Abstract of William John (Jack) PRITCHARD, 2006
Item — Box: 16
Identifier: H01500002
Abstract
WIILIAM JOHN (JACK) PRITCHARD
Interviewer: Janice Templeton
Abstracter: Jean Hawkes
TRACK 1
00:00 Interview Identification.
00:33 WILLIAM JOHN 'JACK' PRITCHARD Born in 1919 at WAIKIWI [PARENTS]: Father – JOHN PRITCHARD – Mother – JANET SMITH
01:06 Father – Lived at WAIKIWI all of life. Grandfather – JOHN PRITCHARD from LUDLOW on Welsh Border. To NEW ZEALAND on 'Isabella Hamilton' 1860 LYTTELTON – DUNEDIN – INVERCARGILL – Mentioned Gold mining on WEST COAST – Approaches to RIVERTON BRIDGE
02:00 Grandfather had land at PRESTONVILLE, WAIKIWI – Planted an orchard Double-story wooden house 1871 bought 30 acres on McIVORS ROAD – Traction engine to move house.
02:58 1915 House fire – Brick house built GALIPOLLI DAY – Mentioned
03:40 Mother's father – WILLIE SMITH from MUSSELBURGH, EDINBURGH Worked on baker's cart – Hellaby (?) colliery. To NEW ZEALAND when wife died – To PETER ROSS of MAKAREWA PETER worked in HOKONUI COAL MINE.
04:50 WILLIE worked in NIGHTCAPS mine – Met wife-to-be at LEVIATHAN HOTEL, DUNEDIN. Married – returned to SCOTLAND Children brought to NEW ZEALAND – JANET – ADAM – SUSIE ADAM in WW1 – SUSIE fired first shot LINTON COAL FIELD
05:44 Lignite mines THORNBURY – FAIRFAX – WILD BUSH – WAIPANGO – POURAKINO RIVER – RIVERTON. ANDERSON'S property – Mentioned.
06:50 Use of punt and rail for transport of lignite TOM OGG (?) – Mentioned.
07:10 Firewood from TRAIL'S MILL – Described.
07:36 McGREGOR'S – MOUNT LINTON STATION – Mining coal GAVIN BRIGHTON – LINTON COAL FIELD 08:18 Mineral Rights – Not much money – L E J McGREGOR
08:44 McGREGOR'S financial expectation – Described. Grandfather good prospector and miner – Poor businessman.
09:03 Formation of LINTON COAL COMPANY Grandfather's position – Shares sold – Described.
10:08 Went to buy another mine – Already sold
10:29 SMITH grandparents lived in FAIRFAX – House in RIVERTON where FIRE BRIGADE is – before MOUNT LINTON
11:14 FREW'S hut while prospecting LINTON FIELDS – Coal moved on drays 11:56 Transport of FREW'S hut during flood – Described.
12:20 After MOUNT LINTON – House at MORETOWN – NEW BRIGHTON MINE Self's experience with sound (?) whistle as a small child NIGHTCAPS – Mentioned
13:00 Self remembers going down the mine
13:09 Parents met – married – lived at McIVOR ROAD
13:34 Grandfather SMITH managed LINTON MINE till 1917 – Depot in TIMARU Self holidayed in TIMARU.
14:01 Father's care of orchard at McIVOR ROAD – Described TODD'S and BOWDEN'S AUCTION ROOMS – Mentioned
14:51 Extraction of honey – Explained. Most sold on site.
17:22 Self did not like bees – stung – little to do with their care.
17:55 JEAN eldest sister, violinist, did not marry – Self – GRACE, married DAVID BRASS of APARIMA McSKIMMINGS BRICKWORKS – Mentioned
18:29 PETER BRASS (Evandale Gardens) – Mentioned.
19:00 Father had worked at FAIRLIGHT STATION as a young person.
19:20 Parents met at Uncle PETER ROSS'S at MAKAREWA
19:46 Self brought up on McIVOR ROAD.
19:52 [EDUCATION]: WAIKIWI SCHOOL – SOUTHLAND TECH. Primary School – Dreadful teachers – Described. Incident involving sister JEAN – Described. 'Strap-happy' teachers.
