Wendy Patricia Evelyn Ferguson (nee Aicken)

Interviewer: Cathy Macfie

Abstractor: Cathy Macfie

Interview: 8 August 2020

TRACK 1

00.09 Interview identification

00.38 WENDY PATRICIA EVELYN FERGUSON born in 1952

01.15 Interview agreement

01.50 End of Track 1

TRACK 2

00.15 AICKEN FAMILY BACKGROUND. Wendy is 6th child in family of 10. Grandfather arrived from Co. Antrim [Ireland] in 1869 and bought many parcels of land in OTATARA. MARRIED SUSAN HORTON from GROVE BUSH; settled in OTATARA and had 8 children. Lived first at ‘OLD FIVE ROADS CORNER’ where most of children were born, then moved to BLACKS ROAD .

01.12 Grandfather used team of six DRAUGHT HORSES to clear bush and plant crops. Describes.

01.40 Gifted parcel of OTATARA LAND to adult family. Explains. Wendy’s father inherited original BLACKS ROAD homestead when he married EVELYN TOOLE. Parents had 10 children. First five children born at original BLACKS ROAD homestead [No.84]; others born at second family home purchased from GERRARDS on other side of AICKEN property. [VYNER ROAD] Wendy still lives there. Reflects.

03.15 FARMING ACTIVITIES. Describes. Older sister recalls mother hand-milking cows and cycling to TWEED STREED shop to sell butter and cheese. Reference: Family document details Aicken-Horton family history.

04.12 Recalls stories of GRANDPARENTS (on father’s side) as hard workers. Grandmother kept hens; grandfather took produce to town in HANSOM CAB and charged his wife cartage. Grandfather owned RENTAL PROPERTIES in Invercargill; recalls his strategy for collecting rent. Known as ‘Lord of Invercargill’. Explains.

06.39 FAMILY LIFE. Recalls 8 cousins living other end of VYNER ROAD; always someone to play with. VYNER ROAD name change to AICKEN ROAD. Explains.

07.15 Early memories as a ‘helping person’. Explains. Twenty cows to milk then TRANSPORT part-way to school on back of milk sled to FIVE ROADS CORNER. Explains. Then walked to OTATARA SCHOOL on DUNNS ROAD. Father attended OTATARA SCHOOL on COGGINS ROAD. Mentions. TRANSPORT by tractor or bicycle until youngest sister KARINA was 12 years; then bought first car. Took horses to school for SHOW DAY and PET DAY.

08.38 Recalls children being envious of family’s DRAUGHT HORSES. OTATARA described as relatively “poor” and remote. Explains.

09.14 DOMESTIC TASKS Hard-working mother struggling with washing in copper. Describes. Recalls how mother was known as “Mrs Snow White”. Explains. Coal range still in Aicken home. Mother found it hard to manage new technologies, e.g. wringer washing machine and electric cooker. Explains.

11.00 DISCIPLINE not strict. Children “had nothing and didn’t ask for anything”. Ready to help as needed. Recalls “marvellous” PLAYTIMES. Sister JUDITH organised rides on draught horses for school kids at weekends. Explains. References hut-building; making shangais from sticks.

12.20 Recalls OTATARA BUSH was much thicker on their property. Mother used ferrets for RABBIT CATCHING on BLACKS ROAD. Supposed to wring necks but humourous anecdote of escapes. DAIRYING and CONTRACTING main income earners. Father used KNIFE MOVER for HAY-MAKING. Explains.

14.10 Age difference between Wendy and oldest sister HEATHER was 12 years. Heather recalls using draught horse to shift belongings across paddocks from BLACK ROAD home to VYNER ROAD home.

15.02 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00.0 Mother didn’t want to leave. Explains.

00.25 Mother prepared the “best FOOD anyone would want”. Meat, veg, pudding for all. Describes. Recalls PRODUCE available on farm. Little access to lollies, fizzy drinks. Explains.

