Abstract of William Stewart Reid TEMPLETON, 2024
Item — Box: 37
Identifier: H03540002
Abstract
H0354 WILLIAM STEWART ROSS (BILL) TEMPLETON
Interviewer: Avis McDonald
Interview date: 19 June 2018
Abstractor Judith Christie
TRACK ONE
00.00 Interview introduction.
00.45 Born at KAITAIA in 1931. Parents were WILLIAM ??? and ISOBEL MELROSE KENNEDY TEMPLETON, NATIVE SCHOOL TEACHERS. Parents taught at WAIPAHI at the top of the North Island and at PIPIRIKI.
02.00 Self attended school parents taught at. Attended PIPIRIKI SCHOOL on the WANGANUI RIVER where parents also taught at. 15 students attended. Parents stopped teaching in 1934.
02.45 Parents purchased PIPIRIKI STORE which served the MAORI COMMUNITY. Self wanted to go farming so parents bought a run-down FARM up the Wanganui River. Describes farm as ‘biblical’. Sheep, scrub, fern, Manuka indistinct.
04.00 Father brought up as a FLAX MILLER, and decided to go back flax milling with his brothers at RIVERTON. Entry in the TEMPLETON BOOK.
06.15 Discussion re other FLAX MILLS.
06.30 Self was FLAX MILLING for five years, all over SOUTHLAND. Dangerous machinery, including stripper/feeder. ALBIE MURRAY was injured.
07.30 Self’s ambition was to be a FARMER. FLAX MILL BURNT DOWN, was rebuilt, then front fell off in a storm.
08.30 Self liked dogs and HIGH COUNTRY SHEPHERDING, and worked at a STATION just out of GORE for three years. Worked for tough employer – 24 married couples had left the station in four years, but self loved what he was doing and enjoyed it and got on well with his boss in the end.
10.00 Married a girl from BALCLUTHA called SHIRLEY. Two daughters, Laura and Jenna. This is incorrect – they are granddaughters.
10.50 Self had one BROTHER called JOHN who went SHAREMILKING and then managed PAYKELS in CHRISTCHURCH.
11.30 MARRIED in WANGANUI and moved around a lot. Self had a way with SHEEPDOGS on the hills. Rode a HORSE. Was able to work anywhere in New Zealand with the dogs, including the roughest stations.
13.30 LEASED a run-down FARM, then won a BALLOT FARM. Rented a place at BRYDONE for eight or ten years in older age, then went to live in GORE. Wife ended up in a wheelchair for fifteen years. Self looked after her – saw this as a commitment of MARRIAGE. Describes.
17.15 Worked on the chain when FLAXMILLING. Very wet and hard work. Damaged self’s knees because of the work. Didn’t work in the paddocks very often. UNCLE ANDREW employed useless people from RIVERTON who were not committed.
19.30 ANDY TEMPLETON same age as interviewer’s father describes family connections.
20.00 SCUTCHING SHED at the mill. Likely to burn as lots of fibre and dust in it.
20.40 TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS describes. Granddaughters are bodybuilders and both live in MOSGIEL.
23.20 Granddaughters also boxed. Describes
24.30 Self attend QUAKER HIGH SCHOOL, was told he would never be a farmer. When he left TE ANAU, told by neighbours he was fitter than them, even though they were older.
25.45 Managed a farm at LAWRENCE, dealt with difficult employee, whose wife thanked self for ‘making him a man’. Describes
30.00 Has lived in rough houses, but put up with them. Wife SHIRLEY GOOD FARMER.
30.40 Mention of self’s ill health.
32.00 Farm at TE ANAU was mixed. Contract SHEARERS and CRUTCHERS used. Prior to Te Anau, self was a BACK COUNTRY FENCER on contract. Hard work. Once walked across a wool shed with two bags of oats on his back. Self had a reputation for strength describes.
34.30 Self has only one good arm.
35.00 Attended ANDY TEMPLETON’S FUNERAL describes.
35.20 Self played the PIANO.
37.00 AUNTY MAY was Andy Templeton’s wife describes
38.30 SELF’S FATHER returned from WWI in 1921. Gave Uncle Andrew money to build a house and keep the flax mill going.
39.00 Self’s daughter died a few years ago. Was good at computing, found information about self’s father’s war service. CANUK BAY (CHUNUK BAIR?) at GALLIPOLI. Found absent without leave for ten days. Worked at rock face?
41.15 Father lived for many years when he returned from WWI, sick often. Father laughed a lot – very positive. He is buried at ASHBURTON, where his brother lived.
42.50 School house was on the property at PIPIRIKI, so school nearby. Enjoyed CRAYFISHING at night time when at school. Often asked where Pipiriki is. Left school at 15. Attended High School at FIELDING AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. Caught smoking. Describes HOUSE CAPTAIN at High School who ended up as BISHOP OF AOTEAROA WHAKAHUIHUI VERCOE. Self took responsibility for smoking to save House Captain.
48.40 Self has had a very good life – going by boat on the Wanganui River, travelling by Maori canoes (waka). Self could SPEAK FLUENT MAORI when young.
51.20 Self enjoyed ATHLETICS, TENNIS, BIKE RIDING - won a race at Balclutha. Describes
End of Track One.