21:21 Poet BEN WARD (?) book of poems 1883 – Head injuries noted. 1st WAIKIWI SCHOOL – Near DALGETY'S WOOL STORE, LORNEVILLE or WAIHOPAI. Treatment of boys drinking from tap – Described. Female teacher's treatment of boys fighting – Described. Self completed Proficiency.
22:45 TECH – Three years day tech Two years night tech – Radio Course then to Post Office Correspondence Courses.
23:18 TECH more enjoyable than primary school. TOMMY CUSHEN – WATSON (electricity) – BILLIE MACINDOE – Mentioned.
23:52 Offer of job at STORRIE and WILLETT – Started but went back to Tech Reasons – Explained.
25:13 Temporary job at DOMINION ELECTRIC owned by GEORGE PRINTZ 'THE TURRETS' at OREPUKI – MONKEY ISLAND – Mentioned. Mr FREDERIC manager. About 1935
26:23 Out of work – Would not go on a farm – Applied for position as mechanician with POST OFFICE – Best job for person with interest in radio and electricity. BILLIE MACINDOE – Mentioned.
27:24 1939 transferred to DUNEDIN – In Territorials INVERCARGILL and DUNEDIN 27:42 Joined Army – To PAPAKURA with Signals – To EGYPT – Transfer to 21st Battalion – Limited use of skills – Transferred to Signals skills used. GREECE – Mentioned.
28:57 Conditions in CAIRO at MAADI in huts, sometimes tents in other places.
29:23 ALAMEIN – QATTARA/KATARA DEPRESSION – Area Described Bunkers built.
30:21 BAQQUSH – MOURSY MATROUH – 1941 'cut off' by GERMAN Army.
30:43 25th Battalion at SIDI RASHID attack of GERMAN troops – Described.
31:01 Self at Brigade H Q care of Exchange – Brigadier BARROWCLOUGH 26th Battalion – Mentioned. Field telephone contact lost with 21st Battalion – Explained
31:40 SOUTH AFRICAN 2nd Armoured Division 'knocked out' by GERMANS – after effects – Described.
32:18 Return to base – Tanks thought to be SOUTH AFRICAN but weren't. Sheltering in slit trench – Described.
33:09 Evacuation – Brigadier on the move – Escape in Stores Truck – Described.
34:20 Joined with 4th Brigade – Attitude of GERMANS – Described Thoughts regarding going to war GENERAL ROMMEL – CHURCHILL – Mentioned
36:05 Details of many adaptations made to Army Field Telephone Systems during WW2 ALAMEIN – Mentioned Two citations for work done – Taken to picture framers and lost
42:30 Returned to NEW ZEALAND in 1945 – via FOVEAUX STRAIT to LYTTELTON Mayor ABRAHAM WACHNER met Troop Train in INVERCARGILL
43:18 Home to parents – Holiday – Soldiers received travel passes. Self visited step-grandmother in TIMARU 44:33 Returned to Post Office in DUNEDIN – Position kept Surrender of JAPAN – Exchanges busy, limited accessibility – Explained
45:40 Transferred to WELLINGTON – LOWER HUTT Exchange Step-by-step dialling – Explained. Dialling system in DUNEDIN – Described.
47:12 Lived at TRENTHAM CAMP then to hostel at JOHNSONVILLE Conditions at TRENTHAM – Described.
47:52 Met wife (THELMA) at a dance WELLINGTON – More men than women at dances – Travel after dance – Described. THELMA nurse at PORIRUA – From PAEROA
50:02 Married in SOUTHLAND. Wife's situation – Explained.
50:49 Three children – ANN married KEVIN SUTHERLAND of PUKEMAORI – JEFF in WELLINGTON – MARGARET with GEORGE SEATOR at LONGWOOD.
52:00 Returned to SOUTHLAND 1956 – Bought farm. Resigned from WELLINGTON – Explained
53:20 Visit to INVERCARGILL Telephone Exchange – Job offer accepted. WYNDHAM – Mentioned
53:56 THELMA helped on farm – 570 sheep on small farm.
54:39 Patented inventions – Water tank extensions – Sockets for radio chassis – TV Phillips kitset. STAN SHAW – built coloured TV – killed CHECHNYA CLINTON – HEDGEHOPE – GUMMIES BUSH – CHARLIE PANKHURST – McLELLAN – OTAUTAU – Mentioned.
