class together. Went as a housekeeper to the family when his parents went on holiday and she went to look after his younger brother and two young sisters. JIM was working in town but went home at weekends.

12.54 The marriage ceremony was in INVERCARGILL at FIRST CHURCH followed by a Reception at ELMWOOD GARDENS. JAMES REGINALD JEFCOATE (JIM) was the Groom. He was born in INVERCARGILL but was a bit younger than PEARL (18 months).

14.08 They went to live on the JEFCOATE farm in between MOKOTUA and OTERAMIKA District (MOKOTUA/ MONUMENT ROAD). It was a dairy and sheep farm.

TRACK 3 00.01 Had 5 children. All born in INVERCARGILL at DEE STREET MATERNITY HOSPITAL travelling in the farm truck. The truck was used to deliver the milk cans to the Dairy Factory and other farm tasks. The family all crammed in for church, later some on the tray at the back to travel.

02.13 The children attended OTERAMIKA SCHOOL. By now the farm had been cleared of bush. Earlier days growing up there was no power or phone but after marriage the farm had those utilities. Mother cooked on the wood burning range and keeping a supply of wood was not easy. On marriage she describes cooking on a heat storage range using power. It had 2 big plates on top and a hob and was hard to manage and hot all the time.

04.32 Recalls a few in the district having a phone where you turned the handle and it operated as a party line with 5-6 other household. Might have to wait your turn to use the phone and calls could be listened in to. A call for your family had a different ring pattern long or short.

06.57 Neighbour’s were TED O’DRISCOLL, ERIC PLANE, MYROSS COOK, HARRY CLAY, JIM CLAY, ROBBIES. They helped each other at tailing and harvesting time. Her task was to take out the morning teas. “Tea was made, put in a bottle, wrapped in newspaper before putting in a sock to keep it hot to get to the paddock”. Food was scones or pikelets.

08.32 Baking included: Christmas cake, biscuits, squares. At the end of the milking season they made their own butter. On the JEFCOATE farm there were apple trees, gooseberry/ blackcurrant bushes, leading to jam making and preserving apricots, peaches, plums, greengages. Trips to town included buying cases of CENTRAL OTAGO fruit which was stewed then over flow into jars using a scalded insert and metal band to seal them. Recalls JIM made a preserver when working for SELECTRIX processing 19 jars at a time. Autumn was busy to prepare enough for into the winter.

14.30 All the time spent was on home and family not working outside like today. Off farm activities involved Church, church group and Women’s division.

TRACK 4 00.02 Women’s Division was an important social contact supporting the lifestyle. A neighbour picked her up as she didn’t drive and meetings were at the MOKATUA HALL. There might be a quiz. The church had an annual fund raising baking competition and the contributions were auctioned at a ridiculous price e.g. a sponge cake sprinkled with corn flour not icing sugar. The OTERAMIKA Church did catering at the hall to raise funds. A contribution might be providing 3 dozen Churchill Squares with family getting offcuts.

03.52 An occasion at the hall might be a sendoff or farewell to a family leaving the district or to celebrate a marriage. A mantel clock was presented at her own wedding from the district. Sendoffs were given for soldiers going overseas.

04.49 Mrs JEFCOATE took Bible Class with Jim’s brother asking curly questions. They were in the KENNINGTON Parish where the Minister lived travelling weekly to OTERAMIKA for services and MOKOTUA fortnightly in the evening. Sometimes PEARL’s husband was the speaker. Before marriage she biked to church then later travelled in the truck, picking up others for Bible class. Back which was covered with a canopy. After moving to town, she took Bible in School classes at WAIKIWI.

08.08 Some ministers were; GEARGE CALDER (a former farmer), IVAN POWELL in the war years, McCASKELL. Spent 22 years on the farm until JIM had a health problem and they shifted to town.

09.40 Moved to WEST PLAINS ROAD and JIM worked at SELECTRIC (electrical business) but due to heavy traffic noise a move was made to Queen’s Drive on County rates but with a Street Address and called City dwellers. The paddocks had animals around them.

12.24 Memorable event in the country was a neighbour’s house burning down from an electrical malfunction on a windy day. Coming home from school leaves of burned books landed on their farm. The family lived in the new shearing shed while building the new home. No fire brigade in those days. Neighbour’s rallied round with support.

14.32 War was not a happy time with 2 brothers serving overseas with 1 home unwell.

TRACK 5

00.06 Brother LESLIE was too withdrawn to help on the farm. It was a struggle. MORRIS HALDER was a young helper. Older sister was ‘manpowered’ (directed with no choice) to LORNE HOSPITAL a Rest Home, as a cook. Worked on the farm at home.

01.36 Two brothers came home from the war but older one was badly affected from jungle warfare in the islands. The experience was never talked about. The other brother went from Fiji to the Middle East about 3 years. He worked at the freezing works on his return in the company of other young people rather than isolated in farm work. There were regular letters while they were away.

04.19 There was food coupons for food purchase and restrictions on quantity. Local families lost members who never returned. PLAY family 4 went 2 returned. “Somber years.” International Affairs sent a telegram if a soldier was missing. Later telegram ‘believed killed’. Radio (battery) announced when the war was over. Flat batteries were taken to the mailbox and taken away to be charged in Town before returning via the mailman. Dad was unwell and travelled in the mail car to the Doctor in INVERCARGILL. When he didn’t return we knew he‘d been taken to Hospital. Her brother never had a car and PEARL had never driven.

07.28 Later when married she got a Drivers Licence after a test at GORGE ROAD. For the test drove around the road and did some backing.

08.42 Relief when the War ended.

09.18 Husband JIMMY made concrete pipes: 6 – 18 inches diameter and a meter long (recalled by RAY). Farmers bought them from 20 miles away paid by cash or cheque, no credit.

10.32 Left the farm with husband unwell, when the children were teenagers (oldest 16) so kept busy involved in their activities. Affected JIMMY being 3rd generation of JEFCOATE’s on the farm.

11.43 JIMMY worked at SELECTRIX an electrical company, delivering at first but moved up to Workshop foreman. He repaired washing machines and different appliances.

13.20 Country childhood well remembered.