Interviewer: Avis McDonald
Interview date: 19 June 2018
Abstractor Judith Christie
TRACK ONE
00.00 Interview introduction.
00.45 Born at KAITAIA in 1931. Parents were WILLIAM ??? and ISOBEL MELROSE KENNEDY TEMPLETON, NATIVE SCHOOL TEACHERS. Parents taught at WAIPAHI at the top of the North Island and at PIPIRIKI.
02.00 Self attended school parents taught at. Attended PIPIRIKI SCHOOL on the WANGANUI RIVER where parents also taught at. 15 students attended. Parents stopped teaching in 1934.
02.45 Parents purchased PIPIRIKI STORE which served the MAORI COMMUNITY. Self wanted to go farming so parents bought a run-down FARM up the Wanganui River. Describes farm as ‘biblical’. Sheep, scrub, fern, Manuka indistinct.
04.00 Father brought up as a FLAX MILLER, and decided to go back flax milling with his brothers at RIVERTON. Entry in the TEMPLETON BOOK.
06.15 Discussion re other FLAX MILLS.
06.30 Self was FLAX MILLING for five years, all over SOUTHLAND. Dangerous machinery, including stripper/feeder. ALBIE MURRAY was injured.
07.30 Self’s ambition was to be a FARMER. FLAX MILL BURNT DOWN, was rebuilt, then front fell off in a storm.
08.30 Self liked dogs and HIGH COUNTRY SHEPHERDING, and worked at a STATION just out of GORE for three years. Worked for tough employer – 24 married couples had left the station in four years, but self loved what he was doing and enjoyed it and got on well with his boss in the end.
10.00 Married a girl from BALCLUTHA called SHIRLEY. Two daughters, Laura and Jenna. This is incorrect – they are granddaughters.
10.50 Self had one BROTHER called JOHN who went SHAREMILKING and then managed PAYKELS in CHRISTCHURCH.
11.30 MARRIED in WANGANUI and moved around a lot. Self had a way with SHEEPDOGS on the hills. Rode a HORSE. Was able to work anywhere in New Zealand with the dogs, including the roughest stations.
13.30 LEASED a run-down FARM, then won a BALLOT FARM. Rented a place at BRYDONE for eight or ten years in older age, then went to live in GORE. Wife ended up in a wheelchair for fifteen years. Self looked after her – saw this as a commitment of MARRIAGE. Describes.
17.15 Worked on the chain when FLAXMILLING. Very wet and hard work. Damaged self’s knees because of the work. Didn’t work in the paddocks very often. UNCLE ANDREW employed useless people from RIVERTON who were not committed.
19.30 ANDY TEMPLETON same age as interviewer’s father describes family connections.
20.00 SCUTCHING SHED at the mill. Likely to burn as lots of fibre and dust in it.
20.40 TWO GRANDDAUGHTERS describes. Granddaughters are bodybuilders and both live in MOSGIEL.
23.20 Granddaughters also boxed. Describes
24.30 Self attend QUAKER HIGH SCHOOL, was told he would never be a farmer. When he left TE ANAU, told by neighbours he was fitter than them, even though they were older.
25.45 Managed a farm at LAWRENCE, dealt with difficult employee, whose wife thanked self for ‘making him a man’. Describes
30.00 Has lived in rough houses, but put up with them. Wife SHIRLEY GOOD FARMER.
30.40 Mention of self’s ill health.
32.00 Farm at TE ANAU was mixed. Contract SHEARERS and CRUTCHERS used. Prior to Te Anau, self was a BACK COUNTRY FENCER on contract. Hard work. Once walked across a wool shed with two bags of oats on his back. Self had a reputation for strength describes.
34.30 Self has only one good arm.
35.00 Attended ANDY TEMPLETON’S FUNERAL describes.
35.20 Self played the PIANO.
37.00 AUNTY MAY was Andy Templeton’s wife describes
38.30 SELF’S FATHER returned from WWI in 1921. Gave Uncle Andrew money to build a house and keep the flax mill going.
39.00 Self’s daughter died a few years ago. Was good at computing, found information about self’s father’s war service. CANUK BAY (CHUNUK BAIR?) at GALLIPOLI. Found absent without leave for ten days. Worked at rock face?
41.15 Father lived for many years when he returned from WWI, sick often. Father laughed a lot – very positive. He is buried at ASHBURTON, where his brother lived.
42.50 School house was on the property at PIPIRIKI, so school nearby. Enjoyed CRAYFISHING at night time when at school. Often asked where Pipiriki is. Left school at 15. Attended High School at FIELDING AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL. Caught smoking. Describes HOUSE CAPTAIN at High School who ended up as BISHOP OF AOTEAROA WHAKAHUIHUI VERCOE. Self took responsibility for smoking to save House Captain.
48.40 Self has had a very good life – going by boat on the Wanganui River, travelling by Maori canoes (waka). Self could SPEAK FLUENT MAORI when young.
51.20 Self enjoyed ATHLETICS, TENNIS, BIKE RIDING - won a race at Balclutha. Describes
End of Track One.
Dates
- 2024
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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: McDonald, Avis Jennifer (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