59:04 Self alright with valves (radio/TV) not transistors.
59:19 Post Office Suggestions – Hand held tester– Described. BRITAIN – AUSTRALIA – Mentioned
60:41 Telephone wiper adaptation in INVERCARGILL – Described. Attitude in WELLINGTON – Described
62:29 Governmental waste of money – Mentioned American attitude to governments – Mentioned.
63:00 [LAMB TEATS]: Hand feeding of new lambs – Solution considered...
63:39 End of Track 1
TRACK 2
00:00 Tube drenching ewes – Described. Tube feeding of new lambs – Many lambs lost 00:56 Creation of LAMB TEAT – Described Advised to see plastic manufacturer in CHRISTCHURCH
02:15 Firm in AUCKLAND made nipples – BRITISH teat comparison – Alteration made Import problems – AUBREY BEGG helped self to gain license to import.
03:22 Tooling made in CHRISTCHURCH – Described. Cost and Loss for Bottle Holder – Explained.
04:04 Inventing very risky – Selling can be difficult – Maybe one New Zealand invention in twenty will make a profit – In USA about one in two hundred
04:52 Teats kept as cottage industry – Mainly family – Export. Agent in ENGLAND sends to NORWAY – AMERICA Self exports to AMERICA and CANADA – Few to AUSTRALIA
05:35 Teats sent to AUCKLAND – CHRISTCHURCH – SOUTHLAND Vets Available in any farm merchandise store. Need for reliable clients – Explained.
06:56 Components received from manufacturers, assembled and packaged in Southland.
07:13 Dispatch process – Explained INVERCARGILL – AMERICA via customs broker
08:11 Main demand near springtime in NEW ZEALAND – Overseas around February- March
08:40 Marketing – Self did a lot at the start but not at present.
09:09 Change from 'push-in' to 'Pritchard' teats – Recalled. Amounts of feed delivered compared. Wastage of milk reduced – Financial savings
10:18 Original teats made in 1968 – Copy-cats being made now Push-in ones gone – sales too small Screw cap – Mentioned.
11:23 Affects of teats used by farming community. Manufacture of teats – Described
12:55 End of Track 2
Abstracter: Jean Hawkes
TRACK 1
00:00 Interview Identification.
00:33 WILLIAM JOHN 'JACK' PRITCHARD Born in 1919 at WAIKIWI [PARENTS]: Father – JOHN PRITCHARD – Mother – JANET SMITH
01:06 Father – Lived at WAIKIWI all of life. Grandfather – JOHN PRITCHARD from LUDLOW on Welsh Border. To NEW ZEALAND on 'Isabella Hamilton' 1860 LYTTELTON – DUNEDIN – INVERCARGILL – Mentioned Gold mining on WEST COAST – Approaches to RIVERTON BRIDGE
02:00 Grandfather had land at PRESTONVILLE, WAIKIWI – Planted an orchard Double-story wooden house 1871 bought 30 acres on McIVORS ROAD – Traction engine to move house.
02:58 1915 House fire – Brick house built GALIPOLLI DAY – Mentioned
03:40 Mother's father – WILLIE SMITH from MUSSELBURGH, EDINBURGH Worked on baker's cart – Hellaby (?) colliery. To NEW ZEALAND when wife died – To PETER ROSS of MAKAREWA PETER worked in HOKONUI COAL MINE.
04:50 WILLIE worked in NIGHTCAPS mine – Met wife-to-be at LEVIATHAN HOTEL, DUNEDIN. Married – returned to SCOTLAND Children brought to NEW ZEALAND – JANET – ADAM – SUSIE ADAM in WW1 – SUSIE fired first shot LINTON COAL FIELD
05:44 Lignite mines THORNBURY – FAIRFAX – WILD BUSH – WAIPANGO – POURAKINO RIVER – RIVERTON. ANDERSON'S property – Mentioned.
06:50 Use of punt and rail for transport of lignite TOM OGG (?) – Mentioned.
07:10 Firewood from TRAIL'S MILL – Described.
07:36 McGREGOR'S – MOUNT LINTON STATION – Mining coal GAVIN BRIGHTON – LINTON COAL FIELD 08:18 Mineral Rights – Not much money – L E J McGREGOR
08:44 McGREGOR'S financial expectation – Described. Grandfather good prospector and miner – Poor businessman.
