Abstract of Roy Watson REID, 2021
Item — Box: 39
Identifier: H01070002
Abstract
Roy Watson Reid
Interviewer: Jenny Campbell
Abstracter: Lindsay King
Interview: 25 January 2013
TRACK 1
00:00 Interview identification
00:38 ROY WATSON REID born 1936
00.54 Interview agreement
01.34 Born in INVERCARGILL, lived in MOSSBURN
02.22 Mothers maiden name, CARTER
02.36 Both grandparents, CARTERS, AUSTRALIAN, emigrated to NEW ZEALAND
03.32 Mother DORIS, worked in H&J SMITHS Haberdashery
03.40 AUSTRALIAN and SCOTTISH heritage – explains
04.34 Grandfather and great grandfathers name JOHN REID
05.00 Father called THOMAS WATSON REID, mother DORIS REID
05.45 Grandfather settled on a farm in TAPANUI called MARINO DOWNS – moved to MOSSBURN 1888 – grandfather and his brother ROBERT REID bought POINT VIEW farm – first private farm bought from CASTLE DOWNS ESTATE – describes
07.09 Grandfather married a girl MACAULEY in 1893 – ten children – wife died in 1906 at 34 years old – details
08.53 Self’s father born 1899 – middle of family – describes
10.08 Children went to MOSSBURN SCHOOL – self’s father left school at 12 years – describes
11.06 Family lived in 2-bedroom house – house still on farm – lived there until 1956 – water supply from creek – 10-gallon tank – children swam in creek – describes
13.39 No electricity until 1929 – first washing machine 1936 when self was born – CHAMPION COAL RANGE and electric range for cooking – describes
15.00 End of Track 1
TRACK 2
00.01 Grandmother made the family’s butter – describes
01.00 Self describes childhood – never inside – story of SHACKLOCK RANGE – catching eels – cutting FESCUE – explains
3.29 Self describes RABITTING as a child/teenager – rabbits everywhere – first entry in savings account 7 pounds for rabbit skins – sold to ALEC REID in DUNEDIN – recalls
6.44 Self bought a 22 rifle at 15 years old – used ferrets to catch rabbits – went with UNCLE BILL – used poison also to kill rabbits – STRYCHNINE on carrots – recalls
13.05 The hills were barren – country was green late August to November only – farming FESCUE – explains
15.00 End of Track 2
TRACK 3
00.01 Self left school 1951 – 520 ewes on the farm – 50 acres – 1993, 3000 ewes – most money made 1960s with 800 ewes – explains
00.58 1950/51 when KOREAN WAR was on the price of wool was high – cutting wool off fences – describes
02.12 Self attended SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE – travelled by bus – all cow farming – changed to sheep 1951 – explains
03.48 Changes in MOSSBURN over time – trees and fescue grown – very hot summers in past - biggest drought 1956 – explains
05.27 1957 wettest year ever had – flooding - describes
06.33 Grass and trees changed the landscape – explains
07.03 CATCHMENT BOARD subsidised tree planting – explains
07.58 Selfs brothers and sisters in order – NOELENE CARSON, self, JOAN MCLEAN, JOHN REID, DAVID REID (died a week old from pneumonia) - details
09.20 Mothers' family – 4 girls – HAZEL, DORIS, MAMIE (sp.?), DULCEY – marriage details – explains
11.11 Mother went to WOMENS DIVISION and PLUNKET – Story about how mother met father – describes
13.04 MOSSBURN SPORTS DAY on CHRISTMAS DAY – big SOUTHLAND event – running races, sack races etc – story about TOMMY BEER – 3 legged races teamed up with ANDY WARDELL – attended MOSSBURN SCHOOL – 70 pupils, 2 teachers – recalls
15.00 End of Track 3
TRACK 4
00.00 MOSSBURN SCHOOL details continued – games played at break times – marbles, rounders – vege gardens to look after – flag raised and sang NATIONAL ANTHEM every day – Monday, Wednesday, Friday bread days – dusty school bus – describes
04.42 Self attended SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE for Secondary School – wife attended SOUTHLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL – NOLEEN, JOAN and Self boarded with Grandmother in WINDSOR INVERCARGILL – Self took AGRICULTURE, JOAN took COMMERCIAL as subjects – some in MOSSBURN went to boarding schools in DUNEDIN and CHRISTCHURCH – details
06.52 Most farmers made a comfortable living – explains
07.20 Farming changed from Rabbits to Fescue to Sheep – Deer farming became popular – now mostly DAIRY FARMING – some STATIONS farmed cattle - explains
09.45 MOSSBURN SALE YARDS huge sheep sale in February – beside the HOTEL – describes
10.30 YOUNG FARMERS CLUB’s job to load sheep on railway trucks after sale – 34 trucks one day – RAILHEAD had 3 trains a week – very busy when WEST ARM POWER STATION was in development - PASSENGER TRAIN every Friday night – story about Grandfather – describes.