01.35 CHRISTMAS main CELEBRATION until family grew too big. Explains. PICNICS on property popular. Describes.

02.42 Family did not go to church but mother was RELIGIOUS. Good with words. Explains.

03.27 Recalls father as “good to us kids”. Showed them how to do things; taught skills. Gave treat of Oddfellows lolly, cut in half and left on fence post.

04.31 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00.0 OTATARA COMMUNITY

00.10 Few houses on VYNER ROAD; mostly smallholdings. Describes. Friendly, helpful people. Saw father “like a vet”. Explains.

01.36 No development on ERSKINE and HURUHURU ROADS. Used to gallop horses down road. Explains. Between VYNER and MATUA ROADS was covered in lupins. Used dirt track to race old cars and motorbikes. Describes.

02.30 OTATARA SCHOOL had few classrooms. Good times. Explains. Recalls FLOWER SHOW at old OTATARA HALL on RURU AVENUE. Made SAND SAUCERS. Explains.

03.20 FAMILY TRAGEDY death of niece MICHELLE on way home from LITHGOW INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL when bus hit train. Describes. Loss affected mother badly. Explains.

05.25 Brother NEVILLE (d.) was highly regarded contractor, worked for SOUTHLAND SAND AND GRAVEL and BOND CONTRACTING. Responsible for drivework and landscaping OTATARA SUBDIVISIONS , e.g. SPENCE AVENUE. Details the quality of his work. Neville also remembered for GYPSY WAGON (Pie Cart) he towed each morning to WACHNER PLACE. Describes.

06.40 EMPLOYMENT. Left school at 15 yrs and helped father. Sister JANICE got her a job at SOUTHLAND FARMERS CO-OPERATIVE WOOL STORE, as a sorter. No interview. Explains. Boss CHARLIE TURNER sent her out to farms during shearing to sort wool. Describes. Worked there 17 – 24 years (to first child). Loved working with animals.

08.08 MARRIAGE. Courted husband BARRY 3 yrs; had two children. BARRY killed crossing road during visit to parents in TOKOROA. Describes accident. In coma at WAIKATO HOSPITAL for 45 weeks. Recalls challenge of regular visits with children and kindnesses encountered.

11.35 BARRY was a FREEZING WORKER at ALLIANCE, in FELLMONGERY. Hard worker. Describes. MELISSA was 12 yrs and MELANIE 3 yrs when he died. Wendy moved from WATT ROAD to live with her father and brother Neville at family home in VYNER ROAD. Recalls how she helped father and girls had father figures .

12.53 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00.00 Interviewer introduces block of land west of Oreti Road, recently purchased by NZ Native Forest Restoration Trust, most recently farmed by Peter Knight.

00.30 Brothers remember JACK GALBRAITH, a ‘pioneer man’ who had pigs, bullocks and “old sheep” rarely shorn. Jack accessed property in old Chev truck down river flats at low tide.

01.20 Next owner NEIL McCULLUM farmed sheep and cattle. Aicken kids helped to round up cattle on horseback. Recalls fun of riding through property and blackberrying. Many lupins. Neil organised aerial topdressing. Describes. Neil worked with good friend LAURIE FINNERTY at OCEAN BEACH FREEZING WORKS as board walkers. Neil there almost to Works closure.

02.50 IRWEN BLACK had RIDING SCHOOL and kept horses on ERSKINE ROAD on GORDON CROWTHER’S land. Describes. Riders accessed ORETI RIVER through NEIL McCULLUM’S property. Irwen found Neil unconscious on living room floor. Describes. Spent remainder of life at Riverton care home. LAURIE FINNERTY became farm manager until Neil’s death. Neil lived in two small, very simple huts (outside toilet?) until he retired from Freezing Works; then built house. Orientated to overlook the drive. Explains. PETER KNIGHT last farmer. Also allowed local access for riding. Laid-back farmer. Explains.

06.37 End of Track 5