09:03 Formation of LINTON COAL COMPANY Grandfather's position – Shares sold – Described.
10:08 Went to buy another mine – Already sold
10:29 SMITH grandparents lived in FAIRFAX – House in RIVERTON where FIRE BRIGADE is – before MOUNT LINTON
11:14 FREW'S hut while prospecting LINTON FIELDS – Coal moved on drays 11:56 Transport of FREW'S hut during flood – Described.
12:20 After MOUNT LINTON – House at MORETOWN – NEW BRIGHTON MINE Self's experience with sound (?) whistle as a small child NIGHTCAPS – Mentioned
13:00 Self remembers going down the mine
13:09 Parents met – married – lived at McIVOR ROAD
13:34 Grandfather SMITH managed LINTON MINE till 1917 – Depot in TIMARU Self holidayed in TIMARU.
14:01 Father's care of orchard at McIVOR ROAD – Described TODD'S and BOWDEN'S AUCTION ROOMS – Mentioned
14:51 Extraction of honey – Explained. Most sold on site.
17:22 Self did not like bees – stung – little to do with their care.
17:55 JEAN eldest sister, violinist, did not marry – Self – GRACE, married DAVID BRASS of APARIMA McSKIMMINGS BRICKWORKS – Mentioned
18:29 PETER BRASS (Evandale Gardens) – Mentioned.
19:00 Father had worked at FAIRLIGHT STATION as a young person.
19:20 Parents met at Uncle PETER ROSS'S at MAKAREWA
19:46 Self brought up on McIVOR ROAD.
19:52 [EDUCATION]: WAIKIWI SCHOOL – SOUTHLAND TECH. Primary School – Dreadful teachers – Described. Incident involving sister JEAN – Described. 'Strap-happy' teachers.
21:21 Poet BEN WARD (?) book of poems 1883 – Head injuries noted. 1st WAIKIWI SCHOOL – Near DALGETY'S WOOL STORE, LORNEVILLE or WAIHOPAI. Treatment of boys drinking from tap – Described. Female teacher's treatment of boys fighting – Described. Self completed Proficiency.
22:45 TECH – Three years day tech Two years night tech – Radio Course then to Post Office Correspondence Courses.
23:18 TECH more enjoyable than primary school. TOMMY CUSHEN – WATSON (electricity) – BILLIE MACINDOE – Mentioned.
23:52 Offer of job at STORRIE and WILLETT – Started but went back to Tech Reasons – Explained.
25:13 Temporary job at DOMINION ELECTRIC owned by GEORGE PRINTZ 'THE TURRETS' at OREPUKI – MONKEY ISLAND – Mentioned. Mr FREDERIC manager. About 1935
26:23 Out of work – Would not go on a farm – Applied for position as mechanician with POST OFFICE – Best job for person with interest in radio and electricity. BILLIE MACINDOE – Mentioned.
27:24 1939 transferred to DUNEDIN – In Territorials INVERCARGILL and DUNEDIN 27:42 Joined Army – To PAPAKURA with Signals – To EGYPT – Transfer to 21st Battalion – Limited use of skills – Transferred to Signals skills used. GREECE – Mentioned.
28:57 Conditions in CAIRO at MAADI in huts, sometimes tents in other places.
29:23 ALAMEIN – QATTARA/KATARA DEPRESSION – Area Described Bunkers built.
30:21 BAQQUSH – MOURSY MATROUH – 1941 'cut off' by GERMAN Army.
30:43 25th Battalion at SIDI RASHID attack of GERMAN troops – Described.
31:01 Self at Brigade H Q care of Exchange – Brigadier BARROWCLOUGH 26th Battalion – Mentioned. Field telephone contact lost with 21st Battalion – Explained
31:40 SOUTH AFRICAN 2nd Armoured Division 'knocked out' by GERMANS – after effects – Described.
32:18 Return to base – Tanks thought to be SOUTH AFRICAN but weren't. Sheltering in slit trench – Described.
33:09 Evacuation – Brigadier on the move – Escape in Stores Truck – Described.