12.29 Self had a bad stutter before starting school and at school – story about sitting on Fathers knee – Doctor gave self a pill to help him talk – describes
14.16 Stable community, stable childhood – explains
14.48 Life of women in those times – describes
15.00 End of Track 4
TRACK 5
00.00 Hard work for women – no facilities – ISABEL WHITE was a housekeeper to help Selfs Mother – Man who helped on the farm in off season – describes
01.00 Punishments for children – “when Dad raised his voice you took notice” - Self can’t even remember getting a smack – explains
01.52 School punishments – Self got the strap – Headmaster was over the top – TOMMY BEER in older room got strap every second day – describes
03.16 School subjects – Spelling and Arithmetic – Self good at both – Primary School mostly Maths and English – Self shows interviewer his reports – 1st in class of 32 – details
04.53 Selfs Father died at 89, Mother at 86 – stayed on farm – details
05.28 School Concerts – story about a PIRATE PLAY and BRUCE ANDERSON playing the captain – Self took over the part – story about putting foot through apple box treasure chests – explains
07.14 Adult concerts – 3 act plays – women in the community – held in MOSSBURN HALL – the BIZARRE was popular – details
07.52 Drinking culture – no drinking in the HALL – young people drank in cars – A dance every Saturday night – local bands – a lot of local talent - describes
10.24 LUMSDEN and BALFOUR rugby enemies – WAIKAIA strongest competition – story about playing LUMSDEN – describes
11.24 DEBUTANT BALLS big events – PLUNKET ran them – explains
11.46 Women played BASKETBALL; Men played RUGBY – HOCKEY became popular later on – LINDSAY KING started HOCKEY in MOSSBURN – travelled with RUGBY – REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY – details
13.37 End of Track 5
Interviewer: Jenny Campbell
Abstracter: Lindsay King
Interview: 25 January 2013
TRACK 1
00:00 Interview identification
00:38 ROY WATSON REID born 1936
00.54 Interview agreement
01.34 Born in INVERCARGILL, lived in MOSSBURN
02.22 Mothers maiden name, CARTER
02.36 Both grandparents, CARTERS, AUSTRALIAN, emigrated to NEW ZEALAND
03.32 Mother DORIS, worked in H&J SMITHS Haberdashery
03.40 AUSTRALIAN and SCOTTISH heritage – explains
04.34 Grandfather and great grandfathers name JOHN REID
05.00 Father called THOMAS WATSON REID, mother DORIS REID
05.45 Grandfather settled on a farm in TAPANUI called MARINO DOWNS – moved to MOSSBURN 1888 – grandfather and his brother ROBERT REID bought POINT VIEW farm – first private farm bought from CASTLE DOWNS ESTATE – describes
07.09 Grandfather married a girl MACAULEY in 1893 – ten children – wife died in 1906 at 34 years old – details
08.53 Self’s father born 1899 – middle of family – describes
10.08 Children went to MOSSBURN SCHOOL – self’s father left school at 12 years – describes
11.06 Family lived in 2-bedroom house – house still on farm – lived there until 1956 – water supply from creek – 10-gallon tank – children swam in creek – describes
13.39 No electricity until 1929 – first washing machine 1936 when self was born – CHAMPION COAL RANGE and electric range for cooking – describes
15.00 End of Track 1
TRACK 2
00.01 Grandmother made the family’s butter – describes
01.00 Self describes childhood – never inside – story of SHACKLOCK RANGE – catching eels – cutting FESCUE – explains
3.29 Self describes RABITTING as a child/teenager – rabbits everywhere – first entry in savings account 7 pounds for rabbit skins – sold to ALEC REID in DUNEDIN – recalls
6.44 Self bought a 22 rifle at 15 years old – used ferrets to catch rabbits – went with UNCLE BILL – used poison also to kill rabbits – STRYCHNINE on carrots – recalls
13.05 The hills were barren – country was green late August to November only – farming FESCUE – explains
15.00 End of Track 2
TRACK 3
00.01 Self left school 1951 – 520 ewes on the farm – 50 acres – 1993, 3000 ewes – most money made 1960s with 800 ewes – explains
00.58 1950/51 when KOREAN WAR was on the price of wool was high – cutting wool off fences – describes
02.12 Self attended SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE – travelled by bus – all cow farming – changed to sheep 1951 – explains