34:20 Joined with 4th Brigade – Attitude of GERMANS – Described Thoughts regarding going to war GENERAL ROMMEL – CHURCHILL – Mentioned
36:05 Details of many adaptations made to Army Field Telephone Systems during WW2 ALAMEIN – Mentioned Two citations for work done – Taken to picture framers and lost
42:30 Returned to NEW ZEALAND in 1945 – via FOVEAUX STRAIT to LYTTELTON Mayor ABRAHAM WACHNER met Troop Train in INVERCARGILL
43:18 Home to parents – Holiday – Soldiers received travel passes. Self visited step-grandmother in TIMARU 44:33 Returned to Post Office in DUNEDIN – Position kept Surrender of JAPAN – Exchanges busy, limited accessibility – Explained
45:40 Transferred to WELLINGTON – LOWER HUTT Exchange Step-by-step dialling – Explained. Dialling system in DUNEDIN – Described.
47:12 Lived at TRENTHAM CAMP then to hostel at JOHNSONVILLE Conditions at TRENTHAM – Described.
47:52 Met wife (THELMA) at a dance WELLINGTON – More men than women at dances – Travel after dance – Described. THELMA nurse at PORIRUA – From PAEROA
50:02 Married in SOUTHLAND. Wife's situation – Explained.
50:49 Three children – ANN married KEVIN SUTHERLAND of PUKEMAORI – JEFF in WELLINGTON – MARGARET with GEORGE SEATOR at LONGWOOD.
52:00 Returned to SOUTHLAND 1956 – Bought farm. Resigned from WELLINGTON – Explained
53:20 Visit to INVERCARGILL Telephone Exchange – Job offer accepted. WYNDHAM – Mentioned
53:56 THELMA helped on farm – 570 sheep on small farm.
54:39 Patented inventions – Water tank extensions – Sockets for radio chassis – TV Phillips kitset. STAN SHAW – built coloured TV – killed CHECHNYA CLINTON – HEDGEHOPE – GUMMIES BUSH – CHARLIE PANKHURST – McLELLAN – OTAUTAU – Mentioned.
59:04 Self alright with valves (radio/TV) not transistors.
59:19 Post Office Suggestions – Hand held tester– Described. BRITAIN – AUSTRALIA – Mentioned
60:41 Telephone wiper adaptation in INVERCARGILL – Described. Attitude in WELLINGTON – Described
62:29 Governmental waste of money – Mentioned American attitude to governments – Mentioned.
63:00 [LAMB TEATS]: Hand feeding of new lambs – Solution considered...
63:39 End of Track 1
TRACK 2
00:00 Tube drenching ewes – Described. Tube feeding of new lambs – Many lambs lost 00:56 Creation of LAMB TEAT – Described Advised to see plastic manufacturer in CHRISTCHURCH
02:15 Firm in AUCKLAND made nipples – BRITISH teat comparison – Alteration made Import problems – AUBREY BEGG helped self to gain license to import.
03:22 Tooling made in CHRISTCHURCH – Described. Cost and Loss for Bottle Holder – Explained.
04:04 Inventing very risky – Selling can be difficult – Maybe one New Zealand invention in twenty will make a profit – In USA about one in two hundred
04:52 Teats kept as cottage industry – Mainly family – Export. Agent in ENGLAND sends to NORWAY – AMERICA Self exports to AMERICA and CANADA – Few to AUSTRALIA
05:35 Teats sent to AUCKLAND – CHRISTCHURCH – SOUTHLAND Vets Available in any farm merchandise store. Need for reliable clients – Explained.
06:56 Components received from manufacturers, assembled and packaged in Southland.
07:13 Dispatch process – Explained INVERCARGILL – AMERICA via customs broker
08:11 Main demand near springtime in NEW ZEALAND – Overseas around February- March
08:40 Marketing – Self did a lot at the start but not at present.
09:09 Change from 'push-in' to 'Pritchard' teats – Recalled. Amounts of feed delivered compared. Wastage of milk reduced – Financial savings
10:18 Original teats made in 1968 – Copy-cats being made now Push-in ones gone – sales too small Screw cap – Mentioned.
11:23 Affects of teats used by farming community. Manufacture of teats – Described
12:55 End of Track 2
Dates
- 2006
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: Templeton, Janice (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