03.48 Changes in MOSSBURN over time – trees and fescue grown – very hot summers in past - biggest drought 1956 – explains
05.27 1957 wettest year ever had – flooding - describes
06.33 Grass and trees changed the landscape – explains
07.03 CATCHMENT BOARD subsidised tree planting – explains
07.58 Selfs brothers and sisters in order – NOELENE CARSON, self, JOAN MCLEAN, JOHN REID, DAVID REID (died a week old from pneumonia) - details
09.20 Mothers' family – 4 girls – HAZEL, DORIS, MAMIE (sp.?), DULCEY – marriage details – explains
11.11 Mother went to WOMENS DIVISION and PLUNKET – Story about how mother met father – describes
13.04 MOSSBURN SPORTS DAY on CHRISTMAS DAY – big SOUTHLAND event – running races, sack races etc – story about TOMMY BEER – 3 legged races teamed up with ANDY WARDELL – attended MOSSBURN SCHOOL – 70 pupils, 2 teachers – recalls
15.00 End of Track 3
TRACK 4
00.00 MOSSBURN SCHOOL details continued – games played at break times – marbles, rounders – vege gardens to look after – flag raised and sang NATIONAL ANTHEM every day – Monday, Wednesday, Friday bread days – dusty school bus – describes
04.42 Self attended SOUTHLAND TECHNICAL COLLEGE for Secondary School – wife attended SOUTHLAND GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL – NOLEEN, JOAN and Self boarded with Grandmother in WINDSOR INVERCARGILL – Self took AGRICULTURE, JOAN took COMMERCIAL as subjects – some in MOSSBURN went to boarding schools in DUNEDIN and CHRISTCHURCH – details
06.52 Most farmers made a comfortable living – explains
07.20 Farming changed from Rabbits to Fescue to Sheep – Deer farming became popular – now mostly DAIRY FARMING – some STATIONS farmed cattle - explains
09.45 MOSSBURN SALE YARDS huge sheep sale in February – beside the HOTEL – describes
10.30 YOUNG FARMERS CLUB’s job to load sheep on railway trucks after sale – 34 trucks one day – RAILHEAD had 3 trains a week – very busy when WEST ARM POWER STATION was in development - PASSENGER TRAIN every Friday night – story about Grandfather – describes.
12.29 Self had a bad stutter before starting school and at school – story about sitting on Fathers knee – Doctor gave self a pill to help him talk – describes
14.16 Stable community, stable childhood – explains
14.48 Life of women in those times – describes
15.00 End of Track 4
TRACK 5
00.00 Hard work for women – no facilities – ISABEL WHITE was a housekeeper to help Selfs Mother – Man who helped on the farm in off season – describes
01.00 Punishments for children – “when Dad raised his voice you took notice” - Self can’t even remember getting a smack – explains
01.52 School punishments – Self got the strap – Headmaster was over the top – TOMMY BEER in older room got strap every second day – describes
03.16 School subjects – Spelling and Arithmetic – Self good at both – Primary School mostly Maths and English – Self shows interviewer his reports – 1st in class of 32 – details
04.53 Selfs Father died at 89, Mother at 86 – stayed on farm – details
05.28 School Concerts – story about a PIRATE PLAY and BRUCE ANDERSON playing the captain – Self took over the part – story about putting foot through apple box treasure chests – explains
07.14 Adult concerts – 3 act plays – women in the community – held in MOSSBURN HALL – the BIZARRE was popular – details
07.52 Drinking culture – no drinking in the HALL – young people drank in cars – A dance every Saturday night – local bands – a lot of local talent - describes
10.24 LUMSDEN and BALFOUR rugby enemies – WAIKAIA strongest competition – story about playing LUMSDEN – describes
11.24 DEBUTANT BALLS big events – PLUNKET ran them – explains
11.46 Women played BASKETBALL; Men played RUGBY – HOCKEY became popular later on – LINDSAY KING started HOCKEY in MOSSBURN – travelled with RUGBY – REPRESENTATIVE RUGBY – details
13.37 End of Track 5
Dates
- 2021
Conditions Governing Access
For access please contact the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator at sohp@ilibrary.co.nz.
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Campbell, Jenny (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
